If you have been programming for a while, you know the grind. You see a problem; you brainstorm the solution – the casual trial and error. However, we know that it can get frustrating to keep looking up at the same dull screen every time. So, if you are using IntelliJ IDEA, we can help you spice things up by introducing you to some awesome IntelliJ Themes.
We can also help you if you use other Jetbrains IDEs because you can find compatible versions of the ones we will talk about as Pycharm themes or as themes for PhpStorm – as well as any other IntelliJ-based IDE created by Jetbrains. You also do not need to worry about the costs as the themes we’ll discuss are all free.
Best IntelliJ Themes and Color Schemes
That said, the IntelliJ themes that we will be introducing you to are all secure – you do not have to worry about security even though they are third-party themes. So, how about we dive in right away and see if any of these ten must-try templates below catch your eye?
1. Tomorrow Night
IntelliJ is light theme by default – however, many aren’t a fan of it and crave a dark one instead. If you are one of those people, we have tons of choices for you. For instance, the Tomorrow Night theme inspired by the Tomorrow theme is great! It is warm-toned and works smoothly cross-platform.
Theme Highlights
- It has a well-balanced contrast and saturation, which gives your IDE a sharper outlook.
- The warm-toned background is great for working at night, which does not affect readability.
- You can get fast author support for issues reported by users – however, there are no ongoing issues according to GitHub as of now.
2. Eclipse
There are many people who use IntelliJ due to its functionalities but prefer Eclipse when it comes to Outlook. If you are one of them, don’t worry, as you can get the taste of both worlds with this Eclipse theme. However, this is a light theme – so if that’s not your cup of tea, you could move to the next one.
Theme Highlights
- Pastel-colored highlights with contrasting text colors allow you to focus better on coding.
- The theme gives your interface a neat outlook, good readability, and a well-organized format.
- You can choose colors for certain code elements and reference variables to recognize them easily.
3. SpaceGray
The SpaceGray theme is excellent for those confused between a light or a dark theme. It is the perfect shade of gray and is great to work with during daylight or nighttime. So, if you are looking for IntelliJ themes, SpaceGray is an excellent choice. We will discuss the theme highlights for SpaceGray below. So keep reading!
Theme Highlights
- One can change the color of syntax highlights and labels from the theme palette.
- The latest update allows users to enable or disable underlining current editor tabs.
- Although low contrast, the fonts look sharp, well-organized, and clear, with a soothing background.
4. Vuesion
Much like the SpaceGray theme, Vuesion is another great choice with a gray-blue background. However, it uses better contrast and font colors that are sure to pop out. One can use it as Pycharm themes or Android Studio themes as well if they aren’t using IntelliJ. It works great cross-platforms and is a verified theme that can be found on the official JetBrains marketplace.
Theme Highlights
- The theme uses consistent yet dull tones for the background, which keeps your focus on the code instead of your surroundings.
- You can customize fonts and color schemes for specific syntaxes, variables, and file labels.
- Although high-contrast, the theme isn’t harsh on the eyes and can also be used efficiently for long hours.
5. SuperDark
Purple and black combinations never cease to look elegant. That said, the SuperDark theme seems to have taken a little inspiration from Dracula’s color schemes due to its outlook. However, the theme has a pitch-black background, making it look even better. Hence, if you are a black lover, this is definitely a theme for you to try.
Theme Highlights
- It has a well-balanced color scheme which is highly suitable for working late night.
- You can better understand your code by looking at the colored boxes beside line numbers – each color signifies a different signal.
- It is easy to set install and set up, so the theme is both beginner and user-friendly.
6. Shirotelin
If you are someone who indulges in lighter themes instead of darker ones, we can also cater to that with Shirotelin. It is a light-mode theme with soothing colors and great contrast using darker font colors. However, the theme is well-comprised, with tones that pop in the correct amount and places where it’s needed.
Theme Highlights
- Shirotelin uses color schemes similar to Eclipse, so you will find syntax highlights having a familiar color palette if you have used Eclipse before.
- The theme is easy on the eyes as its background does not overpower the foreground.
- You can integrate any customized font with the theme as per your liking.
7. CodelyTv
The CodelyTv theme is a burnt-sienna backgrounded theme that you must have as one of your IntelliJ themes. If you have prior knowledge of IDE themes, you must have come across Gruvbox. However, while Gruvbox may lack the punch, according to many users, the CodelyTV theme packs it with enough strength.
Theme Highlights
- It has an eye-friendly Gruvbox-inspired color scheme with well-balanced saturation and contrast levels.
- You can use different fonts with the theme to suit your aesthetics better.
- The theme comes with great author support for any issues you may face.
8. Lotus
If you love flowers, we’re sure you’ll love the Lotus theme we’ll discuss now. It is a theme bundle consisting of both light and dark versions of the theme. One can easily see the inspiration for the color scheme if one knows what lotus varieties look like. So if you’re interested, you must try it out like the other 94K+ people who downloaded it.
Theme Highlights
- Both light and dark versions use pastel shades for fonts, providing just the right amount of contrast needed to be eye-friendly.
- The background doesn’t include too many elements so that you can focus better on your code.
- It includes colors for rainbow brackets so you can better format your code.
9. The Doki
Many programmers are often interested in anime, manga, or Gacha RPG. That said, if you are one of them, you’ll be thrilled about this next theme and would love it as one of your IntelliJ themes. The Doki theme is an anime-inspired theme that can satisfy your weeb dreams as you can have your anime sidekick beside you as you code. So, let’s see what it has in store.
Theme Highlights
- You have a wide variety of popular customizable anime characters, such as Rem from Re-zero, Zero-Two from Darling In The Franx, Bunny-senpai, and much more.
- Users can customize fonts, and change syntax highlight colors to ones that they’re more comfortable with.
- The theme has a discreet mode in the configuration that can hide the characters easily if you find them distracting.
10. Celestial
Last but not least, we have the VS Code-inspired Celestial theme that gives you a genuinely celestial feeling due to its stunning outlook. It has a coral-themed color scheme as its default font color and also uses some neons for highlights that work great with a dark background. So let’s take a look at what more the font offers before drawing the curtains to today’s discussion, shall we?
Theme Highlights
- The theme uses the correct amount of contrast to reduce eye strain, yet it looks sharp and clean.
- As the theme has a really dark background, your font readability increases, and you can code with better concentration.
- You can also change or assign highlights to specific code elements depending on the language you’re working with.
Last Remarks
Now that we have reached the last section of our article, how about we go over what we covered today, shall we? In summary, we have talked about the ten best IntelliJ themes and color schemes that one can also use as Pycharm themes or any other IntelliJ-based product themes. We have also discussed the theme highlights and linked the themes for you to try.
So, thank you if you have read it so far. We hope that you found this interesting, and if you haven’t found your perfect theme yet, you can check out more IntelliJ IDEA themes on the JetBrains marketplace or on GitHub repositories. Let us know if you have any queries regarding the theme. That was all – Good luck!
