Welcome to the NetBeans Community

Most developers recognize the NetBeans IDE as the original free Java IDE. It is that, and much more! The NetBeans IDE provides support for several languages (PHP, JavaFX, C/C++, JavaScript, etc.) and frameworks.

NetBeans is an open-source project dedicated to providing rock solid software development products (the NetBeans IDE and the NetBeans Platform) that address the needs of developers, users and the businesses who rely on NetBeans as a basis for their products; particularly, to enable them to develop these products quickly, efficiently and easily by leveraging the strengths of the Java platform and other relevant industry standards.

In June 2000, NetBeans was made open source by Sun Microsystems, which remained the project sponsor until January 2010 when Sun Microsystems became a subsidiary of Oracle. Please see our History section for more information.

The two base products, the NetBeans IDE and NetBeans Platform, are free for commercial and non-commercial use. The source code to both is available to anyone to reuse as they see fit, within the terms of use. The legal section contains information regarding licensing, copyright issues, privacy policy and terms of use.

The NetBeans project is also a vibrant community in which people from across the globe can ask questions, give advice, contribute and ultimately share in the success of our products. On the NetBeans mailing lists and forums, you will find posts from students, developers from top companies, and individuals looking to expand their skills.

With over 18 million downloads of the NetBeans IDE to date, and over 800,000 participating developers, the NetBeans project is thriving and continues to grow, thanks to the individuals and partner companies. To be a part of the community, simply register for free.

To find press releases and media articles about NetBeans, visit our Press Center.