At JetBrains, we love seeing the developer community grow and thrive. That’s why we support open-source projects that make a real difference — the ones that help developers learn, build, and create better software together. We’re proud to back open-source maintainers with free licenses and to contribute to initiatives that strengthen the ecosystem and the people behind it.
In this edition, we highlight four projects spanning Rust, Go, and JavaScript. Different as they are, each shares the same goal: keeping systems reliable.
frp
Originally created to make it easier to share local APIs with teammates, frp (Fast Reverse Proxy) has grown into a global open-source favorite. It’s lightweight, easy to configure, and supports multiple protocols – perfect for developers who need to share local services or access remote environments without complex network setup.
As frp grew into a complex codebase, I switched to GoLand, which significantly improved my productivity. Intelligent code completion, a powerful debugger, seamless refactoring, and intuitive navigation became indispensable in my everyday workflow.
Since frp attracts contributors with different levels of experience, GoLand has become a vital tool in simplifying their workflows – with its ready-to-use, beginner-friendly environment, it drastically reduces the learning curve and the setup work that often frustrates beginners. I confidently recommend GoLand as the go-to IDE for contributing to frp or any other Go project.
— fatedier, frp creator
The team’s roadmap includes lightweight VPN-like capabilities that will allow multiple frpc nodes to form virtual networks, along with a major v2 overhaul aimed at delivering advanced functionality across both Layer 7 (application) and Layer 4 (transport) features.
Sniffnet
Sniffnet, written entirely in Rust, lets users visualize network traffic in real time. It was designed as an intuitive, easy-to-use monitoring tool that allows anyone – not just network experts – to comfortably analyze their internet activity. Instead of unreadable packet data, Sniffnet displays clear, flow-level details such as domain names, countries, and services, giving users an immediate understanding of their network traffic.
What I love most about RustRover is how seamlessly it integrates with my usual workflows – using rustfmt, clippy, and testing tools. And since I’ve used other JetBrains IDEs in the past, RustRover instantly feels like home with its familiar, intuitive interface.
— Giuliano Bellini, Sniffnet creator
Sniffnet’s upcoming roadmap includes process identification, custom IP blacklists, remote host monitoring via an agent, and OS-level firewall integrations – all aimed at making network monitoring secure and approachable for everyone.
Vitest
Vitest was designed to be a simple testing tool for Vite applications, with a focus on the shared build configuration. Over time, it’s evolved into a go-to testing framework for fast, reliable JavaScript testing across ecosystems.
Since the early days, JetBrains has collaborated with the team to provide the best IDE experience. My favorite feature is the debug button – I always struggled with JavaScript’s built-in debugger before trying it in WebStorm.
— Vladimir, Vitest maintainer
The Vitest team continues to innovate with the latest developments of the Browser Mode and upcoming improvements to benchmarking and type-checking support – all in service of making testing easy and approachable.
bottom
bottom started as a personal spin on gotop and similar tools. Originally a résumé project, it gradually evolved into a popular terminal-based system monitor built in Rust. The project was originally called “rustop”, but since that name was already taken, the creator simply took things in the opposite direction and called it “bottom”!
I regularly use RustRover for open-source projects like bottom – it’s packed with great features, and it’s convenient to stay within the JetBrains ecosystem since I use other JetBrains products at work.
— Clement Tsang, bottom creator
Bottom proves that even the simplest tools can evolve into powerful, community-driven utilities, and that approachable design matters, even on the command line.
These projects showcase a common truth: Great developer experience happens when tools get out of your way. With JetBrains IDEs enhancing everything from code navigation to collaboration, these teams turn ideas into usable, elegant tools.
Explore these projects, contribute if you can, or start your own! RustRover, WebStorm, CLion, Rider, RubyMine, DataGrip, IntelliJ IDEA, and PyCharm are free for open-source development and ready to help you code, collaborate, and contribute.
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