JetBrains IDEs Just Got Smarter with AI – And There’s a Free Plan Too

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JetBrains IDEs Just Got Smarter with AI – And There’s a Free Plan Too
JetBrains IDEs Just Got Smarter with AI – And There’s a Free Plan Too

JetBrains IDEs Just Got Smarter with AI – And There’s a Free Plan Too

Hello there! If you're a developer, chances are you've heard about JetBrains and their fantastic Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) like IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, WebStorm, and others. They've always been about making our coding lives easier and more productive. Well, things just got even more interesting. JetBrains is diving headfirst into the world of Artificial Intelligence, integrating powerful AI features directly into the tools you already use and love.

Let's talk about what this means for you, how it works, and why it's genuinely exciting news – especially because they've included a way for everyone to try it out without reaching for their wallet right away.

Welcome to the Next Chapter of Coding with JetBrains

It feels like AI is popping up everywhere these days, doesn't it? From helping us write emails to generating images, it's changing how we interact with technology. Software development is no exception. In fact, it's one of the areas where AI has the potential to make a massive difference.

AI Isn't Just Coming, It's Here (And It Can Help)

For years, developers have relied on smart tools to help with things like code completion, finding errors, and managing projects. Think of AI as the next natural step in that evolution. It's not about replacing developers; it's about augmenting our abilities, taking care of the repetitive or time-consuming bits so we can focus on the creative problem-solving aspects of our jobs – the parts most of us enjoy the most!

The speed at which AI tools are developing is pretty astonishing. What seemed like science fiction just a short while ago is now becoming a practical reality in our daily workflows. This opens up incredible opportunities for us to build better software, faster, and maybe even tackle some really big challenges.

Our Goal: Making Your Development Life Better

JetBrains has been around for over two decades, and their core mission hasn't changed: help developers be more productive and find more joy in their work. They understand that integrating AI needs to be done thoughtfully. It's not about forcing AI on everyone, but about providing powerful, reliable options for those who want to use them.

Whether you want just a little AI assistance for specific tasks or you're ready to explore deeper collaboration with an AI agent, JetBrains wants to provide tools that fit your style. The idea is that by letting AI handle some of the groundwork, you get more headspace to think strategically, design elegant solutions, and bring your unique ideas to life.

They're building these features by combining their own expertise in developer tools with cutting-edge technology from leading AI companies. This means you get tools that are not only smart but also deeply integrated into the JetBrains ecosystem you know.

What's New? The Big Picture

So, what exactly is JetBrains rolling out? There are a few key pieces to this puzzle, and they all work together to create a more intelligent coding experience.

One Place for All JetBrains AI Tools

Previously, you might have encountered different AI features or experiments from JetBrains. Now, they're bringing everything together under one umbrella: JetBrains AI. This includes their improved AI Assistant and an exciting new tool called Junie. The best part? They're accessible through a single subscription model, making things much simpler.

Meet Junie: Your New Coding Collaborator

Get ready to hear a lot more about Junie. This isn't just a simple helper; it's designed to be a powerful AI coding agent that works alongside you right inside your IDE. Think of it as a virtual pair programmer you can delegate tasks to, brainstorm with, and even ask to tackle complex coding challenges. Junie is now officially out of its early access phase and available for everyone to use.

AI Assistant Gets a Major Upgrade

The AI Assistant, which many JetBrains users might already be familiar with, hasn't been left behind. It's received significant improvements, making it smarter, more context-aware, and more capable than ever before. It's designed to assist you across your entire development workflow, from writing code to testing and debugging.

Good News: There's a Free Way to Get Started!

Perhaps the most welcome news for many is the introduction of a JetBrains AI free tier. Starting with the 2025.1 versions of their IDEs, if you have an active IDE license, you'll get access to a baseline level of AI features completely free. This includes unlimited basic code completion and access to AI models that run locally on your machine, plus some credits to try out the more advanced cloud-based features and Junie. This is a fantastic way to dip your toes into AI-assisted development without any upfront commitment.

Diving Deeper: Meet AI Assistant

Let's zoom in on the AI Assistant first. If you've used any AI coding tools before, some of its capabilities might sound familiar, but the integration within the JetBrains IDEs is where it truly shines.

Your Ever-Present Coding Helper, Now Smarter

Think of the AI Assistant as a knowledgeable companion built right into your coding environment. It watches what you're doing (locally and securely, of course!), understands the context of your project, and offers help when you need it. The latest version is designed to be even more intuitive and powerful.

What Can AI Assistant Do For You?

The AI Assistant offers a range of features designed to speed up common development tasks and reduce friction:

  • Smarter Code Completion: Goes beyond simple suggestions, offering more contextually relevant and sometimes multi-line code completions.
  • Code Generation: Stuck on how to write a specific function? Describe what you need in plain language, and the AI Assistant can generate code snippets for you.
  • Explaining Code: Encountered a complex piece of code you didn't write? Select it, and the AI Assistant can break it down and explain what it does in simple terms.
  • Finding Potential Issues: It can analyze your code to spot potential problems or suggest improvements for clarity and performance.
  • Generating Documentation: Writing documentation can be tedious. The AI Assistant can help generate docstrings or comments for your functions and classes.
  • Commit Message Generation: It can look at your code changes and suggest concise and informative commit messages.
  • Chat Interface: You can have a conversation with the AI Assistant. Ask coding questions, get explanations, or brainstorm ideas, all without leaving your IDE.

Fresh Updates: More Power, More Choice

The latest update brings some significant enhancements:

  • Expanded AI Model Options: You now have access to some of the latest and greatest AI models from partners like Anthropic (Claude 3.7 Sonnet), Google (Gemini 2.5 Pro), and OpenAI. This means better performance and more nuanced understanding.
  • Improved Local Models: For tasks where you prefer processing to happen entirely on your machine (great for privacy or offline work), the local model integration has been improved.
  • Better Context Awareness: The assistant is now better at understanding the specifics of your project, leading to more accurate and relevant suggestions.
  • New Edit Mode: This is a really neat feature. You can now ask the AI Assistant to make changes across multiple files directly from the chat interface. This is super helpful for larger refactoring tasks or applying consistent changes throughout your codebase, while you still maintain full control over accepting those changes.

Local vs. Cloud: You're in Control

JetBrains AI gives you choices about where the AI processing happens.

  • Local Models: Some features, like basic code completion or analysis, can run entirely on your own computer. This is great for privacy as your code doesn't need to leave your machine. The free tier includes unlimited use of these local features.
  • Cloud Models: For more complex tasks, like advanced code generation, chat, or using Junie, JetBrains AI connects to powerful models hosted in the cloud (provided by partners like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google). This requires an internet connection and uses credits (more on that later).

Crucially, JetBrains emphasizes that even when using cloud models, your code is handled securely and is not used to train the models for other users.

Introducing Junie: Your AI Coding Agent

Now, let's talk about Junie. While AI Assistant is more like a helpful suggester and explainer, Junie is designed to be a more proactive agent – something you can actually delegate work to.

What Makes Junie Different?

Think of the difference between asking a colleague for advice (AI Assistant) versus asking them to take on a specific task or collaborate on solving a problem (Junie). Junie is built to handle more complex, multi-step tasks that might require planning and execution.

The goal here is to move beyond simple code snippets towards tackling meaningful chunks of development work. Junie aims to understand your intent, propose a plan, and then carry out the coding tasks, potentially saving you hours of effort on routine or intricate jobs.

From Simple Tasks to Complex Problems

During its early access program, users tested Junie on a variety of scenarios:

  • Delegating Routine Tasks: Things like writing boilerplate code, setting up tests, or refactoring according to specific guidelines.
  • Collaborative Problem Solving: Working with Junie to figure out complex logic, explore different implementation approaches, or debug tricky issues.

The feedback from early users has helped shape Junie into a more capable collaborator. It's designed to feel like a genuine pair programmer that can understand requirements, ask clarifying questions (if needed), and follow development best practices.

Planning, Doing, and Improving Code Quality

A key aspect of Junie is its ability to propose a plan before diving into the code. You can review this plan, make adjustments, and then give Junie the go-ahead. This “human-in-the-loop” approach ensures you stay in control while benefiting from the AI's speed and capabilities.

Beyond just getting things done faster, Junie is also designed with code quality in mind. It leverages the deep code intelligence built into JetBrains IDEs and aims to produce code that is not just functional but also clean, maintainable, and adheres to project standards. The time you save can then be reinvested in reviewing more critical architectural decisions or focusing on the higher-level aspects of your project.

Powered by Leading AI Models

To achieve this level of capability, Junie leverages powerful Large Language Models (LLMs) from industry leaders. JetBrains has partnered with Anthropic (using their Claude models) and OpenAI, ensuring Junie has access to state-of-the-art AI reasoning and generation abilities. This partnership approach allows JetBrains to integrate the best available technology directly into your workflow.

Mike Krieger, Chief Product Officer at Anthropic, mentioned their shared goal: “Developers rely on Claude’s state-of-the-art performance in solving complex, real-world coding tasks. We’re excited to see how Junie, powered by Claude, will help the global developer community…”

Similarly, Nicolai Skabo, Head of EMEA at OpenAI, highlighted the ongoing partnership: “Junie is set to unlock exciting new possibilities for developers globally…”

Where Can You Use Junie Today?

Junie is initially available in several popular JetBrains IDEs:

  • IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate
  • PyCharm Professional
  • WebStorm
  • GoLand

Support for PhpStorm, RustRover, and RubyMine is planned to follow soon.

Making AI Accessible: The New Subscription Plans

Okay, let's talk about how you actually get access to these AI features and what the different options are. JetBrains has streamlined this into a single AI subscription with different tiers.

Simplifying How You Access AI Features

Having one subscription for all JetBrains AI tools (AI Assistant and Junie) makes things much cleaner. You don't need to juggle multiple things; you choose the tier that fits your needs, and you get access to the corresponding features across your compatible IDEs.

The AI Free Tier: AI for Everyone

This is the entry point, and it's automatically included with all active JetBrains IDE licenses (starting from version 2025.1). Here's what you get:

  • Unlimited basic code completion: Suggestions as you type, powered by local models.
  • Unlimited access to local AI models: Features like local code analysis, explanation, etc., that run entirely on your machine.
  • Credit-based access to cloud features: You receive a certain number of credits each month (these might recharge) to try out the more advanced cloud-powered AI Assistant features (like chat with powerful models) and Junie.

This free tier is perfect for developers who want basic AI assistance without any extra cost, or for those who want to experiment with the more advanced features occasionally before deciding if they need more.

Stepping Up: The AI Pro Tier

If you find yourself using the cloud-based AI features or Junie regularly and hitting the limits of the free tier credits, the AI Pro tier is the next step. It offers:

  • Significantly higher usage quotas: You get a much larger pool of credits, allowing for more extensive use of cloud models for AI Assistant chat, complex code generation, and Junie tasks.
  • Access to the most advanced AI models: Ensures you're always using the best available cloud models for your tasks.

This tier is designed for professional developers who want to integrate AI more deeply into their daily workflow and rely on it for more demanding tasks.

For Power Users: The AI Ultimate Tier

For developers or teams with very high usage needs, there's the AI Ultimate tier. This provides the highest usage quotas, ensuring that even the most intensive AI workflows are covered without interruption.

A Quick Note on Existing Subscriptions

Good news for some existing JetBrains customers: If you have an All Products Pack or dotUltimate subscription, the AI Pro tier will now be included as part of your package. This adds even more value to these comprehensive bundles.

Privacy and Trust: Our Commitment to You

Whenever AI tools process code, questions about privacy and data security naturally arise. JetBrains is very aware of this and emphasizes its commitment to handling your data responsibly.

Your Code Stays Yours

This is the fundamental promise: Your code and data remain yours.

  • Local Processing: When using features powered by local models, your code doesn't leave your machine.
  • Cloud Processing: When using cloud-based features (AI Assistant chat, Junie, etc.), your code snippets and context are sent to the AI providers (like OpenAI, Anthropic, Google) for processing. However, JetBrains states that this data is handled securely, transmitted over encrypted connections, and is not used to train the AI models for other users or companies. Your intellectual property is protected.
  • No Training on Private Code: Your private, proprietary code is not used to train the underlying AI models that power these features for the general public.

Transparency in How AI Works

JetBrains aims to be transparent about how these features work. They provide information about which models are being used (local or cloud) and give you control over enabling or disabling specific AI features within your IDE settings. You can choose the level of AI integration that you're comfortable with.

This focus on privacy, security, and transparency is crucial for building trust, allowing developers to use these powerful tools with confidence.

How Does This Change Your Workflow?

Integrating AI like this isn't just about adding a few new buttons; it has the potential to change how we approach software development.

Less Tedium, More Creativity

Imagine spending less time writing boilerplate code, hunting for syntax errors, or deciphering complex legacy functions. AI Assistant and Junie can take on many of these tasks, freeing up your mental energy. This allows you to focus more on the interesting challenges: designing better architectures, solving unique user problems, and innovating.

Learning and Exploring New Possibilities

AI tools can also be fantastic learning aids.

  • Understanding Code: Use AI Assistant to quickly grasp code written by others or explore unfamiliar libraries.
  • Exploring Alternatives: Ask the AI for different ways to implement a feature or refactor a piece of code.
  • Debugging Assistance: Get suggestions on potential causes for bugs or help in formulating debugging strategies.

This can accelerate your learning curve and expose you to new techniques or patterns you might not have discovered otherwise.

Working With AI, Not Just Using It

Especially with a tool like Junie, the interaction becomes more collaborative. You're not just getting suggestions; you're potentially defining tasks, reviewing plans, and guiding the AI agent. This shifts the dynamic towards a partnership where the AI handles the execution details based on your direction. It requires a different way of thinking about task decomposition and delegation, but the potential productivity gains are substantial.

Getting Started with JetBrains AI

Ready to try these new features? Here’s a quick guide:

Activating AI in Your IDE

  1. Update Your IDE: Make sure you're using a recent version of your JetBrains IDE (2025.1 or later is recommended for the new structure and free tier).
  2. Install the AI Plugin: You might need to install or enable the JetBrains AI Assistant plugin from the IDE's marketplace/settings if it's not already active.
  3. Log In: You'll likely need to log in with your JetBrains account to activate the AI features and link them to your subscription (or the free tier).
  4. Explore: Look for the AI Assistant tool window (often a chat interface) and context actions (right-click menus) that offer AI-powered options like “Explain Code,” “Suggest Refactoring,” or “Generate Commit Message.” For Junie, you'll typically interact with it through the chat interface or dedicated actions to delegate tasks.

Understanding Credits (for Cloud/Junie usage)

The Free tier, and to some extent the paid tiers, operate on a credit system for cloud-based features and Junie.

  • What consumes credits? Actions that require sending data to powerful cloud models – like complex chat queries, generating large code blocks, or having Junie perform tasks.
  • What doesn't (usually) consume credits? Features running on local models, like basic inline code completion or simpler local analyses.
  • Tracking Usage: Your IDE should provide a way to see your remaining credit balance.
  • Recharging: Credits typically recharge on a regular basis (e.g., monthly) for the free tier. Paid tiers offer a larger pool of credits.

This system allows JetBrains to offer a generous free starting point while managing the costs associated with using expensive cloud-based AI models.

Looking Ahead: The Future is Collaborative

The integration of sophisticated AI into JetBrains IDEs marks a significant step. It reflects a broader trend in the industry, but JetBrains is approaching it with a focus on practical developer needs, choice, and trust.

Built on Strong Foundations (Partnerships)

By partnering with leading AI companies like Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google (who provides the underlying cloud infrastructure for JetBrains AI, ensuring reliability and low latency), JetBrains is ensuring access to powerful and rapidly evolving AI capabilities.

Nirav Mehta from Google Cloud commented on the collaboration: “Witnessing JetBrains AI’s rapid evolution, innovation, and scale has been amazing. We’re excited to continue collaborating to ensure 11.4M of developers around the world benefit from the low latency, responsiveness, and high reliability of JetBrains AI.”

Our Vision for AI in Development

JetBrains sees AI not as a replacement for developers but as a powerful force multiplier. Their vision seems centered on creating tools that:

  • Reduce development friction.
  • Enhance creativity and focus.
  • Improve code quality and maintainability.
  • Adapt to individual developer preferences regarding AI usage.

The launch of the unified JetBrains AI platform, the debut of Junie, the enhanced AI Assistant, and the introduction of the free tier are all concrete steps towards this vision. It’s an exciting time to be a developer, and tools like these promise to make the journey even more interesting and productive.

If you're using JetBrains IDEs, it's definitely worth exploring these new AI features. Start with the free tier, see how it fits into your workflow, and discover how AI might help you build better software, faster. Happy coding!

Learn more about all of JetBrains IDEs AI features.

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