Kotlin
A concise, multiplatform programming language from JetBrains for backend, Android, web and desktop apps.
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2 more ways to get Kotlin
Package managers
- Chocolatey
choco install kotlin - Homebrew
brew install kotlin
About Kotlin
Kotlin is a statically typed language developed by JetBrains, known for null safety and concise syntax. It is used for server-side code on the JVM, for Android apps, and through Kotlin Multiplatform for sharing code across mobile, web and desktop targets.
The latest version is included in current IntelliJ IDEA and Android Studio releases, and an online playground lets you try code in the browser. Releases are regular, with version 2.4.20 published in September 2026.
Strengths
- Null safety and concise syntax
- Targets JVM, Android, web and native through multiplatform
- Bundled with IntelliJ IDEA and Android Studio
- Regular releases with detailed notes
Limitations
- Best tooling experience is tied to JetBrains IDEs
- Multiplatform setups add build complexity
Details
- Pricing
- FreeFree and open source.
- License
- Apache-2.0
- Developer
- JetBrains
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line
- How it runs
- Downloadable app
- Account
- Not required
- Works offline
- Yes
- Best suited for
- Android and JVM developers who want a modern language with shared multiplatform code
- Categories
- Developer tools
- Last verified
- Added
- Provenance
- Facts checked against the developer's own pages and store listings, 1 sources on file.
Alternatives to Kotlin
Compare allSoftware that can replace Kotlin for an important use case, and what changes if you switch.
Scala
A programming language that combines object-oriented and functional programming, targeting the JVM and web.
Scala also runs on the JVM with Java library access, adds a stronger functional style and targets the web through Scala.js, with a steeper learning curve.
Swift
A general-purpose, compiled programming language and toolchain available for Linux, macOS and Windows.
Swift is an Apache-licensed compiled language with toolchains for Linux, macOS and Windows, but it does not target the JVM or Android and its libraries lean toward Apple platforms.
Dart
A programming language and SDK from Google for building apps on many platforms.
Dart is Google's BSD-licensed language behind Flutter for cross-platform apps, with an ecosystem centred on Flutter instead of the JVM.
Go
An open-source compiled programming language from Google with built-in concurrency and a module system.
Go is a compiled language with built-in concurrency and a single toolchain, producing native binaries instead of JVM or Android code.
Rust
A compiled systems programming language with no garbage collector, installed through the rustup toolchain manager.
Rust drops the garbage collector and JVM for compile-time memory safety, with Cargo built in, at the cost of an ownership model that takes time to learn.
.NET
Microsoft's free, open-source, cross-platform runtime and SDK for building apps in C#, F# and Visual Basic.
.NET moves you to C# or F# on Microsoft's cross-platform runtime, covering web, desktop, mobile and games instead of the JVM.
Similar software
Related functionality, not necessarily a direct replacement.
Android Studio
Google's official IDE for building Android apps, based on IntelliJ.
Gradle
An open-source build automation tool for Java, Kotlin and Android projects, with Kotlin and Groovy build scripts.
Eclipse Temurin
Free prebuilt OpenJDK Java runtime and development kit binaries from the Eclipse Adoptium project.
Amazon Corretto
A no-cost OpenJDK distribution from Amazon with long-term support and quarterly security updates.
Apache Maven
A build and dependency management tool for Java projects based on a project object model.
SDKMAN!
Manages parallel versions of JVM SDKs and build tools.
