Eclipse IDE Software Reviews & Ratings | 2023 | Software Advice

Overall, you can def get the job done with Eclipse. They really do put their heart and soul into the product, and the fact that it has such a strong long-lived community says a lot. I think if you are a hardcore developer or engineer, Eclipse is a great candidate for your champion IDE, but if you are seasoned old guy like myself, I prefer simplicity, more purpose-built IDE’s; aka I prefer less features and more mastery in my IDE. As such my go-to’s are often a hodgepodge of tools that compliment each other (due the type of work I often do). As such, I don’t use Eclipse as much as some. I recommend you check it out — see if it’s your style and if so, buy them some coffee — they really do a great job and I applaud them for being so dedicated over the years.

PROS

The Eclipse team really does care about their product. It’s really is amazing how it just seems to do a bit of everything. When I was first introduced to Eclipse, now 8+ years ago, it was a bit overwhelming. I was coming from a background using Vi/Vim, and being thrown into Eclipse is a bit like sky diving when you are used to a trampoline. That said, if you love features, and you love customizing your environment this is def the product you want to roll with. There are SO many integrations that it makes it feel like a no-brainer.

CONS

Some of the things that make Eclipse so great can also make it bit too ‘loud’ and/or cumbersome. I liken Eclipse to the ‘kitchen sink’ analogy — it seems to come with everything, even the ‘kitchen sink’ (an old American idiom). Meaning, it has so much included with it that it makes other IDE’s seem small in comparison. However, when you start with ‘everything’ thrown at you at once, it can be a bit confusing and less ‘purpose built’ for small tasks.

Reason for choosing Eclipse IDE

I use it primarily because my team uses it. We have workflows that we’ve built up over the years. That said, it’s not the only IDE I use — gotta select the right tool for the job.