JetBrains now offers free licensing for its WebStorm and Rider IDEs, targeting non-commercial development activities. With this initiative, developers working on open-source projects, educational ventures, or creative endeavors can utilize WebStorm for JavaScript/TypeScript and Rider for .NET and game development at no cost.

Expanding Access to Professional Development Tools

On October 24, JetBrains announced these non-commercial licenses, aiming to reach a broader developer audience and encourage usage beyond the traditional workplace. According to JetBrains, more than two-thirds of developers engage in coding as a hobby, while nearly 40% use coding as a tool for learning and education. By providing free access to WebStorm and Rider, JetBrains seeks to support developers who work on projects outside of commercial settings.

WebStorm and Rider: Tailored for Diverse Development Needs

WebStorm, a powerful JavaScript and TypeScript IDE, supports front-end, back-end, and full-stack web development, making it ideal for a wide array of web projects. Meanwhile, Rider serves developers working on .NET applications and game development. With support for Unreal Engine, Unity, Godot, and custom game engines, Rider is well-suited for building games across platforms, including PCs, consoles, and mobile devices.

Previous Initiatives in Free Licensing

This isn’t the first time JetBrains has offered free non-commercial access to its IDEs. Earlier this year, the company introduced free licenses for RustRover, a Rust development environment, and Aqua, a test automation IDE. JetBrains also offers community editions of IntelliJ and PyCharm, supporting Java and Python development, which are available for both personal and commercial projects.

With these free licenses, JetBrains aims to empower developers across diverse fields, fostering innovation in open-source, educational, and creative projects without the financial barrier typically associated with professional IDEs.

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