Best NetBeans IDE Alternatives in 2025
Looking for alternatives to NetBeans IDE? In this comparison, we take a closer look at NetBeans IDE alongside similar software solutions including NetBeans IDE, Rainmeter, WinMerge, Visual Studio Community 2019, Arduino IDE, Dev-C++, Android Studio, Windows SDK AddOn, iTop Screenshot and Adobe InDesign.
Our detailed comparison table highlights key features, pricing, and performance of these leading solutions, empowering you to make an informed decision. Whether you're seeking robust functionality, user-friendly design, or cost-effective alternatives, explore how NetBeans IDE, Rainmeter, WinMerge, Visual Studio Community 2019, Arduino IDE, Dev-C++, Android Studio, Windows SDK AddOn, iTop Screenshot and Adobe InDesign stack up to find the perfect software for your goals.
Primary Function
 NetBeans IDE
|
Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for Java, C/C++, PHP, and web development. |
 Rainmeter
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Desktop customization tool for Windows to create and use customizable skins and widgets. |
 WinMerge
|
Free and open-source file and folder difference checker and merging tool. |
 Visual Studio Community 2019
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Feature-rich integrated development environment for desktop, web, mobile, gaming, and IoT applications supporting multiple languages. |
 Arduino IDE
|
Simplified open-source IDE for programming Arduino microcontroller boards using C++. |
 Dev-C++
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Free and open-source IDE primarily for C and C++ programming with built-in compiler and debugger. |
 Android Studio
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Official IDE for Android app development supporting Java, Kotlin, C++, with extensive tools and features. |
 Windows SDK AddOn
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Collection of tools, libraries, headers for developing Windows applications including debugging and profiling tools. |
 iTop Screenshot
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Screenshot tool focused on easy-to-use screen capture with editing features and IT service management integration. |
 Adobe InDesign
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Professional desktop publishing software for creating complex print and digital documents like magazines and ebooks. |
System Requirements / Resource Usage
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NetBeans IDE
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Requires at least 2 GB RAM, suitable for running on desktop systems including Windows, Linux, Mac. |
|
Rainmeter
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Lightweight application needing minimum 128 MB RAM; runs on Windows; may face compatibility issues on some configurations. |
|
WinMerge
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Runs on Windows 10; no hard limits on file sizes; no specified high resource needs. |
|
Visual Studio Community 2019
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Requires at least 20 GB free disk space, 2 GHz or faster CPU, 2 GB RAM; heavy resource usage; slower performance on less powerful machines. |
|
Arduino IDE
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Requires minimum 512 MB RAM, 1 GHz processor, 50 MB free disk space; compatible with Windows, Linux, Mac OS X. |
|
Dev-C++
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Minimum requirements are 256 MB RAM and 100 MB free disk space; supports both 32-bit and 64-bit Windows systems. |
|
Android Studio
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Requires at least 4 GB RAM, a computer with adequate CPU; large file sizes; intensive resources needed for development and emulation. |
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Windows SDK AddOn
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Needs at least 4 GB disk space; compatibility with Windows operating system versions varies by SDK version; no major hardware requirements stated. |
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iTop Screenshot
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Supports Windows 8 and above; lightweight but requires significant resources during operation for advanced features. |
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Adobe InDesign
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Requires at least 8 GB RAM, a 64-bit multi-core Intel processor; high system requirements due to complexity of tasks. |
Key Features & Capabilities
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NetBeans IDE
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Built-in version control (Git, Subversion, Mercurial), modular architecture with strong plugin ecosystem, supports Java EE technologies, robust debugging features including breakpoints. |
|
Rainmeter
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Highly customizable skins with a powerful skin editor, supports third-party plugins, frequent updates with active community resources including tutorials. |
|
WinMerge
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Syntax highlighting in difference viewing, supports merging of files/folders including very large files, automatic update feature but lacks official technical support. |
|
Visual Studio Community 2019
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Extensive library of extensions, built-in Git and Team Foundation Server version control tools, robust debugging including step-through execution and profiling tools. |
|
Arduino IDE
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Simple user interface with built-in code editor supporting C++, auto-completion features; limited debugging capabilities but vast libraries available for various hardware boards. |
|
Dev-C++
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Integrated compiler and debugger support breakpoints; GUI designer available; supports C++, Pascal; easy-to-use interface for console applications with limited advanced features. |
|
Android Studio
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Intelligent code editing with syntax highlighting; visual layout editor; integration with Android SDK, Gradle build system; supports Java, Kotlin, C++ development. |
|
Windows SDK AddOn
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Provides additional development tools such as debugging utilities, DirectX support libraries, templates for Windows apps development. |
|
iTop Screenshot
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Supports various capture modes (window-specific, timer), image editing tools including different image formats (BMP,JPG,GIF), customized settings for shots linked to ITSM workflows like CMDB and incident management. |
|
Adobe InDesign
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Advanced typographic controls; multi-page layout support; integration with Adobe Creative Cloud suite; extensive export formats including PDF and ePub; advanced collaboration features. |
Choosing the right software isn’t just about features. Size, license type, user ratings, and popularity also matter.
This quick comparison shows how NetBeans IDE stacks up against NetBeans IDE, Rainmeter, WinMerge, Visual Studio Community 2019, Arduino IDE, Dev-C++, Android Studio, Windows SDK AddOn, iTop Screenshot and Adobe InDesign in these key areas—helping you find the best alternative for your needs.
Size
|
NetBeans IDE
|
|
|
Rainmeter
|
8.7MB |
|
WinMerge
|
9.5MB |
|
Visual Studio Community 2019
|
3.8MB |
|
Arduino IDE
|
1.6MB |
|
Dev-C++
|
|
|
Android Studio
|
950.1MB |
|
Windows SDK AddOn
|
61.2MB |
|
iTop Screenshot
|
10.9MB |
|
Adobe InDesign
|
License
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NetBeans IDE
|
Open Source |
|
Rainmeter
|
Freeware |
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WinMerge
|
Open Source |
|
Visual Studio Community 2019
|
Commercial |
|
Arduino IDE
|
Open Source |
|
Dev-C++
|
Commercial |
|
Android Studio
|
Commercial |
|
Windows SDK AddOn
|
Commercial |
|
iTop Screenshot
|
Commercial |
|
Adobe InDesign
|
Commercial |