# Emacs vs IntelliJ IDEA

**Leader by vioscaleAI score:** IntelliJ IDEA

| Attribute | Emacs | IntelliJ IDEA |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 39.2 (53% (medium)) | 51.9 (72% (medium)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 100 | 100 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 0 | 890 |
| adoption.github_stars | 5,218 | 20,630 |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"A free and open-source text editor built on a Lisp interpreter that enables extensive customization through Lisp code. It combines core text editing with broader functionality including project planning, email and news reading, debugging, calendar, and IRC capabilities. It is indexed under IDEs & Code Editors.","source":"https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/","question":"What is Emacs?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Emacs is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the GPL-3.0 licence. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/","question":"Is Emacs free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Emacs supports Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/","question":"What platforms does Emacs support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Emacs can be deployed self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/","question":"Can Emacs be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Emacs is published under the GPL-3.0 licence, a copyleft licence, so check its terms before embedding it in a closed-source product. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/emacs-mirror/emacs","question":"Is Emacs open source?","confidence":0.95}]` | `[{"answer":"An IDE that accelerates software development through smart code editing, debugging, and analysis tools, enhanced with native AI capabilities for code completion and suggestions. It is indexed under IDEs & Code Editors.","source":"https://www.jetbrains.com/idea/","question":"What is IntelliJ IDEA?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"IntelliJ IDEA supports Windows, macOS and Linux. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://www.jetbrains.com/idea/","question":"What platforms does IntelliJ IDEA support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed 8 integrations for IntelliJ IDEA, including Claude, GPT, Gemini, Grok, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Junie and Codex. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.","source":"https://www.jetbrains.com/idea/","question":"What does IntelliJ IDEA integrate with?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have independently confirmed SOC 2 and GDPR for IntelliJ IDEA. Certifications we do not list are ones we have not been able to verify from public sources, which is not the same as IntelliJ IDEA not holding them. Always confirm compliance directly before you rely on it.","source":"https://www.jetbrains.com/idea/","question":"What security certifications does IntelliJ IDEA have?","confidence":0.48}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"self_hosted":true}` | - |
| description.long | An open-source text editor written in C and Lisp that emphasizes extensibility and customization through programming, with support for multiple platforms and international character input methods. | Professional integrated development environment for Java and Kotlin with built-in AI assistance for code generation and validation. Includes integrated debugging, testing, database tools, and application profiling in a unified interface. |
| features.capabilities | `{"type":"terminal_editor","lsp_dap":true,"builtin_ai":"none","deployment":"desktop","os_support":"GNU/Linux, Windows, macOS, BSD, Haiku, Android","remote_dev":false,"open_source":"oss","base_platform":"original","extensibility":"plugins","pricing_model":"free","language_scope":"polyglot","git_integration":false,"code_intelligence":"lsp_grade","integrated_debugger":true}` | `{"type":"full_ide","builtin_ai":"native","deployment":"desktop","os_support":"Windows, macOS","remote_dev":true,"open_source":"open_core","base_platform":"original","extensibility":"plugins","pricing_model":"subscription","language_scope":"polyglot","code_intelligence":"ide_grade","integrated_debugger":true}` |
| integrations.count | 2 | 9 |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"Tree-Sitter"},{"name":"EditorConfig"}]` | `[{"name":"Claude"},{"name":"GPT"},{"name":"Gemini"},{"name":"Grok"},{"name":"GitHub Copilot"},{"name":"Cursor"},{"name":"Junie"},{"name":"Claude Agent"},{"name":"Codex"},{"name":"Spring Framework","native":true}]` |
| language.primary | Emacs Lisp | Java |
| license.spdx | GPL-3.0 | - |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true,"mac":true,"linux":true,"android":true,"windows":true}` | `{"mac":true,"windows":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"open_source","summary":"Free and open source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/","retrievedAt":"2026-10-13T13:45:48.009Z"}` | `{"type":"subscription","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://www.jetbrains.com/idea/","retrievedAt":"2026-09-14T13:22:10.181Z","freeTrialDays":30}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | open_source | freemium |
| pricing.price_level | free | low |
| pricing.transparent | yes | - |
| release.cadence_days | - | 2 |
| release.history | - | `[{"url":"https://github.com/JetBrains/intellij-community/releases/tag/pycharm/2026.2.3","date":"2026-09-18T15:43:23Z","type":"stable","version":"pycharm/2026.2.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/JetBrains/intellij-community/releases/tag/idea/2026.2.3","date":"2026-09-16T09:31:48Z","type":"stable","version":"idea/2026.2.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/JetBrains/intellij-community/releases/tag/pycharm/2026.2.2","date":"2026-09-07T15:24:11Z","type":"stable","version":"pycharm/2026.2.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/JetBrains/intellij-community/releases/tag/idea/2026.2.2","date":"2026-09-02T15:41:49Z","type":"stable","version":"idea/2026.2.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/JetBrains/intellij-community/releases/tag/pycharm/2026.2.1","date":"2026-08-12T07:24:12Z","type":"stable","version":"pycharm/2026.2.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/JetBrains/intellij-community/releases/tag/pycharm/2026.1.5","date":"2026-08-13T11:27:43Z","type":"stable","version":"pycharm/2026.1.5"},{"url":"https://github.com/JetBrains/intellij-community/releases/tag/idea/2026.1.5","date":"2026-08-12T14:41:47Z","type":"stable","version":"idea/2026.1.5"},{"url":"https://github.com/JetBrains/intellij-community/releases/tag/idea/2026.2.1","date":"2026-08-10T11:37:47Z","type":"stable","version":"idea/2026.2.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/JetBrains/intellij-community/releases/tag/idea/2025.2.6.3","date":"2026-07-28T18:32:49Z","type":"stable","version":"idea/2025.2.6.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/JetBrains/intellij-community/releases/tag/pycharm/2026.2.0.1","date":"2026-07-27T19:34:39Z","type":"stable","version":"pycharm/2026.2.0.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/JetBrains/intellij-community/releases/tag/pycharm/2025.3.6.1","date":"2026-07-28T18:00:12Z","type":"stable","version":"pycharm/2025.3.6.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/JetBrains/intellij-community/releases/tag/idea/2025.3.6.1","date":"2026-07-29T07:38:33Z","type":"stable","version":"idea/2025.3.6.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/JetBrains/intellij-community/releases/tag/pycharm/2026.2","date":"2026-07-20T17:13:34Z","type":"stable","version":"pycharm/2026.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/JetBrains/intellij-community/releases/tag/idea/2026.2","date":"2026-07-16T13:32:03Z","type":"stable","version":"idea/2026.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/JetBrains/intellij-community/releases/tag/pycharm/2026.1.4","date":"2026-07-03T13:04:15Z","type":"stable","version":"pycharm/2026.1.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/JetBrains/intellij-community/releases/tag/idea/2026.1.4","date":"2026-07-02T11:28:47Z","type":"stable","version":"idea/2026.1.4"},{"url":"https://github.com/JetBrains/intellij-community/releases/tag/pycharm/2026.1.3","date":"2026-06-22T12:12:40Z","type":"stable","version":"pycharm/2026.1.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/JetBrains/intellij-community/releases/tag/idea/2026.1.3","date":"2026-06-04T10:57:17Z","type":"stable","version":"idea/2026.1.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/JetBrains/intellij-community/releases/tag/pycharm/2025.3.6","date":"2026-06-04T09:43:41Z","type":"stable","version":"pycharm/2025.3.6"},{"url":"https://github.com/JetBrains/intellij-community/releases/tag/idea/2025.3.6","date":"2026-06-03T11:14:12Z","type":"stable","version":"idea/2025.3.6"}]` |
| reliability.status_page | - | yes |
| security.certifications | - | `[{"name":"SOC 2 Type II","level":"Type II","status":"active"}]` |
| security.disclosure_policy | - | yes |
| security.gdpr | - | yes |
| security.scorecard | 3.2 | 4.4 |
| security.soc2 | - | yes |
| security.trust_center | - | https://www.jetbrains.com/company/commitment/compliance-highlights/ |
| security.vulnerabilities | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=go&package_name=github.com%2Femacs-mirror%2Femacs&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=maven&package_name=com.intellij%3Aannotations&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` |

## Capabilities (IDEs & Code Editors)

| Capability | Emacs | IntelliJ IDEA |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Core** |  |  |
| Type | Terminal editor | Full IDE |
| Language scope | Polyglot | Polyglot |
| **Deployment** |  |  |
| Deployment | Desktop | Desktop |
| **Platform support** |  |  |
| OS support | GNU/Linux, Windows, macOS, BSD, Haiku, Android | Windows, macOS |
| Base platform | Original | Original |
| **Extensibility** |  |  |
| Extensibility | Plugins | Plugins |
| **DX** |  |  |
| LSP / DAP support | ✓ | - |
| Remote / dev-containers | ✗ | ✓ |
| Integrated debugger / profiler | ✓ | ✓ |
| Code intelligence depth | LSP-grade | IDE-grade |
| Built-in git integration | ✗ | - |
| **AI** |  |  |
| Built-in AI | None | Native |
| **Licensing** |  |  |
| Openness | Open-source | Open-core |
| **Pricing** |  |  |
| Pricing model | Free | Per-seat subscription |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-10-16T19:19:19.547Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*