Where should the plugin be installed — in the client or on the host for remote development?

Problem

In Remote Development mode, the IDE provides two destinations for plugins: Plugins (Client) and Plugins (Host). It’s unclear where the plugin should be installed.

Solution

It is challenging to provide universal advice, as the approach depends on how the plugin is implemented.

• If the plugin is adapted for remote development, it will depend on the IDE frontend/backend modules, so its parts will be installed on the correct sides.
• If the plugin is not adapted for remote development, we expect the plugin to be installed on only one side. Since most processing occurs remotely, plugins that enhance IDE functionality should be installed on the Host (since 2025.3, it is the default behaviour).
• Plugins that affect only the IDE’s appearance or interact with user input should be installed on the Client. The most common example is the IdeaVim plugin, which must be installed only on the Client to operate correctly.
• Try installing the plugin on both sides if none of the above works.

If the plugin doesn’t work in any combination, please contact the plugin developer and inform us by filing a new issue in our YouTrack.

If there is a Requires plugin '<plugin name>' to be installed notification on the plugin's installation page, as shown in the screenshot below, please try to install the plugin on another side (Client or Host).

Pre-2025.3 separate plugin pages:

2025.3 and above merged plugin's page:

If you are a plugin developer, please take a look at the following resources to adapt your plugin for remote development environments:

"Modular Plugins" documentation page "Making an IntelliJ Plugin Remote Development-friendly" by Nikita Katkov (YouTube)