Best Java SDK SE Alternatives in 2025
Looking for alternatives to Java SDK SE? In this comparison, we take a closer look at Java SDK SE alongside similar software solutions including Java SDK SE, Java SE Development Kit, Android Studio, NetBeans IDE, IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition and Visual Studio Community 2017.
Our detailed comparison table highlights key features, pricing, and performance of these leading solutions, empowering you to make an informed decision. Whether you're seeking robust functionality, user-friendly design, or cost-effective alternatives, explore how Java SDK SE, Java SE Development Kit, Android Studio, NetBeans IDE, IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition and Visual Studio Community 2017 stack up to find the perfect software for your goals.
Primary Purpose
 Java SDK SE
|
Standard edition Java development kit for building Java-based applications across platforms. |
 Java SE Development Kit
|
Software development environment for Java applications including tools and libraries. |
 Android Studio
|
Integrated development environment specifically for Android mobile application development. |
 NetBeans IDE
|
General integrated development environment supporting multiple programming languages and project types. |
 IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition
|
Open-source IDE focused on Java and JVM languages with advanced coding tools. |
 Visual Studio Community 2017
|
Fully featured, extensible IDE supporting multiple languages and platforms including mobile and cloud. |
Supported Languages and Platforms
|
Java SDK SE
|
Supports Java, Kotlin, Scala among others; platform independent via JVM. |
|
Java SE Development Kit
|
Supports Java language; cross-platform compatibility on Windows, Linux, macOS. |
|
Android Studio
|
Supports Java, Kotlin, C++ for Android apps; integrates Android SDK and device emulators. |
|
NetBeans IDE
|
Supports Java, C++, PHP, JavaScript and more; cross-platform on Windows, Linux, macOS. |
|
IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition
|
Supports Java, Kotlin, Groovy, Scala; cross-platform on Windows, Linux, macOS. |
|
Visual Studio Community 2017
|
Supports C++, C#, Python, JavaScript, Visual Basic and others; Windows focused with some cross-platform support. |
System Requirements and Size
|
Java SDK SE
|
Requires at least 512 MB RAM and 200 MB disk space. |
|
Java SE Development Kit
|
Supports systems with necessary OS installations; no explicit RAM size mentioned. |
|
Android Studio
|
Requires at least 4 GB RAM and 2 GB disk space minimum. |
|
NetBeans IDE
|
At least 2 GB RAM recommended; installation requires 1-2 GB disk space. |
|
IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition
|
Moderate system requirements similar to NetBeans; precise specs not specified. |
|
Visual Studio Community 2017
|
Requires at least 1.8 GHz or faster processor and 20 GB disk space; higher RAM recommended. |
Development Tools and Features
|
Java SDK SE
|
Includes compilers (javac), standard libraries, JavaFX libraries, documentation generator, launcher tools. |
|
Java SE Development Kit
|
Includes compilers, debugging tools, extensive documentation, supports various development IDEs like Eclipse and NetBeans. |
|
Android Studio
|
Integrated code editor with auto-completion, visual UI editor, Gradle build system integration, device emulators, version control support. |
|
NetBeans IDE
|
Extensive code editing features, debugging capabilities, built-in version control integration (Git, Mercurial), plugin ecosystem. |
|
IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition
|
Advanced code analysis, intelligent code completion, refactoring tools, debugging integration, version control including Git and GitHub. |
|
Visual Studio Community 2017
|
Robust set of tools including debugging, testing frameworks, cloud integration (Azure), supports extensions and collaboration tools. |
Choosing the right software isn’t just about features. Size, license type, user ratings, and popularity also matter.
This quick comparison shows how Java SDK SE stacks up against Java SDK SE, Java SE Development Kit, Android Studio, NetBeans IDE, IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition and Visual Studio Community 2017 in these key areas—helping you find the best alternative for your needs.
Size
|
Java SDK SE
|
12MB |
|
Java SE Development Kit
|
|
|
Android Studio
|
950.1MB |
|
NetBeans IDE
|
|
|
Visual Studio Community 2017
|
License
|
Java SDK SE
|
Freeware |
|
Java SE Development Kit
|
Commercial |
|
Android Studio
|
Commercial |
|
NetBeans IDE
|
Open Source |
|
Visual Studio Community 2017
|
Freeware |