Questions people search
Questions people ask before installing IntelliJ IDEA
Direct answers on the free core, Windows 11, bundled JBR 21, Ultimate trial, Community Edition, and antivirus false positives. One row opens at a time.
License
Yes for core Java and Kotlin, including commercial use. You do not activate a license to keep that core. Ultimate is a paid subscription after the trial.
From 2025.3 there is one IntelliJ IDEA. Community users who updated landed on the unified build and kept free Java and Kotlin tools, plus extras such as the Spring Boot wizard and basic SQL.
The IDE does not lock. Advanced plugins turn off. You keep coding on the free feature set or you subscribe. Trials can start again on a new major release.
Yes. That is the point of the unified distribution. You lose Ultimate-only tools, not the editor.
Compatibility
Yes. Official support is Windows 10 and Windows 11. macOS 15 and 26 and the Linux list on the download page are also current.
No. JetBrains Runtime 21 is bundled. You still need a JDK to compile and run your own Java code.
Yes. Hardware matches the desktop install. OpenSSH 7.9p1 or later. Docker 25 or 29 if the IDE is in a container. NFS and SMB project disks are not supported. WSL 2 is supported. WSLg is not.
The IDE keeps a project index in RAM. Official floor is 8 GB on the machine and about 3 GB for IDE processes. Uptodown's editor called memory the weakest point. Close extra projects before you raise the heap.
Security
The official EXE, DMG, TAR, Toolbox, and snap channels are the supported path. This site does not host the binary. Verify the SHA-256 file that sits next to the build.
Heuristic engines sometimes mark JetBrains or plugin JARs as generic trojans. JetBrains documents Defender slowdowns and PowerShell exclusion probes as expected. Restore the file from quarantine if you took it from an official package.
Install
Real-time scanning of class output is the usual cause. Exclude install, caches, project, and Gradle cache. See the install guide.
AI
HTTP Client, the profiler, and AI assistance are trial-only on the free core. After the 30-day Ultimate trial those plugins turn off unless you subscribe. The Java and Kotlin editor stays.
Updates
Toolbox and the Ubuntu snap keep you on signed channels. Prefer the unified 2026.2.3 build over store listings that still say Community Edition 2025.2.
Next
Still deciding?
Need the feature list instead of answers? Open IntelliJ IDEA features. Ready to install? Download IntelliJ IDEA 2026.2.3 and keep the SHA-256 file beside the EXE.