Eclipse is an older, free, open-source, plugin-based IDE originally built for Java, maintained by the Eclipse Foundation. It sits around #17 in real-world usage (roughly 7.1%, tied with Rider) — still used at schools and companies with a course or codebase built around it, though usage has steadily shifted to IntelliJ IDEA over the last decade.
📌 Quick facts
Type: Full IDE
Made by: Eclipse Foundation
License: Free, open-source (Eclipse Public License)
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Primary use case: Java development (also usable for C/C++, PHP via plugins)
Key features
- Free and fully open-source, with no paid tier
- Extremely plugin-driven architecture — nearly every feature beyond the core is added via plugins
- Built-in Java compiler and incremental build system that compiles as you type
- Workspace-based project model, common in large legacy enterprise Java shops
- Variants exist for C/C++ (Eclipse CDT), PHP (PDT), and more
- Long institutional history — many older textbooks and university courses are built directly around it
Getting started
Eclipse is a free download from eclipse.org, or via common package managers:
# Windows (winget)
winget install EclipseAdoptium.Temurin.17.JDK
# then download the Eclipse installer from eclipse.org/downloads
# macOS (Homebrew)
brew install --cask eclipse-java
🎯 Best for: Java coursework or codebases specifically built around Eclipse — for a new Java project today, most developers reach for IntelliJ IDEA instead.