CLion Is Now Free for Non-Commercial Use
“C makes it easy to shoot yourself in the foot. C++ makes it harder, but when you do, it blows away your whole leg.” — Bjarne Stroustrup
We can’t make С and C++ simpler, but we can make working with them a bit easier. CLion is now free for non-commercial use!
Yes, finally.
Whether you’re a student, an Arduino experimenter, or someone who loves С and C++ with all your heart despite all the challenges these languages present, CLion is now available to you for free – as long as you’re not using it for commercial work.
What’s happening?
Last year we implemented a new licensing model for RustRover, Rider, and WebStorm, making them free for non-commercial use. We’re now extending this model to CLion. If you’re using it for non-commercial purposes, such as learning, open-source project development, content creation, or hobby development, you can now do so for free. For commercial use, our existing licensing model still applies.
Note that while CLion now joins RustRover, Rider, and WebStorm in being free for non-commercial use, this update doesn’t apply to other JetBrains IDEs at this time. We’re keeping an eye on how things go and will continue evaluating the impact of this initiative.
Why are we doing this?
In making non-commercial development free, we aim to make JetBrains IDEs more accessible to a broader audience. We hope the new licensing model will further lower the barrier to using our IDEs, helping you learn, grow, and stay creative.
You can find more details about why we’re introducing this update in the blog post making the original announcement.
Why CLion?
C++ is powerful, but it’s not exactly known for being easy or forgiving. And then there’s C – lean, low-level, and still a core part of many computer science curricula. Whether you’re learning these languages, diving into systems programming, or exploring embedded development on your own, C and C++ often come with a steep learning curve.
We want to support that journey. With CLion now free for non-commercial use, it’s easier for you to experiment, learn, and build – without worrying about the IDE license.
Commercial vs. non-commercial use
As defined in the Toolbox Subscription Agreement for Non-Commercial Use, commercial use means developing products and earning commercial benefits from your activities. However, certain categories are explicitly excluded from this definition. Common examples of non-commercial uses include learning and self-education, open-source contributions without earning commercial benefits, any form of content creation, and hobby development.
It’s important to note that, if you’re using a non-commercial license, you cannot opt out of the collection of anonymous usage statistics. We use this information to improve our products. The data we collect is exclusively that of anonymous feature usages of our IDEs. It is focused on what actions are performed and what types of functionality of the IDE are used. We do not collect any other data. This is similar to our Early Access Program (EAP) and is in compliance with our Privacy Policy.
FAQ
Below are answers to the most common questions. Check out the full FAQ for more information.
Licensing
What features are included under the free license?
With the new non-commercial license type, you can enjoy a full-featured IDE that is identical to its paid version. The only difference is in the Code With Me feature – you get Code With Me Community with your free license.
Which license should I choose if I want to use CLion for both non-commercial and commercial projects?
If you intend to use CLion for commercial development for which you will receive direct or indirect commercial advantage or monetary compensation within the meaning of the definitions provided in the Toolbox Subscription Agreement for Non-Commercial Use, you will need to purchase a commercial subscription (either individual or organizational). This license can then also be used for non-commercial development.
How do renewals and upgrades work now?
Non-commercial subscriptions are issued for one year and will automatically renew after that. However, for the renewal to happen, you must have used the assigned license at least once during the last 6 months of the subscription period. If it has been more than 6 months since you last used an IDE activated with this type of license and the renewal did not occur automatically, you can request a new non-commercial subscription again at any time.
Am I eligible for a refund if I’ve already bought a paid subscription but do non-commercial development?
If you’re unsure whether you qualify for a refund, you’ll find full details of our policy here. Please note that if you also work on projects that qualify as commercial usage, you can’t use the free license for them.
Data collection
When using a commercial subscription, you have full control over whether or not you want the product to send IDE telemetry to JetBrains, and detailed data collection is disabled by default.
With a non-commercial subscription, JetBrains IDEs may collect the following types of data:
- Anonymous telemetry. This refers to generalized, anonymous statistics about how features are used (such as time spent, clicks, or general workflows). Like with Early Access Program builds, using the free non-commercial subscription means agreeing to send anonymized usage statistics, which enables us to improve the product. It is not possible to opt out.
- Detailed code‑related data pertaining to IDE activity, such as edit history, terminal usage, and your interactions with AI features. This may include code snippets, prompt text, and AI responses. If you’re using a non-commercial subscription, detailed code‑related data collection is enabled by default. To disable it, you must do so manually via the product settings: Settings | Appearance & Behavior | System Settings | Data Sharing.
If you allow us to collect this data, we will make sure that:
- No sensitive or personal information is shared.
- Data is properly secured.
- Access is restricted to authorized personnel and use cases.
Read more about what data is collected and how it is protected.
Getting a non-commercial subscription
What should I do to apply for this subscription?
It can be easily done right inside your IDE:
- Install CLion and run it.
- Upon startup, there will be a license dialog box where you can choose the Non-commercial use option.
- Log in to your JetBrains account or create a new one.
- Accept the Toolbox Subscription Agreement for Non-Commercial Use.
- Enjoy development in your IDE.
If you’ve already started a trial period or have activated your IDE using a paid license, you still can switch to a non-commercial subscription by following these steps:
- Go to Help | Register.
- In the window that opens, click on the Remove License button.
- Choose Non-commercial use.
- Log in to your JetBrains account or create a new one.
- Accept the Toolbox Subscription Agreement for Non-Commercial Use.
- Enjoy development in your IDE.
I don’t see the Non-commercial use option in my IDE. What should I do?
The most likely explanation for this is that you’re using an older version of CLion. Unfortunately, we don’t support obtaining the non-commercial license for any releases prior to CLion 2025.1.1. That’s it for today! If you don’t find an answer to your question, feel free to leave a comment or contact us at sales@jetbrains.com.
Your CLion team
JetBrains
Make it happen. With code.
Subscribe to CLion Blog updates
