Android Studio vs IntelliJ IDEA VS Code: Professional IDE Comparison (2025)
After extensively testing all three development environments, I've created this professional comparison to help developers choose the best IDE for their Android projects in 2025.
π Professional Feature Comparison
| Feature Category | Android Studio | IntelliJ IDEA | VS Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core Features | |||
| Official Android Support | ✔ Full Support | ⚠️ Via Plugin | ✖ Limited |
| Built-in Emulator | ✔ Included | ✖ External Only | ✖ Not Available |
| Performance | |||
| Startup Time | 25–30 seconds | 10–15 seconds | 2–5 seconds |
| RAM Usage (Average) | 2.5GB | 1.8GB | 600MB |
| Development Tools | |||
| Visual Layout Editor | ✔ Advanced | ⚠️ Basic | ✖ None |
| Code Completion | ✔ Excellent | ✔ Excellent | ⚠️ Good (with extensions) |
| Advanced Features | |||
| APK Analyser | ✔ Built-in | ⚠️ Via Plugin | ✖ Not Available |
| Memory Profiler | ✔ Advanced | ⚠️ Basic | ✖ Limited |
π Recommendation Summary
π
Best for Native Android
Android Studio
- Complete Android tool set
- Official Google support
- Best debugging tools
⭐
Best for Multi-Language
IntelliJ IDEA
- Superior Kotlin support
- Better performance
- Wider language support
⚡
Best for Lightweight
VS Code
- Fastest performance
- Extension ecosystem