What it does

This is the open-source JetBrains plugin for TabNine, an AI code-completion tool. It plugs into IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, WebStorm, and the full JetBrains suite to serve inline suggestions as you type. The plugin also bundles a beta chat interface where you can ask the model to explain code, generate tests, or write documentation without leaving the IDE.

The interesting bit

TabNine trains on permissive open-source licenses only and, crucially, can run entirely on your local machine or behind a corporate firewall. That is a genuine differentiator in a field where most competitors ship your keystrokes to a cloud endpoint by default. The README makes a point of this: “Your code always remains private” and “Tabnine NEVER stores or shares any of your code.”

Key highlights

• Supports the entire JetBrains ecosystem: IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm, Rider, GoLand, CLion, RubyMine, PhpStorm, and AppCode.
• Offers whole-line, full-function, and natural-language-to-code completions via paid Pro/Enterprise tiers.
• Enterprise SaaS and self-hosted options exist, but confusingly require different plugins; this repo is explicitly not for self-hosted customers.
• Chat feature is currently in beta and requires sign-up.
• Models are trained only on permissive licenses (MIT, Apache-2.0, BSD, etc.).

Caveats

• The README is heavy on marketing copy and light on technical implementation details; you will not learn how the plugin interfaces with the IDE’s completion APIs.
• The “Enterprise self-hosted vs. Enterprise SaaS” plugin split is easy to miss and could strand the wrong users on the wrong plugin.
• Most screenshots and GIFs are borrowed from the VS Code extension repository, suggesting this is a secondary client.

Verdict

Worth evaluating if you are already in the JetBrains ecosystem and want AI completion without cloud dependency. Skip if you are looking for a fully open, hackable assistant—this is a client for a proprietary service with paid tiers, not a standalone model you can run yourself.