# Emacs vs IntelliJ IDEA

**Leader by Vioscale score:** IntelliJ IDEA

| Attribute | Emacs | IntelliJ IDEA |
|---|---|---|
| **Vioscale score** | 35.8 (53% (medium)) | 53.3 (53% (medium)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 100 | 100 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 0 | 890 |
| adoption.github_stars | 5,170 | 20,488 |
| deployment.options | `{"self_hosted":true}` | - |
| description.long | 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. | An IDE that accelerates software development through smart code editing, debugging, and analysis tools, enhanced with native AI capabilities for code completion and suggestions. |
| 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","remote_dev":true,"open_source":"open_core","base_platform":"original","extensibility":"plugins","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"}]` |
| language.primary | Emacs Lisp | Java |
| license.spdx | GPL-3.0 | - |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true,"mac":true,"linux":true,"android":true,"windows":true}` | `{"mac":true,"linux":true,"windows":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"open_source","summary":"Free and open source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/","retrievedAt":"2026-08-13T23:00:52.092Z"}` | - |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | - |
| pricing.model | open_source | commercial |
| pricing.price_level | free | - |
| pricing.transparent | yes | - |
| release.cadence_days | - | 1 |
| release.history | - | `[{"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"},{"url":"https://github.com/JetBrains/intellij-community/releases/tag/pycharm/2026.1.2","date":"2026-05-15T11:37:01Z","type":"stable","version":"pycharm/2026.1.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/JetBrains/intellij-community/releases/tag/idea/2026.1.2","date":"2026-05-15T11:59:22Z","type":"stable","version":"idea/2026.1.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/JetBrains/intellij-community/releases/tag/pycharm/2025.3.5","date":"2026-05-07T09:31:20Z","type":"stable","version":"pycharm/2025.3.5"},{"url":"https://github.com/JetBrains/intellij-community/releases/tag/idea/2025.3.5","date":"2026-05-06T14:36:01Z","type":"stable","version":"idea/2025.3.5"}]` |
| reliability.status_page | - | yes |
| security.disclosure_policy | - | yes |
| security.gdpr | - | yes |
| security.scorecard | 3.2 | 4.4 |
| security.soc2 | - | yes |
| 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 | - |
| **Deployment** |  |  |
| Deployment | Desktop | Desktop |
| **Platform support** |  |  |
| OS support | GNU/Linux, Windows, macOS, BSD, Haiku, Android | - |
| 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 | - |

*Source: Vioscale. Generated 2026-09-01T15:45:27.113Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*