Project Overview
NetBeans is an open-source IDE from Apache that gives you a full desktop workflow for Java development, plus support for other languages through plugins. You get project creation, code editing, debugging, testing, build integration, and version control in one install.
For your team, NetBeans fits best when you want a Java-centric IDE with predictable local workflows and no licensing constraints for core usage. Current repository signals are mixed but healthy: adoption delta is -0.7% over the last ~6 months, star growth delta is +11.1%, and adoption confidence is 73.06 (as of 2026-03-03).
If you standardize on Maven or Gradle projects, NetBeans gives you a direct path from clone to build to debug without heavy custom setup.
Key Challenges Addressed
You usually hit the same friction points in Java work: project setup drift, mismatched build configurations, and slow handoff between code, run, and debug loops. NetBeans targets those directly with built-in project model support and integrated tooling.
- You keep build logic close to your code by working directly with Maven/Gradle/Ant project structures.
- You reduce context switching by running edit/build/debug/test flows in one UI.
- You keep onboarding simple for your team when you need a fully open-source IDE baseline.
You also get a straightforward path for mixed legacy and modern Java codebases, which matters when your repos span multiple Java versions and frameworks.
Getting Started
You can start with official binaries or build from source. If your team needs reproducible customization, source builds are useful.
git clone https://github.com/apache/netbeans.git
cd netbeans
ant
./nbbuild/netbeans/bin/netbeans
Immediate sharp edges to plan for:
- Match your JDK version to your target runtime before first launch.
- Confirm
JAVA_HOMEand Ant availability if you build from source. - Align plugin choices early so your team avoids editor and inspection drift.
Features and Use Cases
NetBeans gives you a broad IDE surface focused on day-to-day coding throughput.
- Java development with code completion, navigation, refactoring, and debugging.
- Maven/Gradle/Ant project workflows for compile, test, and package tasks.
- Git integration for common commit, diff, and branch operations inside the IDE.
- Extensibility through modules/plugins when your team needs extra language or framework support.
Typical scenarios where NetBeans works well:
- You maintain Java services and want a consistent local IDE setup across your team.
- You teach or onboard engineers and need an Apache-licensed default without paid tiers.
- You work on long-lived Java codebases where stable desktop tooling matters more than rapid extension churn.
Ecosystem and Dependencies
NetBeans plugs into the Java toolchain your team likely already uses: JDK, Maven, Gradle, Ant, JUnit-based testing, and Git-backed repositories. That keeps migration risk lower when you move from another IDE, because project metadata stays in standard build files instead of proprietary project formats.
When you compare plugin ecosystems, you should expect a smaller extension universe than VS Code and a different depth profile than IntelliJ Community, especially for niche framework tooling. For core Java workflows, the built-in path is still strong.
Architectural Overview
NetBeans uses a modular architecture built around the NetBeans Platform and feature modules. In practice, your team gets:
- A pluggable module system so features can be added or updated without redesigning the whole IDE.
- A project-system layer that maps build files to IDE actions.
- Language tooling components tied to parsing, indexing, code intelligence, and refactoring flows.
This design matters when you care about maintainability and controlled customization. You can keep a lean baseline install for most contributors, then add modules where specific repos need deeper tooling.
Pros and Cons
- Pro: Strong Java-first workflow with integrated build and debug loops.
- Pro: Apache governance and open-source licensing simplify policy review for your team.
- Pro: Works well with standard Java build systems, reducing lock-in risk.
- Con: Smaller extension ecosystem than some editor-first alternatives.
- Con: Your team may perceive less polish in some workflows compared with IntelliJ Community.
- Con: Mixed-language power users may need extra plugin curation to match their preferred stack.
Comparison and Alternatives
GitHub stars
Weekly star gains
Full metrics details
GitHub GraphQL current stargazer cohort, reconstructed from starredAt events and totalCount retrieved in one stable pagination walk. GitHub does not expose historical unstar events, so this is not an exact ledger of past star counts.
Netbeans
GitHub GraphQL current stargazer cohort, reconstructed from starredAt events and totalCount retrieved in one stable pagination walk. GitHub does not expose historical unstar events, so this is not an exact ledger of past star counts.
180 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition
GitHub GraphQL current stargazer cohort, reconstructed from starredAt events and totalCount retrieved in one stable pagination walk. GitHub does not expose historical unstar events, so this is not an exact ledger of past star counts.
180 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
Visual Studio Code
GitHub GraphQL current stargazer cohort, reconstructed from starredAt events and totalCount retrieved in one stable pagination walk. GitHub does not expose historical unstar events, so this is not an exact ledger of past star counts.
180 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
VSCodium
GitHub GraphQL current stargazer cohort, reconstructed from starredAt events and totalCount retrieved in one stable pagination walk. GitHub does not expose historical unstar events, so this is not an exact ledger of past star counts.
180 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
Lapce
GitHub GraphQL current stargazer cohort, reconstructed from starredAt events and totalCount retrieved in one stable pagination walk. GitHub does not expose historical unstar events, so this is not an exact ledger of past star counts.
41 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
Issues opened
Weekly total
Full metrics details
GitHub API observation. Historical values render only when the source provides a real observation for that day.
Netbeans
GitHub API observation. Historical values render only when the source provides a real observation for that day.
179 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition
GitHub API observation. Historical values render only when the source provides a real observation for that day.
38 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
Visual Studio Code
GitHub API observation. Historical values render only when the source provides a real observation for that day.
177 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
VSCodium
GitHub API observation. Historical values render only when the source provides a real observation for that day.
178 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
Issues closed
Weekly total
Full metrics details
GitHub Search issue totals queried for exact UTC days; rolling values are sums of proven daily counts.
Netbeans
GitHub Search issue totals queried for exact UTC days; rolling values are sums of proven daily counts.
179 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition
GitHub Search issue totals queried for exact UTC days; rolling values are sums of proven daily counts.
38 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
Visual Studio Code
GitHub Search issue totals queried for exact UTC days; rolling values are sums of proven daily counts.
177 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
VSCodium
GitHub Search issue totals queried for exact UTC days; rolling values are sums of proven daily counts.
178 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
Pull requests opened
Weekly total
Full metrics details
GitHub API observation. Historical values render only when the source provides a real observation for that day.
Netbeans
GitHub API observation. Historical values render only when the source provides a real observation for that day.
179 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition
GitHub API observation. Historical values render only when the source provides a real observation for that day.
38 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
Visual Studio Code
GitHub API observation. Historical values render only when the source provides a real observation for that day.
177 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
VSCodium
GitHub API observation. Historical values render only when the source provides a real observation for that day.
178 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
Pull requests closed
Weekly total
Full metrics details
GitHub Search pull-request totals queried for exact UTC days; rolling values are sums of proven daily counts.
Netbeans
GitHub Search pull-request totals queried for exact UTC days; rolling values are sums of proven daily counts.
179 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition
GitHub Search pull-request totals queried for exact UTC days; rolling values are sums of proven daily counts.
38 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
Visual Studio Code
GitHub Search pull-request totals queried for exact UTC days; rolling values are sums of proven daily counts.
177 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
VSCodium
GitHub Search pull-request totals queried for exact UTC days; rolling values are sums of proven daily counts.
178 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
Pull requests merged
Weekly total
Full metrics details
GitHub API observation. Historical values render only when the source provides a real observation for that day.
Netbeans
GitHub API observation. Historical values render only when the source provides a real observation for that day.
179 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition
GitHub API observation. Historical values render only when the source provides a real observation for that day.
38 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
Visual Studio Code
GitHub API observation. Historical values render only when the source provides a real observation for that day.
177 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
VSCodium
GitHub API observation. Historical values render only when the source provides a real observation for that day.
178 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
Open/closed pull request ratio
Weekly average
Full metrics details
GitHub Search pull-request totals queried for exact UTC days; rolling values are sums of proven daily counts.
Netbeans
GitHub Search pull-request totals queried for exact UTC days; rolling values are sums of proven daily counts.
180 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition
GitHub Search pull-request totals queried for exact UTC days; rolling values are sums of proven daily counts.
180 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
Visual Studio Code
GitHub Search pull-request totals queried for exact UTC days; rolling values are sums of proven daily counts.
180 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
VSCodium
GitHub Search pull-request totals queried for exact UTC days; rolling values are sums of proven daily counts.
180 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
Lapce
GitHub Search pull-request totals queried for exact UTC days; rolling values are sums of proven daily counts.
41 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
Open/closed issues ratio
Weekly average
Full metrics details
GitHub Search issue totals queried for exact UTC days; rolling values are sums of proven daily counts.
Netbeans
GitHub Search issue totals queried for exact UTC days; rolling values are sums of proven daily counts.
180 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition
GitHub Search issue totals queried for exact UTC days; rolling values are sums of proven daily counts.
180 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
Visual Studio Code
GitHub Search issue totals queried for exact UTC days; rolling values are sums of proven daily counts.
180 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
VSCodium
GitHub Search issue totals queried for exact UTC days; rolling values are sums of proven daily counts.
180 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
Lapce
GitHub Search issue totals queried for exact UTC days; rolling values are sums of proven daily counts.
41 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
Releases
Weekly total
Full metrics details
GitHub release published_at events bucketed by UTC day; drafts are excluded.
Netbeans
GitHub release published_at events bucketed by UTC day; drafts are excluded.
180 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition
GitHub release published_at events bucketed by UTC day; drafts are excluded.
180 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
Visual Studio Code
GitHub release published_at events bucketed by UTC day; drafts are excluded.
180 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
VSCodium
GitHub release published_at events bucketed by UTC day; drafts are excluded.
180 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
Lapce
GitHub release published_at events bucketed by UTC day; drafts are excluded.
41 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
| Date | Value |
|---|
Hotness score
Weekly average
Full metrics details
Derived only from GitHub GraphQL starredAt events after daily star totals are reconciled.
Netbeans
Derived only from GitHub GraphQL starredAt events after daily star totals are reconciled.
180 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
Per-day formula: 0.40 × Hot today + 0.40 × Hot week + 0.20 × Breakout.
- Same-day multiplier = stars 1d ÷ max(1, stars 7d ÷ 7)
- Weekly multiplier = stars 7d ÷ max(1, stars 30d ÷ 30 × 7)
- Fortnight multiplier = stars 14d ÷ max(1, stars 90d ÷ 90 × 14)
- Hot today = clamp(70 × log-scale(stars 1d, 1000) + 30 × breakout-scale(same-day, 4))
- Hot week = clamp(75 × log-scale(stars 7d, 5000) + 25 × breakout-scale(weekly, 3))
- Breakout = clamp(35 × breakout-scale(same-day, 4) + 40 × breakout-scale(weekly, 3) + 25 × breakout-scale(fortnight, 2.5))
| Date | Stars | Stars 1d | Stars 7d | Stars 14d | Stars 30d | Stars 90d | Same-day multiplier | Weekly multiplier | Fortnight multiplier | Hot today | Hot week | Breakout | Stored score |
|---|
IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition
Derived only from GitHub GraphQL starredAt events after daily star totals are reconciled.
180 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
Per-day formula: 0.40 × Hot today + 0.40 × Hot week + 0.20 × Breakout.
- Same-day multiplier = stars 1d ÷ max(1, stars 7d ÷ 7)
- Weekly multiplier = stars 7d ÷ max(1, stars 30d ÷ 30 × 7)
- Fortnight multiplier = stars 14d ÷ max(1, stars 90d ÷ 90 × 14)
- Hot today = clamp(70 × log-scale(stars 1d, 1000) + 30 × breakout-scale(same-day, 4))
- Hot week = clamp(75 × log-scale(stars 7d, 5000) + 25 × breakout-scale(weekly, 3))
- Breakout = clamp(35 × breakout-scale(same-day, 4) + 40 × breakout-scale(weekly, 3) + 25 × breakout-scale(fortnight, 2.5))
| Date | Stars | Stars 1d | Stars 7d | Stars 14d | Stars 30d | Stars 90d | Same-day multiplier | Weekly multiplier | Fortnight multiplier | Hot today | Hot week | Breakout | Stored score |
|---|
Visual Studio Code
Derived only from GitHub GraphQL starredAt events after daily star totals are reconciled.
180 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
Per-day formula: 0.40 × Hot today + 0.40 × Hot week + 0.20 × Breakout.
- Same-day multiplier = stars 1d ÷ max(1, stars 7d ÷ 7)
- Weekly multiplier = stars 7d ÷ max(1, stars 30d ÷ 30 × 7)
- Fortnight multiplier = stars 14d ÷ max(1, stars 90d ÷ 90 × 14)
- Hot today = clamp(70 × log-scale(stars 1d, 1000) + 30 × breakout-scale(same-day, 4))
- Hot week = clamp(75 × log-scale(stars 7d, 5000) + 25 × breakout-scale(weekly, 3))
- Breakout = clamp(35 × breakout-scale(same-day, 4) + 40 × breakout-scale(weekly, 3) + 25 × breakout-scale(fortnight, 2.5))
| Date | Stars | Stars 1d | Stars 7d | Stars 14d | Stars 30d | Stars 90d | Same-day multiplier | Weekly multiplier | Fortnight multiplier | Hot today | Hot week | Breakout | Stored score |
|---|
VSCodium
Derived only from GitHub GraphQL starredAt events after daily star totals are reconciled.
180 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
Per-day formula: 0.40 × Hot today + 0.40 × Hot week + 0.20 × Breakout.
- Same-day multiplier = stars 1d ÷ max(1, stars 7d ÷ 7)
- Weekly multiplier = stars 7d ÷ max(1, stars 30d ÷ 30 × 7)
- Fortnight multiplier = stars 14d ÷ max(1, stars 90d ÷ 90 × 14)
- Hot today = clamp(70 × log-scale(stars 1d, 1000) + 30 × breakout-scale(same-day, 4))
- Hot week = clamp(75 × log-scale(stars 7d, 5000) + 25 × breakout-scale(weekly, 3))
- Breakout = clamp(35 × breakout-scale(same-day, 4) + 40 × breakout-scale(weekly, 3) + 25 × breakout-scale(fortnight, 2.5))
| Date | Stars | Stars 1d | Stars 7d | Stars 14d | Stars 30d | Stars 90d | Same-day multiplier | Weekly multiplier | Fortnight multiplier | Hot today | Hot week | Breakout | Stored score |
|---|
Lapce
Derived only from GitHub GraphQL starredAt events after daily star totals are reconciled.
41 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
Per-day formula: 0.40 × Hot today + 0.40 × Hot week + 0.20 × Breakout.
- Same-day multiplier = stars 1d ÷ max(1, stars 7d ÷ 7)
- Weekly multiplier = stars 7d ÷ max(1, stars 30d ÷ 30 × 7)
- Fortnight multiplier = stars 14d ÷ max(1, stars 90d ÷ 90 × 14)
- Hot today = clamp(70 × log-scale(stars 1d, 1000) + 30 × breakout-scale(same-day, 4))
- Hot week = clamp(75 × log-scale(stars 7d, 5000) + 25 × breakout-scale(weekly, 3))
- Breakout = clamp(35 × breakout-scale(same-day, 4) + 40 × breakout-scale(weekly, 3) + 25 × breakout-scale(fortnight, 2.5))
| Date | Stars | Stars 1d | Stars 7d | Stars 14d | Stars 30d | Stars 90d | Same-day multiplier | Weekly multiplier | Fortnight multiplier | Hot today | Hot week | Breakout | Stored score |
|---|
Reliability score
Weekly average
Full metrics details
Derived from the displayed continuity, closure, shipping, liveness, and support-burden components.
Netbeans
Derived from the displayed continuity, closure, shipping, liveness, and support-burden components.
180 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
Per-day formula: 0.30 × Continuity + 0.30 × Closure + 0.20 × Shipping + 0.10 × Liveness + 0.10 × Support burden.
- Continuity = 35% active ratio 90d + 20% active ratio 30d + 15% PR efficiency 90d + 10% PR efficiency 30d + 10% liveness + 10% observed-history coverage
- Closure = 55% PR merge efficiency 90d + 45% issue close efficiency 90d
- Shipping = 100 × (20% × release ratio 30d + 30% × release ratio 90d + 50% × release ratio 180d); ratios are releases ÷ 2, 6, and 12, capped at 1
- Support burden = 100 − 2 × open issues per 1,000 stars
- Liveness = 100 × exp(−pushed days ago ÷ 120)
Stars, issues, pull requests, and releases are daily observations. Pushed-days and license are repository snapshot-derived inputs and are not independent historical GitHub events.
| Date | Issues opened | Issues closed | PRs opened | PRs merged | Releases | Stars | Open issues | Pushed days ago | Continuity | Closure | Shipping | Liveness | Support burden | License | Observed days | Missing days | Needs healing | Stored score |
|---|
IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition
Derived from the displayed continuity, closure, shipping, liveness, and support-burden components.
180 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
Per-day formula: 0.30 × Continuity + 0.30 × Closure + 0.20 × Shipping + 0.10 × Liveness + 0.10 × Support burden.
- Continuity = 35% active ratio 90d + 20% active ratio 30d + 15% PR efficiency 90d + 10% PR efficiency 30d + 10% liveness + 10% observed-history coverage
- Closure = 55% PR merge efficiency 90d + 45% issue close efficiency 90d
- Shipping = 100 × (20% × release ratio 30d + 30% × release ratio 90d + 50% × release ratio 180d); ratios are releases ÷ 2, 6, and 12, capped at 1
- Support burden = 100 − 2 × open issues per 1,000 stars
- Liveness = 100 × exp(−pushed days ago ÷ 120)
Stars, issues, pull requests, and releases are daily observations. Pushed-days and license are repository snapshot-derived inputs and are not independent historical GitHub events.
| Date | Issues opened | Issues closed | PRs opened | PRs merged | Releases | Stars | Open issues | Pushed days ago | Continuity | Closure | Shipping | Liveness | Support burden | License | Observed days | Missing days | Needs healing | Stored score |
|---|
Visual Studio Code
Derived from the displayed continuity, closure, shipping, liveness, and support-burden components.
180 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
Per-day formula: 0.30 × Continuity + 0.30 × Closure + 0.20 × Shipping + 0.10 × Liveness + 0.10 × Support burden.
- Continuity = 35% active ratio 90d + 20% active ratio 30d + 15% PR efficiency 90d + 10% PR efficiency 30d + 10% liveness + 10% observed-history coverage
- Closure = 55% PR merge efficiency 90d + 45% issue close efficiency 90d
- Shipping = 100 × (20% × release ratio 30d + 30% × release ratio 90d + 50% × release ratio 180d); ratios are releases ÷ 2, 6, and 12, capped at 1
- Support burden = 100 − 2 × open issues per 1,000 stars
- Liveness = 100 × exp(−pushed days ago ÷ 120)
Stars, issues, pull requests, and releases are daily observations. Pushed-days and license are repository snapshot-derived inputs and are not independent historical GitHub events.
| Date | Issues opened | Issues closed | PRs opened | PRs merged | Releases | Stars | Open issues | Pushed days ago | Continuity | Closure | Shipping | Liveness | Support burden | License | Observed days | Missing days | Needs healing | Stored score |
|---|
VSCodium
Derived from the displayed continuity, closure, shipping, liveness, and support-burden components.
180 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
Per-day formula: 0.30 × Continuity + 0.30 × Closure + 0.20 × Shipping + 0.10 × Liveness + 0.10 × Support burden.
- Continuity = 35% active ratio 90d + 20% active ratio 30d + 15% PR efficiency 90d + 10% PR efficiency 30d + 10% liveness + 10% observed-history coverage
- Closure = 55% PR merge efficiency 90d + 45% issue close efficiency 90d
- Shipping = 100 × (20% × release ratio 30d + 30% × release ratio 90d + 50% × release ratio 180d); ratios are releases ÷ 2, 6, and 12, capped at 1
- Support burden = 100 − 2 × open issues per 1,000 stars
- Liveness = 100 × exp(−pushed days ago ÷ 120)
Stars, issues, pull requests, and releases are daily observations. Pushed-days and license are repository snapshot-derived inputs and are not independent historical GitHub events.
| Date | Issues opened | Issues closed | PRs opened | PRs merged | Releases | Stars | Open issues | Pushed days ago | Continuity | Closure | Shipping | Liveness | Support burden | License | Observed days | Missing days | Needs healing | Stored score |
|---|
Lapce
Derived from the displayed continuity, closure, shipping, liveness, and support-burden components.
41 observed daily rows. Missing days are not fabricated.
Per-day formula: 0.30 × Continuity + 0.30 × Closure + 0.20 × Shipping + 0.10 × Liveness + 0.10 × Support burden.
- Continuity = 35% active ratio 90d + 20% active ratio 30d + 15% PR efficiency 90d + 10% PR efficiency 30d + 10% liveness + 10% observed-history coverage
- Closure = 55% PR merge efficiency 90d + 45% issue close efficiency 90d
- Shipping = 100 × (20% × release ratio 30d + 30% × release ratio 90d + 50% × release ratio 180d); ratios are releases ÷ 2, 6, and 12, capped at 1
- Support burden = 100 − 2 × open issues per 1,000 stars
- Liveness = 100 × exp(−pushed days ago ÷ 120)
Stars, issues, pull requests, and releases are daily observations. Pushed-days and license are repository snapshot-derived inputs and are not independent historical GitHub events.
| Date | Issues opened | Issues closed | PRs opened | PRs merged | Releases | Stars | Open issues | Pushed days ago | Continuity | Closure | Shipping | Liveness | Support burden | License | Observed days | Missing days | Needs healing | Stored score |
|---|
If your team is evaluating options, you can compare NetBeans against mature and actively maintained alternatives with clear GitHub footprints: IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition, Visual Studio Code, VSCodium, Eclipse Theia, and Lapce.
| Project | Repo | Adoption confidence (~6mo) | PRs merged (~6mo) | Star growth (~6mo) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NetBeans | https://github.com/apache/netbeans | 72.91 | 445 | 300 |
| IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition | https://github.com/JetBrains/intellij-community | 19.19 | 2 | 2312 |
| Visual Studio Code | https://github.com/microsoft/vscode | 77.67 | 11398 | 16549 |
| VSCodium | https://github.com/VSCodium/vscodium | 70.54 | 137 | 4365 |
| Eclipse Theia | https://github.com/eclipse-theia/theia | 74.65 | 783 | 1165 |
| Lapce | https://github.com/lapce/lapce | metrics pending | 0 | metrics pending |
IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition is the best overall alternative in 2026 because your team gets a very mature Java tooling stack, broad ecosystem support, and consistently strong maintenance signals.
Conclusion
NetBeans gives your team a practical, open-source Java IDE baseline with integrated build/debug workflows and low licensing friction. You trade some extension breadth and workflow polish against a stable Java-first environment. Your most important engineering takeaway is to decide whether a modular Apache IDE baseline from the NetBeans repository, official NetBeans documentation, and community channels matches your long-term tooling standard better than an ecosystem-first alternative.