Since the mid-1990s, Java has been a widely used programming language. It is popular among developers due to its adaptability, usability, and sturdiness. Java developers have access to various tools that can assist them in writing, testing, and debugging code more efficiently to facilitate the software development process.
However, since so many Java developers are available, settling on one is hard. In this article, we will discuss 10 Popular Java Tools for Developers that can enhance work productivity and produce high-quality applications. We will also provide insightful information regarding the instruments that can help you write better code and boost your productivity. Let’s get started!
Table of Contents: hide
How to Choose the Right Java Tools for My Project?
What Are Java Tools?
Java tools are programs that help in developing, testing, debugging, and deploying Java programs. This software can range from an IDE to libraries, frameworks, test runners, static code analyzers, and even deployment scripts. Java tools are important to the programming language’s development process. They may improve productivity, application quality, and ease of deployment into production settings for programmers.
Below are some examples of where you could find it useful to use a Java application:
- Developing New Java Applications – Java development environments allow for the construction of original Java programs.
- Maintaining Existing Java Applications – Java tools allow developers to fix bugs, add new functionality, and optimize the performance of already-built Java tools.
- Deploying Java Applications – Java tools provide for deploying Java programs to production environments.
- Testing Java Applications – Testing tools can be written in Java to assure the quality of Java applications.
How to Choose the Right Java Tools for My Project?
It’s important to consider the project’s requirements, your development environment, your budget, and your tastes when deciding which Java tools to use. Developers can emphasize the following features when looking for their Java tool:
- Compatibility – The tool should work with the language, platform, and framework you already use. It’s also important that it works well with the procedures you already use.
- Functionality – The functionality and capabilities required by the task should be included in the tool. It also must be trustworthy, sturdy, and secure.
- Usability – The tool must be intuitive to use and easily customizable. It must also have a straightforward interface, thorough documentation, and helpful customer service.
- Performance – The software shouldn’t hog the computer’s resources (such as RAM or CPU time). It also must be extensible and work with other OSes.
- Cost – You should be able to afford the tool, which should be well worth the cost. It should also have an open license and price structure.
Top 10 Java Tools for Development
Let’s look at the best Java tools for development, along with their key features and pricing plans:
YourKit
YourKit is the first all-in-one solution to address the biggest concerns of Java developers. Developers may boost the efficiency of their Java programs with the help of the commercial Java profiler YourKit Java Profiler. You may use it to monitor memory use and evaluate thread activity, among other useful tasks. YourKit Java Profiler is a useful tool for simplifying the debugging process of Java programs. When it comes to coding and testing your apps, this may be a huge help.
Java Tools for Developers – YourKit
YourKit’s Key Features
- CPU profiling provides insight into how your application spends its time.
- Memory profiling reveals how much memory an application is utilizing.
- Thread profiling enables you to observe how the threads in your application interact.
- Heap analysis enables you to determine which objects are in your application’s heap.
Customer Ratings
- G2: N/A
- Capterra: N/A
YourKit’s Price Plans: free to $99 per year
Groovy
Groovy is an extension of the Java programming language with many useful features. It’s a robust dynamic language with static-typing and static compilation support. Its goal is to increase developer efficiency by providing a once-familiar syntax and simple to learn. It works well with any Java application and provides rapid access to advanced features like scripting, DSLs, meta-programming at runtime and compile-time, and functional programming.
Java Tools for Developers – Groovy
Groovy’s Key Features
- Supports many paradigms, such as object-oriented and declarative programming.
- Rich set of built-in data types, operators, literals, and collections.
- A flexible syntax that allows you to write less code and use optional punctuation.
- Powerful closure system that supports multiple dispatch, currying, and memorization.
Customer Ratings
- G2: N/A
- Capterra: N/A
Groovy’s Price Plans: free to use
Java Development Kit
The Java Development Kit, “JDK,” is a comprehensive set of tools and libraries for writing and running Java applications. It comes with the Java Compiler, the Java Debugger, and other Java-related tools, in addition to the Java Runtime Environment (JRE), which holds the Java Virtual Machine (JVM) and the core Java classes.
Java Tools for Developers – Java Development Kit
Java Development Kit’s Key Features
- Compatible with multiple platforms
- Comprehensive libraries for developing various types of applications
- Allows you to debug, profile, and monitor applications.
- Support for multiple programming languages, including Java and Kotlin
Customer Ratings
- G2: N/A
- Capterra: N/A
Java Development Kit’s Price Plans: free to $8.15-15 per month
Maven
Maven is a Java tool that is a software project management and comprehension tool. It helps developers manage a project’s entire lifecycle, from its conception to its deployment. It also helps developers understand a project’s structure, dependencies, and configuration. Maven is an open-source tool available for free under the Apache 2.0 license.
Java Tools for Developers – Maven
Maven’s Key Features
- Centralized project configuration and dependency management
- Consistent build process across different projects and environments
- Huge community with massive documentation as well as support on offer
- Integrated with famous IDEs as well other platforms
Customer Ratings
- G2: 4.5/5 (9 reviews)
- Capterra: N/A
Maven’s Price Plans: free to use
Spark
Spark is a free and open-source framework for running massive applications on a network of computers. It can process data in batch and real-time, earning it the “parallel processing framework.” It is designed to make Hadoop systems more efficient at processing tasks. It’s a replacement for MapReduce, which was formerly associated with Hadoop. Scala is the language used to communicate with the spark core engine. The success of Apache Spark may be attributed to the fact that it is quicker than MapReduce.
Java Tools for Developers – Spark
Spark’s Key Features
- Support for various programming languages, including Java, Scala, and Python
- Distributed computing capabilities for handling large datasets across multiple nodes
- In-memory processing for faster data processing and analysis
- High-level APIs for streaming, SQL, and machine learning applications
Customer Ratings
- G2: 4.6/5 (35 reviews)
- Capterra: 4.7/5 (15 reviews)
Spark’s Price Plans: free to use
Site24x7
Site24x7 is a cloud-based application performance monitoring (APM) system that assists developers in monitoring and optimizing the performance of their Java applications. It offers a complete insight into the application stack, from the user interface to the backend services and databases. It also assists developers in identifying and resolving performance problems, bottlenecks, and mistakes.
Java Tools for Developers – Site24x7
Site24x7’s Key Features
- Visibility across the full application stack, including server, database, and network components.
- Intelligent performance and availability alerts and notifications.
- Comprehensive application metric monitoring, including CPU use, etc.
- Multiple application servers and frameworks are supported, including Tomcat, JBoss, and Spring Boot.
Customer Ratings
- G2: 4.5/5 (135 reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (113 reviews)
Site24x7’s Price Plans: free to $39 per month
Patch Winds
Patch Winds is a Java patch management system that assists developers in managing and deploying security fixes for Java applications. It enables developers to automate patching, decrease vulnerability risk, and verify compliance with security standards. It also assists developers in monitoring and reporting on the progress of their Java applications’ patches.
Java Tools for Developers – Patch Winds
Patch Winds’s Key Features
- Supports several Java versions, including Java SE 8, 11, 17, and 20.
- Allows various deployment operations, such as pausing and resuming services and packaging numerous files into a single package.
- Variety of patching schedules, including on-demand, periodic, and event-based patching.
- Enables various reporting options, including dashboards, charts, graphs, and alarms.
Customer Ratings
- G2: 4.4/5 (54 reviews)
- Capterra: N/A
Patch Winds’s Price Plans: free to $3.50 per month
Eclipse
Eclipse Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is an open-source integrated development environment (IDE) that enables developers to create applications that are based on Java. Java 16 and Mac AArch64 (Arm64) are two of the architectures that the Eclipse IDE supports. Users have access to the Eclipse Marketplace as well. You might add support for a variety of programming languages as well as a variety of customization features.
Java Tools for Developers – Eclipse
Eclipse’s Key Features
- Support for various Java frameworks and libraries, including Spring and Hibernate
- Built-in debugging tools and unit testing frameworks for Java applications
- Advanced code refactoring and auto-completion features for faster development
- Easy integration with version control systems, such as Git and SVN
Customer Ratings
- G2: 4.4/5 (2658 reviews)
- Capterra: 4.3/5 (141 reviews)
Eclipse’s Price Plans: free to use
VisualVM
VisualVM is a Java program that combines the command-line JDK tools, and lightweight profiling features into a single, easy-to-use interface. It’s useful for keeping tabs on and analyzing things like Java program speed, memory consumption, threads, and errors. Developers may use it to capture and examine heap, thread, and core dumps.
Java Tools for Developers – VisualVM
VisualVM’s Key Features
- Real-time monitoring and profiling of Java applications running on the JVM
- Detailed insights into CPU usage, memory usage, and thread behavior of Java applications
- Support for multiple profiling and monitoring plugins, including Java Flight Recorder (JFR)
- Integration with other Java development tools and frameworks, such as NetBeans and IntelliJ IDEA
Customer Ratings
- G2: N/A
- Capterra: N/A
VisualVM’s Price Plans: free to use
SonarQube
SonarQube is a Java tool that is a continuous code quality and security platform that helps developers improve their code quality, reliability, and security. It comprehensively analyzes code issues, such as bugs, vulnerabilities, code smells, duplications, and coverage. It also provides a dashboard that shows the health and status of the code quality and security over time.
Java Tools for Developers – SonarQube
SonarQube Key Features
- Support for a wide range of programming languages and frameworks, including Java and related technologies
- Integration with popular development tools, such as Eclipse and IntelliJ IDEA
- Automated code review and analysis based on industry best practices and coding standards
- Customizable rules and profiles for tuning analysis and enforcing coding standards
Customer Ratings
- G2: 4.5/5 (49 reviews)
- Capterra: 4.6/5 (49 reviews)
SonarQube Price Plans: free to $150 per year
Benefits of Using Java Tools
Java is a programming language used to develop a broad range of applications. Java tools may create, debug, and deploy Java applications. By automating activities and offering features that make it simpler to construct Java applications, Java tools may assist in lowering the expenses of creating Java applications. For example, java IDEs include capabilities like code completion, syntax highlighting, and refactoring tools to help developers create code more quickly and precisely.
Java tools may help developers be more productive by automating activities and giving capabilities that simplify Java application development. For example, Java IDEs (integrated development environments) may include capabilities like code completion, syntax highlighting, and refactoring tools to help developers create code more quickly and precisely.
Final Thought
Java tools for developers are becoming extremely useful for new and upcoming developers in the town. The softwares can range from an IDE to libraries, frameworks, test runners, static code analyzers, and even deployment scripts. We reviewed ten of the best Java tools for developers that can help beginners and professionals according to their requirements. With the right tool, you can help reduce costs and easily enhance your tasks and projects’ productivity. We hope this article has been helpful. Let us know in the comments which one you think is the best tool for your development needs.
