Opinion on Jetbrains tools - worth it?

[Hades]

I used to be a software developer (various languages but mostly Java JEE and mainframe COBOL). I have recently returned to coding in my spare time for a personal web based project, which I hope will evolve into something useful. So far I've been using Sublime for HTML, CSS, PHP and the xampp built in query tool for database queries along with Toad. I've also been dabbling in Python but just using Sublime again.

But having noticed a 50% discount code for Jetbrains tools (the code is "Woot!" until end of November) I'm thinking of trying some of their tools. It looks like PHPStorm (PHP obviously), Pycharm (Python), Webstorm (Javascript, HTML, CSS), IntelliJ (HTML, CSS and Java/Android may come in handy) and Data Grip would be useful. In my old life as a Java developer I was used to IDE's (Eclipse based mostly, not IntelliJ). So I do appreciate the difference between IDE's and a code editor such as Sublime.

It is only a subscription based license which I general don't like. But any opinions on those specific tools, the support given by Jetbrains, etc, would be appreciated. Did anyone regret buying them?

Thanks.

 

[Hades]

Thanks both. Good point about the plugins. I also do understand the point about PHP.

 

[Hades]

I've just seen that Jetbrains have a perpetual fallback license. So if I bought the current "all products" annual subscription for an individual it means that when the subscription expires I can still use any of the products in future at their current version. This does seem a good deal, especially if the discount code works.

Even though I only need a couple of products it would mean that for £100 I'd get perpetual access to the 2017 versions of all their tools.

I will probably go for this even though I only need a couple of their products.

Question... I use different machines at different times (desktop and laptop). How does their licensing work? Can Install one license on both machines as long as I only use one at a time? E.g. desktop when at home and laptop when moving around? Or does it enforce one license per install? Thanks.

Edit: Yes looks like it can be installed multiple times. But the price is excl of VAT. So if the voucher works then for £120 it would provide 12 months of access and updates to all of their products, installed on several devices, across Windows, Linux and Mac OS, with a perpetual license to use all of them forever at 2017 versions thereafter. Considering the high praise their tools seem to get here and elsewhere that seems a very good deal.

Edit 2: Blast the coupon doesn't work. That idea is out of the window.

 

[Hades]

A quick update. I emailed Jetbrains sales with several questions, including whether they have any Black Friday discounts. They don't have any BF discounts as such, but were prepared to offer a 15% discount on an annual All Products subscription (bringing it to £203 including VAT). I haven't yet decided and I don't know whether this is just something they would offer because it's BF and whether they would offer it to anyone else on other licenses. But I thought I'd mention it in case anyone was interested in similar.

Their sales team were quick to reply and provided clear communication.

 

[Hades]

Thanks. Saw those but I don't qualify for any. I'm not a student, I'm not a startup (yet - and it's still more expensive than a personal license) and I'm not an open source project. But thanks.

 

[Hades]

Just a heads up for Jetbrains users that their 2017.3 updates have landed. Also GoLand has moved from RCA to a first commercial release (and is now part of the standard charging structure / IntelliJ plugin).

I've been using PHPStorm free trial for a while and really like it. I switched back to Eclipse PDT for a short time to compare it, and it's clear that PHPStorm is far better. At the end of my trial I think I will get an IntelliJ Ultimate subscription and add the plugins for the other languages.