Android Studio vs IntelliJ IDEA: Pricing and Ratings Compared (2026)
Entry prices and free plans as read on each vendor's pricing page, and user ratings as published on review sites, for Android Studio and IntelliJ IDEA side by side. This page compares data; it is not a hands-on review.
On the data: On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
Based on published vendor pricing and features and on public review data, here's who should pick what:
Android Studio
Official IDE for Android app development
Best for you if:
- • You want a fully free tool (IntelliJ IDEA requires payment)
IntelliJ IDEA
The capable & ergonomic Java IDE
Best for you if:
- • You want best Java IDE
| At a Glance | Android Studio | IntelliJ IDEA |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | Free 100% free | Free plan, paid from $599/year Ultimate plan |
Category | Developer Tools IDE & Code Editors | IDE & Code Editors Developer Tools |
Rating | 4.5/5 G2 4.5 · Capterra 4.6 773 reviews | 4.6/5 G2 4.6 · Capterra 4.7 3,653 reviews |
Free plan | Yes | Yes |
Watch out for | Google Play takes a 15% commission on the first $1M in annual revenue, then 30% above that. For subscription apps, the commission drops to 15% after 12 months of continuous subscription. This is the real cost of the Android ecosystem | Plugin ecosystem is free, but some premium plugins (Database Tools, AI Assistant Pro) are bundled only with Ultimate |
Choose Android Studio or IntelliJ IDEA?
Choose Android Studio if
- You want a fully free tool (IntelliJ IDEA requires payment)
- You want official Android IDE
- You want good emulator
- You work in developer tools, not IDE & code editors
Choose IntelliJ IDEA if
- You want best Java IDE
- You want smart completions
- You work in IDE & code editors, not developer tools
In-Depth Analysis
Android Studio
Official IDE for Android app development
Android Studio is completely free, no paid tiers, no feature gates, no per-seat licensing.
Watch out
Google Play takes a 15% commission on the first $1M in annual revenue, then 30% above that. For subscription apps, the commission drops to 15% after 12 months of continuous subscription. This is the real cost of the Android ecosystem
Strengths
- Pro: Official Android IDE
- Pro: Good emulator
- Pro: Kotlin support
- Pro: Good debugging
- Pro: Free
Weaknesses
- Con: Very heavy
- Con: Slow startup
- Con: RAM hungry
- Con: Gradle issues
- Con: Can be buggy
Key features
IntelliJ IDEA
The capable & ergonomic Java IDE
IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition is the best free Java IDE available, it covers core Java, Kotlin, Gradle, and Maven with full refactoring support.
Watch out
Plugin ecosystem is free, but some premium plugins (Database Tools, AI Assistant Pro) are bundled only with Ultimate
Strengths
- Pro: Best Java IDE
- Pro: Smart completions
- Pro: Refactoring tools
Weaknesses
- Con: Resource intensive
- Con: Expensive Ultimate
Key features
Plans and prices: Android Studio vs IntelliJ IDEA
| Tool | Plans and prices | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Android Studio |
| developer.android.com/studio read Oct 3, 2026 |
| IntelliJ IDEA |
| jetbrains.com/idea read Sep 30, 2026 |
Prices as read on each vendor's own pricing page on the date shown. Plans are listed per tool and are not matched against the other tool's plans: a plan name or price in one column says nothing about the same row in the other. Details on Android Studio pricing and IntelliJ IDEA pricing.
Key Takeaways
Android Studio
- Choose if you want official IDE for Android app development
IntelliJ IDEA
- Choose if you want the capable & ergonomic Java IDE
What the data shows
On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair.
- User ratings are within 0.2 points (4.5/5 from 773 reviews for Android Studio, 4.6/5 from 3,653 reviews for IntelliJ IDEA).
- IntelliJ IDEA starts at $599/year; Android Studio has no public paid plan price on file.
- Both have a free plan.
Criteria: user rating (only above 20 reviews on both sides, gap of 0.2 or more), entry price (only on the same billing basis), free plan. How we rate
Frequently Asked Questions
How do Android Studio and IntelliJ IDEA compare in 2026?
On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair. User ratings are within 0.2 points (4.5/5 from 773 reviews for Android Studio, 4.6/5 from 3,653 reviews for IntelliJ IDEA). IntelliJ IDEA starts at $599/year; Android Studio has no public paid plan price on file. Both have a free plan.
What are Android Studio and IntelliJ IDEA used for?
Android Studio: Official IDE for Android app development. IntelliJ IDEA: The capable & ergonomic Java IDE.
What does Android Studio cost vs IntelliJ IDEA?
Android Studio is free. IntelliJ IDEA's cheapest paid plan is Ultimate at $599/year; it also has a free plan. Prices read on the vendors' pricing pages, latest check Oct 3, 2026.
What's the main difference between Android Studio and IntelliJ IDEA?
Android Studio's main strength: official Android IDE. IntelliJ IDEA's main strength: best Java IDE.