Qt Creator

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Score7.4

Rank#1 of 62

PriceFree

Free planYes

Free trialYes

Runs onAndroid, iOS, Linux, macOS, Web, Windows

Summary

Qt Creator is an IDE for developing applications for desktop, embedded, and mobile systems, as well as web browsers. It supports work from project setup and interface design through coding, building, deployment, running, and debugging. Its editor offers semantic highlighting, syntax checks, code completion, search, and refactoring, with support for C++ and QML and some Python language services when a language server is available. Build integrations cover CMake, qmake, Qbs, and Autotools, and generic projects can use configurable build commands. Integrated debuggers, analysis tools, and unit testing support help with tasks such as finding memory leaks, profiling execution, and running tests. Qt Creator has a free open-source option; commercial Qt licenses include the IDE among Qt tools. The commercial evaluation lasts 10 days and is intended for evaluation, not production or product development. Paid plans start at €546/user/yr. Commercial use requires an active license for each developer, and Qt-based device distribution may also require licenses.

Who it is for

Qt Creator suits developers building desktop, embedded, mobile, or browser applications with C++ or QML. It may also suit teams that need integrated build, debugging, analysis, and testing tools.

What is good

Supports C++ and QML development
Integrates four named build systems
Includes debugging and code analysis tools
Unit testing includes several frameworks
Free open-source version available

What to know first

Commercial plan starts at €546/user/yr
Commercial evaluation lasts 10 days
Commercial use requires an active developer license
External vendor extensions are not security-checked

Verdict

Qt Creator brings project setup, editing, builds, debugging, and testing into one development environment. Check commercial licensing requirements and assess external extensions before installing them.

Qt Creator plans and pricing

All plans

Qt Creator Open Source Free Open source version available; Qt framework use is subject to LGPL/GPL obligations doc.qt.io · 30 Sept 2026

Commercial Qt licenses Not published Subscription, typically invoiced as pre-payment; one-year or three-year term with auto-renewal Qt Creator is included among Qt tools; designated developer license required; device distribution licenses may also be required qt.io · 30 Sept 2026

Compared on integrated development environments

Free plan: Yesqt.io

Facts

Purpose: Qt Creator is a cross-platform IDE for creating applications for desktop, embedded, and mobile operating systems or web browsers.doc.qt.io · 30 Sept 2026
Development lifecycle: It supports project creation, UI design, coding, building, deployment, running, and debugging.doc.qt.io · 30 Sept 2026
Languages: Qt Creator understands C++ and QML and provides some language services for Python when a language server is available.doc.qt.io · 30 Sept 2026
Code editing: The editor provides semantic highlighting, syntax checking, code completion, search, and refactoring features.doc.qt.io · 30 Sept 2026
Build systems: It integrates CMake, qmake, Qbs, and Autotools, and can import generic projects with configurable build commands.doc.qt.io · 30 Sept 2026
Debugging and analysis: It integrates debuggers and code analysis tools for tasks such as detecting memory leaks, profiling execution, and analyzing CPU use.doc.qt.io · 30 Sept 2026
Testing: Integrated unit testing frameworks include Boost.Test, Catch2, Google Test, Qt Quick Test, and Qt Test, with additional CTest support.doc.qt.io · 30 Sept 2026
Integrations: Qt's development tools page lists official Qt extensions for Visual Studio Code, Visual Studio, and Android Studio, plus a Qt-supported CLion extension.qt.io · 30 Sept 2026
AI support: Qt Creator supports AI agents in the IDE, and its documentation lists GitHub Copilot and an MCP Server extension.qt.io · 30 Sept 2026
Available builds: Qt Creator binary packages are available for Linux, macOS, and Windows.doc.qt.io · 30 Sept 2026
Trial: Qt's commercial product evaluation lasts 10 days and is for evaluation rather than production or actual product development.qt.io · 30 Sept 2026
Extension security: Qt Creator does not check external vendor extensions for security flaws or malicious intent, and advises users to assess them before installation.doc.qt.io · 30 Sept 2026
Commercial licensing: Qt says each developer using Qt commercially needs an active license, and distribution licenses may be required for Qt-based devices.qt.io · 30 Sept 2026
Company: Qt Group describes itself as a global software company serving application and smart-device development and says it is headquartered in Espoo, Finland.qt.io · 30 Sept 2026