21 Best IntelliJ Plugins for 2019 (100% Free)
Tags: java, kotlin
Published: 2019-11-21 13:39:24

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Like other IDEs or CMSs before it, IntelliJ has quickly become more than an IDE. With its vast plugin marketplace, IntelliJ has turned into a full-fledged platform for all Java related coding. Have no doubt, JetBrain’s decision to open source and allow external developers to develop solutions on top of it is a strategic one. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Keep that in mind because if you use IntelliJ this will affect you. In fact, at Codota we like to consider ourselves data based swamis and are therefore predicting that in about 2 years from now, you’ll be staring at your IDE wondering how did IntelliJ become all about the plugins so quickly?!</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">We also like to help our users stay ahead of the curve and that’s why we put together this comprehensive list of all the plugins that will lead this shift. </span><b>We based our choices on a variety of different factors - be it the plugin’s popularity in the JetBrains directory, the search volume that the problem they look to solve gets, or their aggregated review score</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">. All these factors, and others, were taken into consideration when putting together this list. </span>
<h2><b>Top 21 JetBrains IntelliJ Plugins for 2019</b></h2>
<h3><b>1. Maven Helper</b><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span></h3>
<a href="https://blog.codota.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/screenshot_14504.png"><img class="alignnone wp-image-196" src="https://blog.codota.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/screenshot_14504.png" alt="maven helper plugin intellij" width="635" height="541"></a>

The <a href="https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/7179-maven-helper" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Maven Helper plugin</a> provides an easy way to <strong>find and exclude conflicting dependencies,&nbsp;actions to run/debug maven goals for a module that contains the current file or on the root module, and&nbsp;actions to run/debug the current test file</strong>. It's really a great time saver for solving dependency issues.
<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>2. Codota</strong> </span></h3>
<a href="http://blog.codota.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/completion-illustration.9b7f8228e26c68205e346394357497b8.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-large wp-image-134" src="http://blog.codota.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/completion-illustration.9b7f8228e26c68205e346394357497b8-1024x630.jpg" alt="codota-completions" width="640" height="394"></a>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Shameless plug - got to do it but before you judge listen in… the <a href="https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/7638-codota-" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Codota plugin</a>&nbsp;helps you <strong>code faster and with fewer pesky errors</strong>. Codota&nbsp;</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">completes lines of code based on millions of Java programs, along with your own unique context&nbsp;(open it from within the IDE using Ctrl + Shift + O). You can also find commonly used open-source Java code snippets for the class or method you're using in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.codota.com/code/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the code search</a>. </span>

<a href="https://www.codota.com/get"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Installation Instructions</span></a>
<h3><strong>3. Add to gitignore</strong></h3>
With <a href="https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/10550-add-to-gitignore" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Add to gitignore</a> you can create an <strong>automated protocol to ignore a specific path</strong>. You can track .gitignore files in your repository named .gitignore. Git uses it to determine which files and directories to ignore before you commit. This handy little plugin lets you do just that straight from your IDE.
<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>4. String Manipulation</strong> </span></h3>
<a href="http://blog.codota.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/string-manipulation-1.png"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-130" src="http://blog.codota.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/string-manipulation-1.png" alt="string manipulation plugin" width="401" height="156"></a>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">This plugin is pretty straightforward. Use <a href="https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/2162-string-manipulation" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">String Manipulation</a> to - well, <strong>manipulate strings</strong>. Perform a variety of different tasks on strings such as <strong>converting to camel case, capitalizing, escaping string in Java, and more</strong>.&nbsp;</span>
<h3><strong>5. Grep Console </strong></h3>
<a href="http://blog.codota.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/grep-console-e1548171769474.png"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-129" src="http://blog.codota.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/grep-console-e1548171769474.png" alt="grep console plugin" width="650" height="377"></a>

<span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/7125-grep-console" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Grep Console</a> enables you to <strong>define a series of regular expressions which will be tested against the console output</strong>. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Every expression that matches a line will change the style of the whole line/parts of it.</span>
<h3><strong>6. Nyan Progress Bar</strong></h3>
<a href="https://blog.codota.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/1_l5qGjWmNiKz6rwyreUmdTQ.png"><img class="alignnone wp-image-197" src="https://blog.codota.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/1_l5qGjWmNiKz6rwyreUmdTQ.png" alt="nyan progress bar" width="600" height="177"></a>

Nothing wrong with a little bit of fun in your IDE and nothing is more fun than Nyan cat. So how about a <strong>Nyan progress bar for those endless waits for rebuilds</strong>.
<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>7. CamelCase</strong></span></h3>
<a href="https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/7160-camelcase" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Great plugin</a> that <strong>switches easily between CamelCase, camelCase, snake_case, SNAKE_CASE</strong>, well...you get the point. Wish they had one for blog writing too.
<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>8. Rainbow Brackets</strong> </span></h3>
<a href="http://blog.codota.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/rainbow-brackets.png"><img class="alignnone wp-image-126" src="http://blog.codota.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/rainbow-brackets-1024x344.png" alt="rainbow brackets plugin" width="449" height="151"></a>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">I love <a href="https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/10080-rainbow-brackets" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Rainbow Brackets / </a></span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Parentheses for IntelliJ. This useful tool <strong>saves you the confusion of selecting which bracket needs to be closed</strong>. Each pair of brackets/parentheses has a different color. Pretty simple, but cool. Plus, this plugin adds some color to your otherwise pale code.</span>
<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>9. CheckStyle-IDEA</strong></span></h3>
This plugin provides both <strong>real-time and on-demand scanning of Java files with CheckStyle from within IDEA</strong>. Checkstyle is a static code analysis tool used for checking if Java source code is compiling correctly. <a href="https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/1065-checkstyle-idea" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">This awesome plugin</a> connects to CheckStyle you do it from your IDE.
<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>10. AWS Toolkit</strong> </span></h3>
<a href="http://blog.codota.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/aws-logo-left-aligned.png"><img class="alignnone wp-image-137 size-full" src="http://blog.codota.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/aws-logo-left-aligned-e1548175465669.png" alt="aws logo" width="350" height="128"></a>

<span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/11349-aws-toolkit" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">AWS Toolkit</a> is an open-source plugin used to <strong>make AWS application development easier</strong>. Use the toolkit to create, test, and debug apps built on AWS.</span>
<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>11. EduTools</strong> </span></h3>
<a href="http://blog.codota.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/edutools.png"><img class="alignnone wp-image-123" src="http://blog.codota.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/edutools-1024x506.png" alt="edutools plugin" width="500" height="247"></a>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">You don't have to be Joshua Bloch or Herbert Schildt to teach Java.&nbsp;<a href="https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/10081-edutools" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">EduTools</a> helps you<strong> teach (and learn) IntelliJ based programming languages right in your IDE</strong>. This is done in the form of coding tasks with instant verification and feedback.</span>
<h3><strong>12. BashSupport </strong></h3>
<a href="http://blog.codota.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/bashsupport.png"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-122" src="http://blog.codota.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/bashsupport.png" alt="bashsupport logo" width="225" height="225"></a>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Bash language support <a href="https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/4230-bashsupport" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">for IntelliJ</a>. The open source software <strong>supports run configurations, rename refactoring, quick fixes, documentation lookup, syntax highlighting, inspections, and plenty more</strong>.</span>
<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>13. Python</strong> </span></h3>
<a href="http://blog.codota.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/python-e1548172149208.png"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-121" src="http://blog.codota.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/python-e1548172149208.png" alt="python programming logo" width="350" height="118"></a>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/631-python" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Python plugin</a> <strong>adds full-scale functionality for Python development</strong>. Integrate Python into your IntelliJ platform. What more could you ask for?!</span>
<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>14. JRebel for IntelliJ</strong> </span></h3>
<a href="http://blog.codota.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/jrebel.png"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-120" src="http://blog.codota.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/jrebel.png" alt="jrebel logo" width="347" height="145"></a>

<span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/4441-jrebel-for-intellij" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">JRebel</a>&nbsp;<strong>enhances developer productivity</strong> - by reloading code changes instantly. It skips the rebuilding, restarting, and redeploying cycle that is common within Java development.</span>
<h3><strong>15. Docker Integration </strong></h3>
<a href="http://blog.codota.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/docker_twitter_share_new-e1548172294223.png"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-119" src="http://blog.codota.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/docker_twitter_share_new-e1548172294223.png" alt="docker container logo" width="350" height="183"></a>

<span style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/7724-docker-integration" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">This plugin</a> allows you to d<strong>ownload and build</strong></span><strong> Docker</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong> images, create and start Docker containers, and do other related tasks</strong>. Docker lets developers deploy applications inside containers for testing code in an environment identical to production.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">&nbsp;</span>
<h3><strong>16. CSV Plugin </strong></h3>
<a href="http://blog.codota.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/csv-e1548172332567.png"><img class="alignnone wp-image-118 size-full" src="http://blog.codota.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/csv-e1548172332567.png" alt="csv icon" width="250" height="250"></a>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Lightweight <a href="https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/10037-csv-plugin" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">CSV plugin</a> that allows you to <strong>edit files in CSV/TSV format</strong>. </span>
<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>17. Eclipse code formatter</strong> </span></h3>
<a href="http://blog.codota.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Eclipse_Logo2014_New-e1548172420461.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-135" src="http://blog.codota.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Eclipse_Logo2014_New-e1548172420461.jpg" alt="eclipse ide logo" width="350" height="82"></a>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Basically exactly what it sounds like. Use <a href="https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/6546-eclipse-code-formatter" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Eclipse Code Formatter</a> to <strong>fix the problem of maintaining a common style for environments including Eclipse &amp; IntelliJ developers</strong>.</span>
<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>18. FindBugs-IDEA</strong></span></h3>
<a href="https://blog.codota.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/screenshot_2536-e1550757423752.png"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-173" src="https://blog.codota.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/screenshot_2536-e1550757423752.png" alt="findbugs-idea" width="700" height="282"></a>

Provides <strong>static byte code analysis to look for bugs in Java code from within IntelliJ IDEA</strong>. FindBugs is a defect detection tool for Java that uses static analysis to look for more than 200 bug patterns, such as null pointer dereferences, infinite recursive loops, bad uses of the Java libraries and deadlocks.
<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>19. AceJump</strong></span></h3>
<a href="https://blog.codota.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/screenshot_16299.png"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-174" src="https://blog.codota.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/screenshot_16299.png" alt="acejump plugin" width="499" height="280"></a>

<a href="https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/7086-acejump" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">AceJump</a> allows you to <strong>quickly navigate the caret to any position visible in the editor</strong>.&nbsp;If no matches can be found on-screen, AceJump will scroll to the next match it can find.
<h3><strong>20. Zero Width Character Locator </strong></h3>
<a href="http://blog.codota.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/zero-width.png"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-114" src="http://blog.codota.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/zero-width.png" alt="zero width plugin" width="598" height="238"></a>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">We're getting close to the end of our very comprehensive list of IntelliJ plugins. I really like plugins like this one that offer a simple solution to a very common problem. <a href="https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/7448-zero-width-characters-locator" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Zero Width Character Locator plugin</a> adds an inspection that prevents some <strong>hard to find bugs related to invisible zero width characters in source code and resources</strong>.</span>
<h3><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>21. IdeaVim</strong> </span></h3>
<a href="http://blog.codota.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/vim.png"><img class="alignnone wp-image-113" src="http://blog.codota.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/vim.png" alt="Ideavim plugin" width="602" height="196"></a>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Finally, the <a href="https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/164-ideavim" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">IdeaVim</a> plugin also made our list. IdeaVim provides Vim emulation in IntelliJ based IDEs. It <strong>includes many of the popular features Vim has to offer: </strong></span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>normal/insert/visual modes, motion keys, deletion/changing, marks, registers, some Ex commands, and much more</strong>.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Thanks for making it all the way down! It may seem like a long list but with the thousands of plugins available for IntelliJ it was not an easy list to compile. So, <strong>if we left out your favorite plugin please let us know in the comments below</strong>. Happy coding!</span>