# Page 2 | Apache NetBeans Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Page 2 - Is Apache NetBeans the right Integrated Development Environment (IDE) solution for you? Explore 231 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/178681/Apache-NetBeans/reviews --- Apache NetBeans 4.3 (231) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/178681/Apache-NetBeans/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated March 13th, 2026 # Page 2 - Reviews of Apache NetBeans ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 26-50 of 231 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Dylan C. Software Developer Computer Software Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Solid, customisable, no frills Java IDE" December 13, 2023 4.0 Netbeans is like an old Volvo. It might not be the sexiest IDE to look at, but it requires very little maintenance and just gets the job done every time. It's rock steady, and has pretty much all the functionality you need. Pros The Swing GUI editor makes it extremely easy to build programs with fairly complex UI with drag and drop components, that are then easily wired up to functionality. Cons It often takes a long time for new features to make it to the IDE, and it can be a bit of a learning curve to get started. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Chief Architect Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A good IDE for all" May 29, 2023 5.0 We build Enterprise level application with Netbeans and so far our experience with Netbeans is awesome. Pros It is freely available, easy to develop an application, providing development environment for desktop and server applications. It can also be integrated with other plugins such as Apache Maven. Cons Sometimes it takes longer to load compared to other IDEs. Review Source Javier S. Desarrollador de software Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "It was very good.. but now it needs a face lift" August 1, 2023 3.0 Good experience but now exists other options more lighter and with graphics interface according to this times Pros Many many tools for devepolers. It can be configurated to support Language like PHP, JAVA, HTML etc.And the GUI can be customizable, with colorn fonts, views and customs commands. Cons Its weight to load and Its needs a full redesign of its graphical interface... Much newer, much fresher. Since it keep the style of many years ago Alternatives considered [Notepad++](https://www.capterra.com/p/185965/Notepad/)[Sublime Text](https://www.capterra.com/p/179535/Sublime-Text/) Review Source AM Alex M. Software Developer Banking Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Apache NetBeans the Perfect IDE for Programmers" September 28, 2023 5.0 Apache NetBeans is the perfect IDE in the recent technology with multiple and flexible programming platform. Pros Apache NetBeans provides excellent features where you can create your project using different categories such as maven, ant, Gradle, PHP and so on. It has helped me improve on my java applications where each and every time a have an idea, I am able to upgrade to a newer version. Cons As far as I am concerned, every time I think there is something missing, it is always there when I research online about it. Switched from [Eclipse IDE](https://www.capterra.com/p/205298/Eclipse-IDE/) It has difficult Graphical user Interface from my perspective plus the information provided online does not simply solve the problem. Review Source RD Rodrigo D. Software Engineer and Game Designer Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Powerful, reliable and easy to use for several kinds of systems engineering and development" August 4, 2022 5.0 I've been using NetBeans since 2002, and it always impresses me how easy it makes the development process. Initially was only Java. Now, I can work in complex systems with multiple languages in only one place Pros Works well with Java, with excellent WYSIWYG tools for Swing or JavaFX. Also works with C/C++, Python, PHP, Javascript and other languages. Easy to configure a system development with multiple languages, easy to deploy on the server (with config to multiple servers like test and production) or on the cloud. Cons With all these features, it is a heavy app. Demands a good machine. Alternatives considered [Eclipse](https://www.capterra.com/p/2540/Eclipse/) Reason for choosing Apache NetBeans Easy to use, and cost-benefit. Switched from [Eclipse](https://www.capterra.com/p/2540/Eclipse/) Easier to work and configure than Eclipse, not a proprietary app like JBuilder or Visual J++ Review Source VŠ Václav Š. Full-stack web developer Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "All you need IDE for web development" August 30, 2021 5.0 For the fact that it's open source and therefore for free, the quality of it is extremely good! For my need of development in classical combo HTML + CSS + JavaScript on front-end and PHP + MySQL on back-end it's a perfect solution that has served me for years without any major problems. Pros It has support for all commonly used languages in web development. Everything needed is available from the beginning without the need to get any extra plugins. Automatic code compilations are available in settings of each project, including CSS preprocessors and use of JavaScript modules so no other tools are needed. It has support for variety of frameworks, as well as testing tools, and has also it's own history tracking in git style which saves automatic snapshots each time you save a file. Cons Since it's an open source software, it's not perfect and it sometimes randomly freezes or crashes. Also because of the same reason the development of new features and updates are not as often as with other commercial software. Therefore it's not very practical for development with newer, fast changing technologies. Reason for choosing Apache NetBeans NetBeans was much easier to setup. Hackable editors always seemed to be unnecessary complicated where as here I have everything I need available right away as soon as I run it for the first time. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Software Development QA Engineer Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A Very Good IDE for Software Developers" January 25, 2023 5.0 Overall I am happy as a user of Netbeans. I use it as an IDE for my software development purpose. I mostly integrate Tomcat, Maven, and GIT into it. Pros I mostly like the easiness of using this IDE. We can create any type of new project using a couple of options. It provides a code auto-suggestion feature which is very helpful for developers.We can integrate other software like GIT, Tomcat, Maven, and Ant. This makes developers' life very easy by maintaining a couple of things just from one place. Cons If we open a large project in Netbeans it will consume a lot of memory and will make the computer system slow. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Software development engineer Computer Software Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Coding Discoveries: My Apache NetBeans Experience" September 18, 2023 4.0 In my experience with Apache NetBeans, I have developed school projects such as calculators and programs using data structures like stacks and queues. The most challenging aspect was when I attempted to connect Arduino with Apache NetBeans, as it posed some complications. However, I believe it has been a valuable environment for my educational projects. Pros Despite its versatility, NetBeans offers an intuitive interface, making it accessible for students and learners. Cons While Apache NetBeans is a powerful IDE, it may have resource and compatibility limitations, a learning curve for beginners, and occasional stability issues Review Source RA Rishad A. IT Manager Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best free & open source software" March 24, 2023 5.0 One of the oldest and best software for developing software. I used it for mostly developing Java & PHP applications. Now I'm using it exclusively for developing Java applications. One thing I really loved about developing Java applications on Netbeans is simple desktop application development interface. Just drag & drop development is really helpful in my early career. Even we can configure components in GUI. Also versioning is built in Netbeans. So pushing & pulling from Netbeans is simple. On other IDEs, I'm achieving same by using GitHub Desktop application. Netbeans natively supporting it. Pros It has built-in debug, run, versioning system, themes, customization, etc. Also it support a lots of programming languages. It's feature can be extended by using plugins. It provides drag & drop interface for Java application development. That's a great advantage of Netbeans. Also it is cross platform. I used Netbeans Windows, Linux, finally on Mac. Cons It's memory hungry. That is expected behavior because it is built using Java. Which is known for aggressive memory usage. Running Netbeans on a Laptop causes quick battery drain and overheating. Alternatives considered [Visual Studio Code](https://www.capterra.com/p/186634/Visual-Studio-Code/) Review Source Samuel Isaí R. Fullstack dev Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "It has potencial, but it is still in the past " August 26, 2023 3.0 I have used this IDE to teach others to use java, most of the time works well and it´s easy to get started as developer by using Netbeans, but there are bugs that don´t make this IDE ideal for anybody or reliable to work with Pros IDE size it´s okay and it does not take many resorces of my computer, it has the same tools that many others Java IDE´s have but free, also this would be a good IDE to start learning java Cons so, there are errors that don´t happen in other IDE with the same code, GUI needs to be reimagined Review Source Kamal Dyne N. Developper Full-Stack Computer Software Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "NetBeans IDE, l’atout open source pour l’enseignement" November 27, 2023 4.0 Lorsque je travaillais sur de gros projet il arrive qu'un module face appel a plusieurs composant et en ouvre chaque composant et en allant de composant a composant on fini par ce perdre. Pros Sa disponibilité gratuite et multiplateforme facilite son installation même sur parc informatique restreint. NetBeans bénéficie de surcroît d’une base active de développeurs maintenant l’IDE à jour des dernières technologies comme Java EE ou HTML5. Son interface intuitive et sa richesse de fonctionnalités en font un outil pédagogique de premier ordre. Cons On peut néanmoins regretter l’austérité de l’interface graphique peu engageante pour les élèves. De plus, la multiplicité des fenêtres et onglets peut se montrer déroutante au premier abord. Enfin, l’IDE pêche par un manque de supports pédagogiques dédiés. Review Source Kevin M. IT Consultant/Lecturer Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "My go to IDE" July 31, 2020 5.0 Since I began my journey, I have used many different IDEs but I always return to Netbeans. I love the simple straight forward design and the interface isn’t clutter. While it might not have all the bell and whistles of some of the newer IDEs it has always been consistent and stable for my use. I will say this that the IDE you use depends heavily on the first IDE you use when your learning to code. This can shape your entire experience. Even the operating system you start on can also affect your experience. I have been able to use Netbeans almost every whether it be Windows, Linux or OSX. Pros The bulk of the work I do involves Java programming and so, I have been using Netbeans for almost a decade. Its free and there are custom plugins adding new features. This means that I can use Netbeans to create my web applications as well. Netbeans is also the best IDE for creating software with GUIs. Testing, debugging and version control is simple and I can sync my projects with my Github account. I build most of my JavaFx applications using easy to integrate third party software. Wix and Inno Setup compatibility allows me to build my Jar applications into windows applications with installers. Netbeans also supports composer which allows me to access my PHP dependencies. Cons Netbeans is can be a bit slow. You will need a pc/laptop with a decent amount of resources to be able to speed up certain actions. Working with large GUI applications can cause slowdowns as the Netbeans can use quite a bit of Ram. Outside this there are no other downsides. Review Source LAB Luis Alejandro B. Estudiante - Ingenieria de Sistemas en Colombia Higher Education Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "NetBeans: Un IDE versátil y gratuito" November 2, 2023 5.0 Mi experiencia general con Apache NetBeans ha sido positiva. Lo he utilizado en una variedad de proyectos, especialmente en el desarrollo en Java, y ha sido confiable y efectivo para la mayoría de mis proyectos. Pros Lo que más me ha impresionado de NetBeans es su versatilidad y el hecho de que sea totalmente gratuito. Esta herramienta es compatible con una amplia variedad de lenguajes y tecnologías. La interfaz es fácil de usar, y las funciones de depuración y edición de código son excelentes. No tener que pagar por esta potente herramienta es una gran ventaja frente a otras que pueden llegar a ser bastante costosas. Cons NetBeans puede ralentizarse un poco en proyectos enormes y complejos en comparación con algunas alternativas comerciales. La asistencia al cliente tampoco es su punto fuerte, y su ecosistema de complementos podría ser más extenso para ofrecer una mayor personalización. Personalmente, creo que la interfaz de usuario podría actualizarse pues se ve un poco antigua. Alternatives considered [Eclipse IDE](https://www.capterra.com/p/205298/Eclipse-IDE/)[Visual Studio Code](https://www.capterra.com/p/186634/Visual-Studio-Code/) Reason for choosing Apache NetBeans Opté por NetBeans debido a que es gratuito y tiene un amplio soporte de tecnologías que necesito para mis proyectos. Switched from [IntelliJ IDEA](https://www.capterra.com/p/136010/IntelliJ-IDEA/) Opté por NetBeans debido a que soporta varias tecnologías clave que necesitaba en mis proyectos, y eran más fáciles de integrar que en IntelliJ IDEA. Review Source AD Achille D. CEO Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The best to develop Java applications" June 7, 2022 5.0 Some yeas ago we moved from Eclipse to NetBeans because we liked many functionalities and a stable framework that this software offers. It's a good choice, maybe the best, to develop a Java application. But when we write a web based application (eg. based on LAMP) or a mobile app, we switch to Visual Studio Code, a more complete, flexible and fast solution. Pros Fully features, good and proven UI, cross-platform. Good integrated tools and services: we like so much the database connector and the built-in UML modelling. Cons There are only two things we like least about this software: 1. if you need do write HTML/PHP/JavaScript code, you can find other solutions with more widgets, plugins, best auto-suggestion, ... 2. as it is developed on Java, you can get some hardware resources issues (especially RAM) by using this software intensively Switched from [Eclipse IDE](https://www.capterra.com/p/205298/Eclipse-IDE/) We switched from Eclipse IDE to Netbeans because Netbeans is easier and more versatile (Eclipse is primarily designed for Java projects). Review Source Vishal J. Software Product Manager Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Netbeans - The top IDE for Application Development using Java" June 29, 2022 5.0 The overall experience has been quite good. Have used development of Web Applications using Servlets and also used for development of Swing applications. The performance has been satisfactory. I recommend this tool for beginners as well as advanced Java developers. Pros Netbeans is the top IDE for application development using the Java Programming Language. Supports development of various kinds of applications like Web Applications and Desktop Applications. Easy to add various kinds of files like Java Classes, Servlets, JSP files, HTML/CSS files and much more. Supports project development with multiple components. The Project Explorer provides an easy way to navigate through the project files and components. Referencing external libraries and JAR files is quite easy, with few clicks. Testing the projects is equally easier. Web projects can be tested on desired browsers, which helps in building better web applications. Cons Its a large application and you need a fast processor and sufficient RAM for program development and executions. You experience lagging when using the IDE on slower machines. Beginners may feel a bit overwhelmed by the sheer number of options and settings available in the IDE. Does need some time to master the tool. Review Source MS Maha S. Assistant Professor Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Apache Netbeans: A Leading IDE for Java Desktop and Web Development" August 1, 2023 4.0 Apache Netbeans is the only IDE I need for my Java Desktop application development. Pros Apache Netbeans is my favorite Java IDE for developing Java Desktop applications. Netbeans has a very user friendly interface with a specialized palette containing the different Swing GUI components that can be added to the application in a Drag-and-Drop fashion making the desktop GUI development very simplistic and rapid. The code auto-completion is also very decent though some advancements can still be incorporated to make it much better. Linking the desktop application to Web and Database servers is also very intuitive which makes Netbeans a complete Java IDE for rapid application development. Cons Code auto completion can be enhanced with auto package importing as we witness in Google's Android Studio IDE. Moreover the performance is a bit laggy and crippled with the increase in the number of threads. This is a typical Java pattern as Netbeans is developed in Java itself. Switched from [Eclipse IDE](https://www.capterra.com/p/205298/Eclipse-IDE/) Netbeans is much more intuitive and documented. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Co-founder Computer Games Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Apache NetBeans Review." June 6, 2022 5.0 Its easy to use and integrate with other software. Its also free for students and has amazing prices for enterprises. Pros I like how easy it is to use and develop using this software. Specifically developing in Java on this IDE is amazing. Cons Honestly the only issue I have with this software are its high computational requirements, it requires a lot of machine power for it to run. Its designed for high end devices and thus is not good for businesses that run on low end devices. Switched from [Eclipse IDE](https://www.capterra.com/p/205298/Eclipse-IDE/)[IntelliJ IDEA](https://www.capterra.com/p/136010/IntelliJ-IDEA/) I wanted to try something new. Review Source JM Jaqueline M. Analista de redes e dados Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Uma avaliação do Apache NetBeans como ferramenta de desenvolvimento de software" April 10, 2023 5.0 O Apache NetBeans é uma ferramenta de desenvolvimento de software completa e gratuita, com suporte para diversas linguagens de programação e frameworks. Sua interface intuitiva e personalizável, com recursos avançados de depuração e refatoração de código, tornam a criação e manutenção de projetos de software mais eficiente e eficaz. Além disso, a possibilidade de integração com outras ferramentas e bibliotecas externas e a grande comunidade de desenvolvedores e suporte ativo da Apache Foundation aumentam a flexibilidade e poder da ferramenta. No entanto, a curva de aprendizado íngreme e os problemas de desempenho em projetos grandes e complexos podem ser um desafio para alguns usuários. Em geral, o Apache NetBeans é uma ferramenta recomendada para desenvolvedores de software que buscam uma IDE completa e gratuita com suporte para diferentes linguagens de programação e projetos de software. Pros Ambiente de desenvolvimento integrado (IDE) completo e gratuito, com grande variedade de recursos e ferramentas disponíveisSuporte para diversas linguagens de programação, incluindo Java, C++, PHP, HTML e CSSPossibilidade de trabalhar com diferentes projetos e frameworks, incluindo Java EE, Spring e HibernateInterface intuitiva e personalizável, com recursos avançados de depuração e refatoração de códigoPossibilidade de integração com outras ferramentas e bibliotecas externasGrande comunidade de desenvolvedores e suporte ativo da Apache Foundation Cons Curva de aprendizado íngreme para iniciantes, especialmente aqueles sem experiência prévia em programação ou IDEsAlguns problemas de desempenho em projetos grandes e complexosAlguns recursos e ferramentas podem ser difíceis de encontrar ou usar para usuários iniciantes Review Source Serhat C. Senior Software Developer Banking Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Developer Friendly" August 25, 2023 5.0 I have developed many web and desktop applications for payment systems. Pros As in every IDE, it has auto-completion, error detection and correction features. But the important features for me are the quick and easy interface design, the drag-and-drop feature, and the rapid design of visual interfaces. At the same time, NetBeans has made my compiling, merging, packaging, and distribution of code very easy and has provided many integrated tools for this. Cons It more than met my expectation. I like using it. I love every feature of it. Review Source RR Rodrigo R. Owner Computer Software Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "It looks like an abandoned project" October 26, 2021 3.0 Years ago we traded Netbeans for Eclipse, and Eclipse for VS Code, but in 2020 we decided to test Netbeans again. In a few weeks of testing we noticed the same problems as always: it's slow, it's big, the screen and code editors don't seem to have evolved. It seems heavily still focused on older java, leaving plugin implementation for other languages a little out of place. We were definitely not productive and we couldn't believe that it would be worthwhile to have a project in the Netbeans format and trust it in the long run. The documentation is highly incomplete and appears to have been mostly generated by javadoc about programming comments. Often you don't find what you need. Pros It's free, manages the project in a more professional way, that is, it's more intuitive how you have files and folders inside a project, even if it hides or blocks some settings or accesses. You have a sense of the "whole" of the project better than some other similar tools. It has support for several plugins and does bring some productivity. It is still one of the few tools that have a reasonable form editor. Cons It's slow, big and old. The structure and look looks dated, it puts a lot of emphasis on java swing, the IDE's tools look the same as when it was still from Sun, and it practically smells musty. It's amazing how such a promising project looks like it's been ostracized, it just breathes and it's alive, but it doesn't evolve. Reason for choosing Apache NetBeans If it worked well for us, Netbeans would be an option for us to abandon paid tools, and in this time of pandemic that would be crucial for the economy. But even for free he made up for the time wasted trying to make things work right. And today, what you do on it won't always look the same on your client. The result is that it was a test, but it doesn't replace any of our other tools. Review Source TO Tulga O. Software Engineer Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "PHP Development with NetBeans" December 10, 2020 4.0 It is reliable and I used to it so I can be productive. I find it very handy when I working with big PHP frameworks. It gives me whole information about structure, creation, origin of the objects and classes. It is the best part of the IDE. NetBeans does this very good and fast. Pros From all other IDEs I prefer using NetBeans. People say it is old and legacy but I used to it, it does it's work good enough. Actually I use Netbeans when I work with PHP projects. So maybe it is good with the old languages not the quite new era languages or developments environments like Angular, React. I use many features of NetBeans like code completion, code templates, debugging, code upload via ftp etc. I also write HTML, Javascript codes too using NetBeans and it is pretty handy for me. I like to configure my IDE and editors my way, especially code templates and shortcuts so I can work productive. Cons NetBeans becomes slow sometimes when opening the projects because of it's indexing process. It frustrates me. But I face this kind of slowness even with the latest, best IDE IntelliJ too. IDEs are always huge and bunch of processes required to run in the background. So for small or front-end javascript projects I prefer to use editors like VSCode. Switched from [Eclipse IDE](https://www.capterra.com/p/205298/Eclipse-IDE/) In early years of my software development career, I used Eclipse. But when I started using Netbeans I never came back. Review Source Abhuday T. Training Coordinator Education Management Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "A perfect ide for application development supporting many programming language." September 27, 2022 4.0 Apache netbeans helps me in developing java based applications. It supports profiling which is very much required for constraints based projects. Pros It is complete ide with all the modern coding tool like code refactoring, debugging, version control etc. Cons It very heavy ide. It is less user friendly than eclipse and does not has strong support team as eclipse and vs code has. Reason for choosing Apache NetBeans It is free and open source. Review Source RL Roland L. ingénieur Research Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Logiciel gratuit très pratique" December 8, 2022 5.0 Plutôt satisfaisant. Amélioration version après version très visible. Pros L'installation sur linux ne requiert pas de droits admin et se fait très simplement.Le fonctionnement du logiciel est très facile à comprendre.Gestion de projet à la fois par l'IDE et la console très facile. Cons Le support sur les langages comme le python ou le fortran est inexistant. Sur le c++ c'est très/trop léger.Logiciel assez gourmand en mémoire. Switched from [Visual Studio Code](https://www.capterra.com/p/186634/Visual-Studio-Code/) Pour la meilleurs prise en compte du python et la possibilité de gérer les connexions en ssh. Review Source Modou L. Informaticien Computer Networking Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Netbeens" January 12, 2023 5.0 Pros Netbeens offre une large gamme de fonctionnalités pour faciliter le développement, comme le débogage, la gestion des projets, le déploiement et la documentation. Il est particulièrement bien adapté pour le développement en Java. Il intègre également des outils de développement pour les autres languages tels que C, C++, PHP, JavaScript,etc. Cons Pour sa taille et consommation de mémoire, NetBeans est un outil assez lourd qui peut consommer beaucoup de mémoire, surtout si vous utilisez de nombreux plugins et modules. Cela peut devenir un problème pour les ordinateurs avec des configurations matérielles limitées.Concernant sont temps de démarrage, NetBeans peut prendre un certain temps pour démarrer, en particulier sur des ordinateurs plus anciens. Review Source VS Vinicius S. Software Engineer Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Review for Apache NetBeans" November 26, 2022 5.0 I work daily with this IDE to develop applications in Java, C++ and Python. Apache NetBeans provides agility, high performance, cost reduction and a great integration with DevOps resources. Pros Easy to install, manage and use. It has features and resources for numerous programming languages through plugins. It is the perfect environment for programming systems with the Java programming language. Cons I think the Apache NetBeans installation could be independent of the JDK, for example, natively developed for Windows, MacOS, and other operating systems. Alternatives considered [ECLIPSE](https://www.capterra.com/p/27349/ECLIPSE/)[IntelliJ IDEA](https://www.capterra.com/p/136010/IntelliJ-IDEA/) Reason for choosing Apache NetBeans Ease of use and reduced costs for training employees to use this IDE. Apache NetBeans is a software with maturity in the market and well known by programmers. Review Source Similar Products Featured