Flutter IntelliJ Plugin: Slow Progress, Outdated Issues, and Lack of Transparency Compared to VS Code Extension

[khusantoy]

I’d like to raise a concern regarding the current state of the Flutter plugin for IntelliJ-based IDEs.

I’ve been actively using Flutter for development, and while the experience with the VS Code extension has been consistently improving, the IntelliJ plugin appears to be lagging behind in several important areas.

Observations

• The Flutter VS Code extension is updated frequently, with clear and well-communicated releases.
• Each release is documented and shared publicly (for example, via a dedicated release page like https://dartcode.org/releases), which helps users stay informed and confident about ongoing progress.
• In contrast, the IntelliJ plugin receives updates less often, and there is significantly less visibility into what is being worked on.
• There are long-standing issues that remain unresolved for extended periods.
• Several tasks are assigned to milestones, but progress appears limited (for example, milestones with low completion rates despite nearing or passing their due dates).

Impact

This directly affects development workflow:

• Bugs and missing features persist longer, reducing productivity.
• It creates uncertainty around whether reported issues are actively being worked on.
• Lack of transparent communication makes it harder to trust the plugin’s future direction.
• It lowers confidence in the IntelliJ plugin as a reliable primary tool for Flutter development.

Expectation

Given that IntelliJ-based IDEs (such as IntelliJ IDEA) are widely used by many developers, I believe the plugin deserves a similar level of attention and communication as the Visual Studio Code extension.

Suggestions

• Improve visibility into the roadmap and current priorities.
• Introduce a more transparent release communication approach (similar to the VS Code extension release page).
• Provide more consistent updates, even if they are incremental.
• Revisit milestone planning to ensure goals are realistic and trackable.

This is not a criticism of the team’s effort, but rather feedback from a user who wants to continue relying on IntelliJ for Flutter development with the same level of confidence currently possible in VS Code.

Thank you for your work and for considering this feedback.