Best C++ IDEs in 2026
Updated
In short: Qt Creator is ranked #1 of 22 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of CLion and Visual Studio. The best-ranked option with a free plan is CLion. The lowest first paid tier on this page is CLion at $10.90/mo.
Choosing a C++ IDE starts with the work your projects need: compare build systems, compiler toolchains and debugging scope, then consider remote development and supported platforms. A built-in profiler may be relevant for performance analysis, while free-plan availability and the listed starting price help you weigh cost. Qt Creator, CLion and Visual Studio are among the first entries, followed by tools including Arm Keil MDK and PlatformIO IDE. The ranking covers 22 IDEs. Use the comparison details to narrow options by the environments and development tasks that matter to you.
22 c++ IDEs ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
#1 Qt Creator Top pick · 7.9 Free plan · Free
#2 CLion Runner-up · 7.7 Free plan · $10.90/mo
#3 Visual Studio Also great · 7.7 
- Free planFree trial AndroidiOSLinuxmacOSWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free planFree trial LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms$10.90/mofirst paid tier About CLionVisit site - Free planFree trial Windows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- 45 /user/mo
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free plan apiextensionLinuxmacOSWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms$99/mofirst paid tier About Arm Keil MDKVisit site - Free plan extensionLinuxmacOSself-hostedWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms$20.75/mofirst paid tier About PlatformIO IDEVisit site - Free plan LinuxmacOSWebWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free plan LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatformsFree About CS+Visit site - Free trial LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- No
- Supported platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux, Raspberry Pi
- Build systems
- CMake; integrated custom project build tools
- Compiler toolchains
- GNU; Clang
- Debugging scope
- both
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms$125/mofirst paid tier About SlickEditVisit site - Free plan LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free plan LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free plan LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Supported platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - WindowsmacOSLinux
- Free plan
- Yes
- Supported platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux
- Build systems
- GNU make
- Compiler toolchains
- GNU Arm Embedded Compiler, Arm compiler, IAR Embedded Workbench, LLVM ARM
- Debugging scope
- local
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free plan LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Supported platforms
- macOS, Windows, Linux
- Build systems
- CMake, Bazel, Make, Autotools, and custom build systems that can generate compilation database entries
- Compiler toolchains
- Clang; GCC-compatible compilers can be queried for their default configuration; documentation also describes Bear support for GCC, Clang, MSVC, and cross, embedded, and HPC compilers
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Windows
- Free plan
- Yes
- Supported platforms
- Windows 7, Windows 8.1, Windows 10
- Build systems
- Make; Makefile creation
- Compiler toolchains
- MinGW/GCC, Cygwin, TDM-GCC, other GCC-based compilers
- Debugging scope
- local
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - Free plan LinuxmacOSWindows
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - WindowsmacOSLinux
- Free plan
- Yes
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - WindowsLinuxRecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms
- Windows
- Free plan
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - WindowsLinux
- Free plan
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms - WindowsmacOSLinux
- Free plan
- No
RecognisedDocumentedFree planFree trialPlatforms
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which c++ IDE is ranked first on The Geeks Club?
Qt Creator is ranked #1 of 22 with a score of 7.9. CLion is second and Visual Studio third.
How many of these have a free plan?
12 of the 22 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, CLion has the lowest first paid tier we found: $10.90/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going: documentation depth, a free tier or trial, and the platforms it runs on. Paid placements never change a rank.