I'm choosing an IDE for web development and I would like to know what the differences between WebStorm and PHPStorm are.
I couldn't find any major points on JetBrains' website and even Google didn't help that much.
All I know now is that PHPStorm doesn't support JS like WebStorm, but is able to due to plugins. Is this the only difference?
Essentially, PHPStorm = WebStorm + PHP, SQL and more.
BUT (and this is a very important "but") because it is capable of parsing so much more, it quite often fails to parse Node.js dependencies, as they (probably) conflict with some other syntax it is capable of parsing.
The most notable example of that would be Mongoose model definition, where WebStorm easily recognizes mongoose.model method, whereas PHPStorm marks it as unresolved as soon as you connect Node.js plugin.
Surprisingly, it manages to resolve the method if you turn the plugin off, but leave the core modules connected, but then it cannot be used for debugging. And this happens to quite a few methods out there.
All this goes for PHPStorm 8.0.1, maybe in later releases this annoying bug would be fixed.
PhpStorm supports all the features of WebStorm but some are not bundled so you might need to install the corresponding plugin for some framework via Settings > Plugins > Install JetBrains Plugin.
There is actually a comparison of the two in the official WebStorm FAQ. However, the version history of that page shows it was last updated December 13, so I'm not sure if it's maintained.
This is an extract from the FAQs for reference:
What is WebStorm & PhpStorm?
WebStorm & PhpStorm are IDEs (Integrated Development Environment) built on top of JetBrains IntelliJ platform and narrowed for web development.
Which IDE do I need?
PhpStorm is designed to cover all needs of PHP developer including full JavaScript, CSS and HTML support. WebStorm is for hardcore JavaScript developers. It includes features PHP developer normally doesn’t need like Node.JS or JSUnit. However corresponding plugins can be installed into PhpStorm for free.
How often new vesions (sic) are going to be released?
Preliminarily, WebStorm and PhpStorm major updates will be available twice in a year. Minor (bugfix) updates are issued periodically as required.
snip
IntelliJ IDEA vs WebStorm features
IntelliJ IDEA remains JetBrains' flagship product and IntelliJ IDEA provides full JavaScript support along with all other features of WebStorm via bundled or downloadable plugins. The only thing missing is the simplified project setup.
I use IntelliJ Idea, PHPStorm, and WebStorm. I thought WebStorm would be sufficient for PHP coding, but in reality it's great for editing but doesn't feel like it real-time-error-checks PHP as well as PHPStorm. This is just an observation, coming from a regular user of a JetBrains products.
If you're a student try taking advantage of the free license while attending school; it gives you a chance to explore different JetBrains IDE... Did I mention CLion? =]
In my own experience, even though theoretically many JetBrains products share the same functionalities, the new features that get introduced in some apps don't get immediately introduced in the others. In particular, IntelliJ IDEA has a new version once per year, while WebStorm and PHPStorm get 2 to 3 per year I think. Keep that in mind when choosing an IDE. :)
Source: Stackoverflow.com