# NetBeans 13 Hacker News commenters recommended NetBeans and 4 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 8 of 13 months. It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule. **Verdict:** Free, long-running Java IDE people recommend for its familiar layout and practical tools for everyday and hobby coding; critics often prefer Eclipse. ## Why people recommend it - Feels familiar and natural to use (2 comments): "first switched to netbeans which I already liked more" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46715173)) "Netbeans instead, that always felt so natural to me." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46318267)) - Good Java tools and editor (2 comments): "Java had some great tools and IDEs (NetBeans, Eclipse)" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48977264)) "my favourite Java editor for hobby coding at home" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46263220)) - Capable, practical tools for work (2 comments): "Thing that IntelliJ and even NetBeans have going for them is that they seem like tools for getting work done." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46715874)) "something that Eclipse and Netbeans have been capable of for the last 20 years" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46263245)) ## What people warn about - Often rated below Eclipse (2 comments): "I went through most IDEs, including the infamous NetBeans and Eclipse" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48188388)) "Eclipse was a better experience for me than Netbeans" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46880754)) ## Alternatives hackers recommend - [JetBrains IDEs](https://hackerapproved.com/p/jetbrains-ides.md): 233 recommend - [IntelliJ IDEA](https://hackerapproved.com/p/intellij-idea.md): 206 recommend - [Microsoft Visual Studio](https://hackerapproved.com/p/visual-studio.md): 165 recommend - [Delphi](https://hackerapproved.com/p/delphi.md): 126 recommend - [Xcode](https://hackerapproved.com/p/xcode.md): 100 recommend ## Cite as Hacker Approved, "NetBeans", https://hackerapproved.com/p/netbeans/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).