PyCharm

JetBrains' Python IDE, with a free core and a Pro tier for web, data and remote work.

Verified facts: 4 of 4
Alternatives ranked: 5
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About PyCharm

PyCharm is JetBrains' IDE for Python. It understands Python projects deeply, with type-aware completion, refactoring, a graphical debugger, test runners and virtual environment management working without setup. Since JetBrains merged its Community and Professional editions, PyCharm is a single download: the core features are free forever, including for commercial work, and a PyCharm Pro subscription adds framework support for Django, Flask and FastAPI, full Jupyter notebooks, remote development and database tools. Every major release offers a fresh 30-day Pro trial without a card, and Pro is free for students and teachers. AI features and third-party coding agents can be connected inside the IDE. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. It is a good fit for people who write a lot of Python and want the tooling to catch mistakes early. It is heavier than VS Code with the Python extension, and data scientists who live in notebooks may prefer tools designed around them.

Best for: Python developers who want an IDE that catches mistakes and handles refactoring for them.

What works

Free core features, including for commercial use
Strong Python refactoring, debugging and testing
Pro adds Django, notebooks and database tools in one place

Why people leave

Uses much more memory than a text editor
Web frameworks, notebooks and remote work need Pro
Indexing can be slow on large environments

Top PyCharm alternatives

See all 5

1
Neovim
Fast terminal editor that can be wired up with Python language servers for keyboard-driven work.
70.3
2
Visual Studio Code
Free and lighter, with extensions covering most languages, for people who don't need a full IDE.
68.8
3
Cursor
Adds codebase-aware AI agents on a familiar VS Code base for Python projects.
63.9
4
Spyder
Free and open source, with a MATLAB-like variable explorer for scientific Python work.
62.6
5
Positron
Built by Posit for data science in Python and R, with a data explorer and live consoles.
59.6

Why people left PyCharm

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

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PyCharm: common questions

Is PyCharm free?

PyCharm has a free plan and paid plans. Free tier: Core features free, incl. commercial use (checked on PyCharm's own site).

Is PyCharm open source?

No, PyCharm is not open source. Open-source alternatives include Neovim, Visual Studio Code and Spyder.

What platforms does PyCharm run on?

PyCharm is available for Windows, macOS and Linux.

What are the best alternatives to PyCharm?

The highest-ranked PyCharm alternatives right now are Neovim, Visual Studio Code and Cursor. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 5 PyCharm alternatives

PyCharm facts

4 of 4 verified

Free tier: Core features free, incl. commercial use; Checked Oct 25, 2026jetbrains.com(opens source in a new tab); “PyCharm’s core features are free forever, for both commercial and non-commercial use.”
Pro trial: 30 days, no card needed; Checked Oct 25, 2026jetbrains.com(opens source in a new tab); “You can start a new PyCharm Pro trial with every major release – 30 days of full access, no payment or card information required.”
Pro features: Frameworks, Jupyter, remote dev, databases; Checked Oct 25, 2026jetbrains.com(opens source in a new tab); “PyCharm Pro is a paid subscription that adds advanced framework support, full Jupyter notebooks support, remote development, and database tools.”
Education: Pro free for students and educators; Checked Oct 25, 2026jetbrains.com(opens source in a new tab); “Learn more Download the MP4 video 00:00 The professional toolkit from day one PyCharm Pro is free for students and educators.”