Developer 3s Key Decision Metrics
On 2026-10-01 JetBrains opened the Air in IDEs EAP: an agentic session workspace via Marketplace plugin #33314 or native 2026.3 EAP builds. Ships with no agents; detects local ACP-compatible agents (Codex, Copilot, Claude, Junie, Cursor, …); free Junie Lite with JetBrains Account. Not an AI provider—third-party traffic goes to your vendor.
Key Takeaways
- ✓EAP post: https://blog.jetbrains.com/ai/2026/10/air-in-ides-eap/ (2026-10-01); prior system: https://blog.jetbrains.com/blog/2026/09/22/introducing-jetbrains-air/
- ✓Ship as Marketplace Air #33314 (com.intellij.air, FREE) or native in 2026.3 EAP; 2026.2+ install path; not Android Studio
- ✓BYO agents via ACP (Codex/Gemini/Copilot/Claude/Junie/Cursor…); plugin is not an AI provider
- ✓Free Junie Lite with JetBrains Account; cloud runs need AI seats; Claude subscription via terminal tab
- ✓Docs: overview + quickstart; no public SWE-bench/TTFT numbers in official materials
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Core Background & Industry Pain Points
IDE AI has long centered on single-chat UX; parallel agent delegation needs session orchestration, spend visibility, and IDE-native verification. After the Sept 22 Air system launch, JetBrains opened the Air in IDEs EAP on 2026-10-01.
Architecture Highlights & Internals
Air is a workspace, not an AI provider: the Marketplace plugin ships with no agents, detects local installs, and speaks ACP. Out of the box: Codex, Gemini, GitHub Copilot, Claude Agent, Junie (+ other ACP agents such as Cursor). Third-party subscriptions work; JetBrains AI is optional (required for cloud runs; JetBrains Account needed for Junie Lite). Parallel sessions, editor/terminal/chat surfaces, temporary worktrees, and IDE skills for agents.
Authoritative Benchmarks & Measured Scores
No public SWE-bench/TTFT/cost benchmarks in the EAP post or docs—do not invent scores. Anchors: Marketplace Air #33314 (com.intellij.air, FREE); IntelliJ-based IDEs 2026.2+ / native in 2026.3 EAP; not Android Studio; China: plugin available, JetBrains AI not usable as auth source.
Developer Hands-on Guide
Install via Marketplace or 2026.3 EAP; follow the quickstart. Use Junie Lite free after JetBrains Account sign-in. Claude subscription via terminal full-screen tab. AI Assistant remains a separate plugin.
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