JetBrains Rider is a cross-platform .NET and game-development IDE that combines ReSharper-powered code analysis with debugging, testing, profiling, and database tooling. Developers use it to build C#, F#, ASP.NET, Unity, and Unreal Engine projects faster on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
JetBrains Rider is an integrated development environment for .NET, Mono, and game-development stacks that runs natively on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It pairs the IntelliJ platform's editing experience with ReSharper's analysis engine, so solution-wide inspections, quick-fixes, and refactorings appear as you type rather than after a build. Typical workflows start by opening a solution or project—C#, F#, VB.NET, ASP.NET Core, MAUI, Unity, Unreal Engine, or Godot—then continue through run configurations, debugger sessions, unit tests, package restores, and version-control commits inside one window. The payoff is fewer context switches and earlier feedback: problems surface while code is written, and repetitive maintenance tasks collapse into single keystrokes.
JetBrains Rider's value grows with project complexity. Its solution-wide analysis understands references across dozens of projects, so renames, signature changes, and interface updates propagate safely instead of breaking distant call sites. Built-in tool windows cover most of the loop that .NET teams normally spread across separate programs: a debugger with expression evaluation and hot reload, test runners with coverage, profilers for CPU and memory hot spots, a terminal, Docker and Kubernetes views, and an HTTP client for exercising APIs. For SQL-heavy back ends, the bundled database tools share their engine with DataGrip, letting you browse schemas, edit tables, and run queries without leaving the editor.
JetBrains Rider pays off fastest on codebases that are large, shared, and long-lived. The analysis engine reviews the entire solution continuously, catching null-reference risks, unused code, async mistakes, and language-level problems before a build or pull request exposes them, which shortens review cycles and reduces regression work. Refactorings such as rename, extract method, change signature, and move type are solution-aware, so teams can restructure safely without hand-searching for references. Because the same IDE handles C#, F#, VB.NET, JavaScript, TypeScript, SQL, and game-engine scripts, mixed-stack projects no longer require juggling multiple editors. Debugging, unit testing, coverage, profiling, and database access sit in one place, which keeps developers in flow and lowers tooling overhead for individuals and teams alike. Cross-platform support means Windows, macOS, and Linux contributors share identical keymaps, settings sync, and inspection rules, so onboarding is faster and reviews stay consistent regardless of operating system.
Key capabilities and highlights.
ReSharper's engine inspects every project in the solution continuously, flagging null-reference risks, unreachable code, redundant allocations, and language misuse as you type. Each finding links to a quick-fix, so you repair problems in a keystroke instead of hunting through compiler output after a lengthy build.
Rename, extract method, change signature, move type, and introduce variable are solution-aware in JetBrains Rider, updating every reference across all projects, including generated code and XAML bindings. Safe refactoring turns large restructurings into routine maintenance rather than risky, hand-edited sweeps through the codebase.
Set breakpoints, step through async and multi-threaded code, evaluate expressions, and inspect the call stack without leaving the editor. Hot reload and edit-and-continue support let you change running applications and see results immediately, which shortens the fix-verify loop during feature work and bug investigation.
JetBrains Rider includes runners for NUnit, xUnit, MSTest, and other frameworks in a dedicated tool window, with gutter icons for running or debugging a single test. Coverage snapshots highlight untouched branches, helping teams target the tests that matter most before a release.
Dedicated integrations for Unity, Unreal Engine, and Godot understand engine-specific APIs, asset references, and script lifecycles, providing inspections and refactorings tuned to game code. Developers can debug gameplay logic, inspect engine components, and navigate between C# scripts and their referenced assets in one workspace.
A built-in database tool window in JetBrains Rider connects to major relational systems, browses schemas, edits table data, and runs queries with syntax highlighting and completion. The underlying engine also powers JetBrains' dedicated SQL IDE, so back-end work benefits from the same query editing experience without opening another application.
Git, Mercurial, Subversion, and Perforce support is built in, with visual diffs, blame annotations, interactive rebasing, conflict resolution, and changelist management. Local history records editor changes independently of commits, so work can be recovered even when it was never staged or pushed.
Tool windows for Docker, Kubernetes, and SSH let you build images, manage containers, and run or debug code on remote hosts and WSL environments. Remote development keeps heavy builds off local machines while preserving the full editing, debugging, and testing experience.
Browse historical releases and previous builds.
Common questions about JetBrains Rider.
It targets the .NET ecosystem, so it opens C#, F#, and VB.NET solutions, ASP.NET Core web applications, console and desktop apps, MAUI and Blazor projects, plus Unity, Unreal Engine, and Godot games. JavaScript, TypeScript, HTML, CSS, and SQL files can be edited in the same workspace.
Rider ships with ReSharper's analysis engine built in, so the same inspections, quick-fixes, and refactorings are available without installing a separate extension. Developers who prefer Visual Studio can keep ReSharper there and move between both tools while sharing consistent code-style rules.
Yes. JetBrains Rider includes a debugger, unit-test runners with coverage, profilers, a terminal, and a database tool window. You can launch tests from the editor gutter, debug a failing case, and review coverage results without adding third-party add-ons.
It provides dedicated Unity, Unreal Engine, and Godot support, including awareness of engine APIs, asset references, and script lifecycles. You can set breakpoints in gameplay code, navigate from a script to its engine references, and profile performance while the editor stays open.
In JetBrains Rider, code style settings, inspection severities, and formatting rules can be stored in configuration files committed with the project. Every contributor who opens the solution then receives the same warnings and automatic formatting, keeping reviews focused on logic rather than style.
It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux with the same feature set and shortcuts, and settings sync keeps keymaps, plugins, and preferences aligned across machines. Switching between a desktop and a laptop does not mean relearning the environment.
JetBrains Rider is a cross-platform .NET and game-development IDE that combines ReSharper-powered code analysis with debugging, testing, profiling, and database tooling. Developers use it to build C#, F#, ASP.NET, Unity, and Unreal Engine projects faster on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Microsoft ASP.NET Core Runtime 8.0 provides the shared runtime components needed to run compatible ASP.NET Core web applications and services without installing the complete software development kit.
Microsoft .NET Windows Desktop Runtime 8.0 provides the shared components required to run compatible Windows Forms and WPF desktop applications without installing the complete .NET software development kit.
Microsoft .NET Runtime 8.0 provides the execution engine and core libraries needed to run compatible .NET applications, especially framework-dependent console programs, without installing the complete software development kit.
Microsoft .NET SDK 9.0 provides compilers, command-line tools, project templates, build infrastructure, and runtimes for creating, testing, publishing, and running compatible .NET applications.
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