Introducing the unified IntelliJ IDEA

Starting with version 2025.3, IntelliJ IDEA will have a single unified installer, replacing the separate Community Edition and Ultimate downloads.

This means there’s just one IntelliJ IDEA to install, with all core Java and Kotlin development features available for free. Advanced functionality will be unlocked through an Ultimate subscription, all within the same IDE.

An Ultimate subscription unlocks the full power of IntelliJ IDEA, including industry-leading Spring support, complete JVM ecosystem support, advanced productivity tools, powerful integrations, AI assistance, advanced database capabilities, and many more workflow optimization and enterprise-grade features. It’s designed to provide the ultimate comfort and reliability for professional development.

We are simplifying your experience by unifying IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition and the Ultimate subscription into a single distribution. This change will reduce confusion, ensure consistent product quality, make updates easier, and open access to more free features, providing a seamless path to explore and try our advanced functionality.

Your perpetual fallback license still works as before, giving you access to the last major version available at the time your most recent uninterrupted year of subscription began. With the unified distribution, this means you can activate older versions that match your fallback license.

Alternatively, you can use the latest version of IntelliJ IDEA with access to its current free feature set.

Your data privacy remains our top priority. The new unified distribution will not change how your data is handled or shared. Unlike many other developer tools, IntelliJ IDEA does not collect usage statistics, logs, or other data without your explicit consent. We’re especially grateful to those who opt in to anonymous statistics gathering, as this helps us improve IntelliJ IDEA.

This change is solely about simplifying the distribution model and has no impact on pricing policies.

You’ll get access to more free features, a smoother way to explore powerful tools, a simplified trial experience, and additional productivity-enhancing capabilities – all available within the same IDE and without the need for a subscription.

The transition begins in IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate 2025.2, introducing updates to the licensing experience. If there's a gap between subscription renewals, you can continue using the same IDE to access the essential features for Java and Kotlin development. Access to the advanced features will be restored once you renew your Ultimate subscription.

The unified distribution will be fully rolled out with the 2025.3 release.

You won’t have to pay to access any core Java and Kotlin development features. Without a subscription, IntelliJ IDEA will remain fully functional, free to use for both commercial and non-commercial projects, and will include more features than are available in the current Community Edition.

Your subscription remains active, and you will continue to enjoy the complete set of advanced features with the highest level of productivity and comfort. Even if you’re between subscription renewals, all core Java and Kotlin features will remain available, so your development work won't be interrupted.

The Ultimate subscription provides access to the following features (a complete list is available here):

• Industry-leading tools for Spring development
• Full support for the JVM ecosystem and technologies beyond Java and Kotlin
• Integrated data tools
• IntelliJ Profiler
• HTTP Client
• AI assistance for your daily tasks
• And more.

The Ultimate subscription remains free for students, teachers, and educational institutions, supporting productive learning and high-quality coding education. You can apply for an educational license through this form.

In the 2025.3 release, IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition will seamlessly update to IntelliJ IDEA, providing additional features at no cost and enhancing your productivity without disrupting your workflow. Version 2025.2 is the final standalone release of IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition.

For those who prefer a pure open-source build, it will be available on GitHub, beginning with the 2025.2 release.

No significant changes are expected, except for the increased size of the distribution. The system requirements will remain the same, ensuring reliability across your existing setups.

IntelliJ IDEA will remain fully functional and free to use for both commercial and non-commercial projects independently of subscription. In fact, you'll gain additional powerful features previously available only in the Ultimate Edition for free, providing you with even greater comfort and efficiency.

After migrating to IntelliJ IDEA, you’ll be able to continue using older versions of IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition and switch between them if needed. However, unified IntelliJ IDEA will be the only edition receiving updates and new features in upcoming releases.

All settings, projects, and saved data will be seamlessly transferred to IntelliJ IDEA.

When you install IntelliJ IDEA for the first time, a free trial of the Ultimate subscription starts automatically. Trials can be retaken with each major release.

After your Ultimate subscription trial ends, you can either activate a subscription or continue using IntelliJ IDEA without one, ensuring uninterrupted development. Advanced features will be disabled, but all core functionality for Java and Kotlin development remains free.

Corporate trials remain available. Please fill out this form, and we'll help your team experience IntelliJ IDEA’s productivity and code quality benefits.

The source code remains on GitHub, and we are fully committed to maintaining it. In addition, we will publish open-source builds to GitHub Releases and provide ready-to-use CI/CD pipelines powered by GitHub Actions, reinforcing our commitment to transparency and productive open-source collaboration.

Community plugins remain fully supported, reliable, and compatible, ensuring your workflow remains efficient and productive within the unified distribution.