NetBeans and IntelliJ IDEA do a better job of balancing plug-in count and ease-of-use. Both have a good range of plug-ins, but they have kept a stronger focus on the user experience. As a result, they garner higher ratings in my report card. JDeveloper is likewise easy to use, but it has a tiny plug-in community. Further, its intimate linkage to Oracle's software stack makes it an unappealing choice for organizations that rely on software from multiple vendors. Were it not for this limitation, which is pervasively present in the product, JDeveloper would likely have a larger plug-in ecosystem and would be a stronger competitor with the other IDEs reviewed here.
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