Context
We use the GitHub Copilot plugin for IntelliJ in Enterprise mode, and I have been using it in agent mode for the last few months.
I am a heavy user and one of the people who uses it the most in my company. I used it so much that I started getting annoying rate-limit messages. Because of that, I started using the IntelliJ AI chat window, and I have to say I prefer it over the Copilot plugin.
I also started using the ChatGPT 5.3-codex model, which improved the experience even more.
Why I Prefer IntelliJ AI Chat
The main thing I like is that the flow is much better. Copilot asks you to approve changes one by one, and it feels like it updates the file line by line. The AI chat edits the file without that interruption and then shows the diff of what changed.
The difference is that we review the final result once it is done and working, instead of reviewing line by line while it is being added.
Both ask for confirmation before running commands, but the AI chat window is more intuitive and easier to use.
I feel much more productive using the AI chat, and I struggle less to explain what I want the model to do.
The final result is usually better. I think the chat window experience is better because of how it works, but I am also using a better model.
Trade-offs
One downside is memory usage. IntelliJ is already known for using a lot of memory, and the AI chat window increases it a bit.
I have seen it slow down the IDE sometimes, which was rare before with the Copilot plugin.
Takeaway
For my daily workflow, the IntelliJ AI chat window feels more productive than the Copilot plugin, even with the extra memory usage.
Cheers.
Photo by Daniil Komov on Unsplash