Dynamic

Metals vs IntelliJ IDEA

Developers should use Metals when working on Scala projects in lightweight editors to gain advanced language intelligence without switching to a full IDE like IntelliJ IDEA meets developers should use intellij idea when working on java-based projects, especially in enterprise or android development, as it offers deep language understanding and robust tooling for complex codebases. Here's our take.

🧊Nice Pick

Metals

Developers should use Metals when working on Scala projects in lightweight editors to gain advanced language intelligence without switching to a full IDE like IntelliJ IDEA

Metals

Nice Pick

Developers should use Metals when working on Scala projects in lightweight editors to gain advanced language intelligence without switching to a full IDE like IntelliJ IDEA

Pros

  • +It is particularly useful for large codebases where features like find references and rename refactoring save significant time
  • +Related to: scala, language-server-protocol

Cons

  • -Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

IntelliJ IDEA

Developers should use IntelliJ IDEA when working on Java-based projects, especially in enterprise or Android development, as it offers deep language understanding and robust tooling for complex codebases

Pros

  • +It is also valuable for Kotlin development, being the official IDE recommended by JetBrains, and its plugin ecosystem supports a wide range of frameworks and technologies, making it versatile for full-stack development
  • +Related to: java, kotlin

Cons

  • -Specific tradeoffs depend on your use case

The Verdict

Use Metals if: You want it is particularly useful for large codebases where features like find references and rename refactoring save significant time and can live with specific tradeoffs depend on your use case.

Use IntelliJ IDEA if: You prioritize it is also valuable for kotlin development, being the official ide recommended by jetbrains, and its plugin ecosystem supports a wide range of frameworks and technologies, making it versatile for full-stack development over what Metals offers.

🧊
The Bottom Line
Metals wins

Developers should use Metals when working on Scala projects in lightweight editors to gain advanced language intelligence without switching to a full IDE like IntelliJ IDEA

Disagree with our pick? nice@nicepick.dev