Alternatives to Qt Creator

A cross-platform IDE for building C++ and Qt applications, maintained by the Qt project. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.

Replacements

Listings that take over the same core job as Qt Creator.

  • KDevelop

    A cross-platform open-source IDE from KDE for C, C++, Python, QML/JavaScript and PHP.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    KDevelop is a free, open-source KDE IDE with semantic C and C++ completion and both CMake and QMake support, suited to Qt projects.

  • CLion

    C and C++ IDE with CMake integration and deep static analysis.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinux

    CLion is a commercial C and C++ IDE with CMake integration and deep static analysis, requiring a paid subscription for commercial use.

  • Visual Studio

    Microsoft's integrated development environment for .NET, C++ and Windows development, with a free Community edition.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindows

    Visual Studio is Microsoft's C++ and .NET IDE with a free Community edition, but it runs on Windows only and is proprietary.

  • CodeLite

    A free, open-source cross-platform IDE for C, C++, Rust, Python, PHP and Node.js.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    CodeLite is a free GPL-2.0 IDE for C, C++ and several other languages, lighter than a full IDE but with a smaller plugin ecosystem.

  • Code::Blocks

    A free, plugin-based IDE for C, C++ and Fortran with a consistent interface across platforms.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsLinux

    Code::Blocks is a free, plugin-based C, C++ and Fortran IDE for Windows and Linux, without Qt-specific QML tooling and with long gaps between releases.

  • Visual Studio Code

    Microsoft's code editor, free to use but shipped under a Microsoft licence rather than an open one.

    FreeProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinux

    Visual Studio Code covers C++ through extensions with an integrated debugger, but it is a general editor without Qt-specific design tools.

  • Eclipse IDE

    Long-established open-source IDE with a very large plugin marketplace.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    Eclipse IDE is open source under EPL-2.0 with a large plugin marketplace, though its workspace model feels dated and plugin quality varies.

Also worth comparing

These listings name Qt Creator as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.

  • GNOME Builder

    An IDE for building GNOME and other Linux applications, with debugging, profiling and Flatpak support.

    FreeOpen sourceLinux

    Qt Creator is a cross-platform open-source C++ IDE built for Qt and QML applications, replacing Builder's GTK and GLib focus with Qt tooling.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.