The best Groovy IDE depends on your use case, but here are the top choices:
1. IntelliJ IDEA (Ultimate & Community) – Best Overall
- Why?
- Excellent Groovy support with syntax highlighting, debugging, and refactoring.
- Comes with built-in Gradle and Maven support.
- Smart code completion and deep integration with Java (useful for Groovy-Java projects).
- Community edition is free but has limited features, while Ultimate edition has full Groovy support.
2. Eclipse with Groovy Plugin – Best for Eclipse Users
- Why?
- Good Groovy development support if you prefer Eclipse.
- Integrates well with Java projects.
- Free and open-source.
- Not as advanced as IntelliJ in Groovy-specific features.
3. VS Code with Groovy Extension – Lightweight Option
- Why?
- Minimal setup, good for scripting and quick edits.
- Fast performance, suitable for lightweight Groovy development.
- Lacks full debugging and deep code analysis like IntelliJ.
- VScode tips and tricks: vscode
4. Apache NetBeans – Alternative Choice
- Why?
- Decent Groovy support but not as frequently updated.
- Good for basic Groovy scripting.
- Lacks advanced debugging and refactoring.
Best Choice: IntelliJ IDEA (Ultimate) is the most powerful option for Groovy, especially if you work on large projects. For casual use, VS Code is lightweight and easy to set up.