Latest Java/Spring/Tomcat stack?

Hi Bruno Genovese 

Here’s the current state of IntelliJ IDEA compatibility:

1. Java 25:
   • Fully supported by IntelliJ IDEA 2025.2 (Java 25 LTS and IntelliJ IDEA)
   • The IDE has built-in support for all Java 25 features
2. Spring Boot 3.5.6 & Spring Framework 6.2.10:
   • Compatible with IntelliJ IDEA. Note: Spring Boot 3.x and Spring Framework 6.x require a minimum of Java 17 as a baseline
3. Tomcat 11:
   • There are compatibility concerns because it's not officially supported with Spring Boot 3.5.x. For further details please check Does Spring Boot 3.5 support Tomcat 11?
4. Maven 3.9.11:
   • Compatible with IntelliJ IDEA. Note: The upcoming Maven 4.0 will require JDK 17 as a minimum

Recommendations:

1. While most of your stack is compatible, the main concern is Tomcat 11 integration with Spring Boot 3.5.x
2. Consider either:
   • Staying with Tomcat 10.x until Spring Boot 4.0 is released
   • Or waiting for Spring Boot 4.0 if Tomcat 11 is a requirement
3. Ensure your project is using at least Java 17 as the minimum version, as required by Spring Boot 3.x and Spring Framework 6.x

IntelliJ IDEA 2025.2.2 Ultimate Edition should work well with most of your stack, but you may want to watch out for the Tomcat 11 integration specifically.

Thank you Monica for the insightful feedback.   

Looks like we could develop (no PROD use) with Spring Boot 4.0-M2 and move to 4.0 in November.  Would the following updated stack be OK with IntelliJ IDEA 2025.2.2 Ultimate Edition?

• Java 25
• Spring Boot 4.0 & Spring Framework 7.
• Tomcat 11
• Maven 4

Hi Bruno Genovese,

Answering your question with this stack, mostly yes, with notes of caution.

As mentioned before, IntelliJ IDEA 2025.2.2 Ultimate Will support Java 25 and generally provide first-class Spring support, including early Spring Boot milestones. You should be fine for development. Just ensure your toolchain and plugins are up to date. Some libraries may lag on Java 25 support; verify dependencies.

For Spring Boot 4.0-M2 → 4.0 GA and Spring Framework 7, the Milestones are usually supported in IntelliJ but expect occasional inspections or code-gen features to lag slightly until GA. Use the matching Spring Framework 7.x that Boot 4.0 expects.

With this stack, Tomcat 11 will work as an embedded server if it’s the version aligned with Boot 4.0’s servlet container choice. Verify to use the Tomcat version range that Boot 4.0 BOM manages to avoid API mismatch.

Finally, IntelliJ has initial support for Maven 4, but the Maven ecosystem is still transitioning. For fewer surprises, consider staying on Maven 3.9.x until all plugins you rely on are Maven 4-ready, or test Maven 4 in CI first to verify that no issues arise.

Below are some recommendations to have in mind:

• Align versions via Spring Boot 4.0 BOM (don’t pin Tomcat or Spring Framework manually unless necessary).
• Verify your key Maven plugins (compiler, surefire, failsafe, checkstyle/spotbugs, Javadoc, docker, etc.) for Maven 4 compatibility.
• You can use a JDK 25 distribution that provides build tools-friendly Jmods (e.g., Temurin or Oracle) and configure IntelliJ’s Project SDK/Language level to 25.
• For milestone builds, enable “Use Maven wrapper” in IntelliJ and keep the IDE updated to the latest 2025.2.x patch.

You can find more information in the below links:

https://www.jetbrains.com/idea/whatsnew/

https://www.jetbrains.com/help/idea/supported-java-versions.html

https://blog.jetbrains.com/idea/2025/08/intellij-idea-2025-2/

https://blog.jetbrains.com/idea/2025/09/java-25-lts-and-intellij-idea/