10 Must-Have IntelliJ Plugins to Improve Your Productivity

1. WakaTime

WakaTime enables you to view automatically generated metrics, insights, and time tracking based on your programming activity.

It automatically detects when you start and finish typing and provides precise stats for each project, file, branch, commit/PR, and feature.


2. Stepsize

Shameless plug — Stepsize is the best extension to:

  • Bookmark code, create TODOs, and report technical debt directly from the editor
  • Collaborate with your teammates on maintenance and refactoring work
  • Prioritize technical issues during your sprint planning

3. Key Promoter X

The Key Promoter X assists you in learning vital keyboard shortcuts as you work. When you use the mouse to select a button within the IDE, Key Promoter X displays the appropriate keyboard shortcut.

This makes it simple to learn how to replace boring mouse labour with keyboard shortcuts and facilitates the transition to mouse-free programming.


4. ZIO for IntelliJ

ZIO will give you suggestions, refactorings, and other enhancements for Scala’s ZIO ecosystem.
The plugin enhances the ZIO library with features, such as:

  • Refactorings and suggestions
  • Support for zio-macros (e.g. @accessible)
  • Integrated test runner

5. Protobuf

The Protobuf Language Plugin for IntelliJ-based IDEs provides language support for Protobuf. Protobuf provides assistance with syntax highlighting, importing files from a library or SDK, navigation, finding use, code folding, semantic analysis, and more.


6. SonarLint

SonarLint enables you to repair coding problems before they occur: similar to a spell checker, SonarLint displays Bugs and Security Vulnerabilities as you write code, providing explicit remediation recommendations so that they can be fixed before the code is even submitted. SonarLint in Visual Studio Code enables code analysis for JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Java, HTML, and PHP.


7. ESLint

ESLint IntelliJ integration supports showing eslint warnings as IntelliJ inspections, enables rapid corrections for multiple rules, provides support for custom eslint rules, and provides eslint config annotation and completion.


8. Prettier

The Prettier addon improves the appearance and consistency of code. It ensures a consistent style by processing your code and reprinting it according to its own rules that account for the maximum line length, wrapping code when required.


9. Quokka

Quokka.js is a developer productivity tool for quick prototyping in JavaScript and TypeScript. As you type, your IDE updates and displays runtime values next to your code. It accelerates prototyping, learning, and testing of JavaScript/TypeScript.


10. AceJump

AceJump allows you to quickly navigate the caret to any position visible in the editor. Simply hit “ctrl+;”, type a character, then type the matching character to Ace Jump. If no matches can be found on-screen, AceJump will scroll to the next match it can find.