NetBeans - an open source IDE done right
November 21, 2019

NetBeans - an open source IDE done right

Anonymous | TrustRadius Reviewer
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User

Overall Satisfaction with NetBeans

NetBeans is used by a portion of our IT application development and support staff. This open source IDE is a great option, especially for Java developers. Because it is a widely used solution, there are plugins available for most major frameworks. Because NetBeans is open source, we don't have to worry about licensing requirements or increased costs. This is especially helpful in the realm of higher education where budgets are often limited.
  • Debugging - Save time hunting down errors by stepping through the code to find the root of a problem.
  • Refactoring - Easily rename classes and variables or make other structural changes using built-in refactoring tools.
  • Service management - NetBeans integrates seamlessly with web application servers like Tomcat and GlassFish.
  • Source control - Works well with Git and other version control tools.
  • Instability - NetBeans will sometimes crash when used for long periods of time. While this is rare, it can be frustrating.
  • Memory usage - Large projects can consume a lot of memory when opened in the IDE.
  • Limited support - By default, NetBeans doesn't come with any professional support. Users should be comfortable reading documentation or consulting online communities for help.
  • Reduced cost - NetBeans is free to use.
  • Widespread support - NetBeans works on a wide variety of hardware/operating system environments.
  • Increased efficiency - Developers save time with built in debugging and refactoring tools.
IntelliJ IDEA is more feature-rich and has professional support available, but comes with increased licensing costs.
Eclipse is widely used, and some of our developers still prefer Eclipse over NetBeans. However, developers spend more time working around IDE bugs when using Eclipse, and have a more difficult time getting started with it.
Atom is another great open source solution, but it doesn't offer some of the in-depth features with debugging and framework support that the other IDEs include.
In most cases, users will have to read documentation or search online communities to find support from other users. Because NetBeans is free software, it doesn't come with any professional customer support. On the other hand, there are many online resources available because it is such a widely used IDE.

Do you think NetBeans delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with NetBeans's feature set?

Yes

Did NetBeans live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of NetBeans go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy NetBeans again?

Yes

If your organization works with developing or supporting Java applications and is focused on running efficiently with a lean budget, NetBeans would be a good choice to consider.

If your development staff uses other languages, or prefers a high level of available professional IDE support, it may be better to consider a paid option if your budget allows.