How to export your data from JetBrains

JetBrains IDEs (IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, WebStorm, Rider, etc.) don't export 'account data' in the SaaS sense — what you can export is your personal IDE configuration (keymaps, color schemes, code style, live templates, plugin state, Git/deployment settings) either as a ZIP archive via File | Manage IDE Settings | Export Settings, or via the cloud-based Backup and Sync plugin tied to your JetBrains Account.

Formats: ZIPPlan: Any plan, including free Community editions — Backup and Sync only requires a free JetBrains Account, not a paid subscriptionRole: None — this is a per-user export, no workspace/org admin role involved

✓ Verified against JetBrains's official documentation, October 2026

Step by step

1Manual export (one IDE to another, no account needed): open the IDE and go to File | Manage IDE Settings | Export Settings
2Select which settings categories you want to export (code style, keymaps, plugins, etc.) and specify the path to the target ZIP archive
3On the destination machine/IDE, go to File | Manage IDE Settings | Import Settings and choose the ZIP archive
4In the Select Components to Import dialog, pick which settings to apply and click OK
5Cloud export via Backup and Sync (optional): sign in to a JetBrains Account from Help | Manage Subscriptions, the Toolbox App, or directly from Settings | Backup and Sync
6Open Settings (Ctrl+Alt+S) | Backup and Sync, click Enable backup and sync, choose which setting categories to share and whether to share across IntelliJ IDEA only or all JetBrains IDEs
7Click Push Settings to Account (or Enable Backup and Sync on first use) to store your settings on JetBrains' server under your account
8To fully remove the data, go to the Backup and Sync page, click Disable Backup and Sync, and select 'Remove data from JB account and disable for all IDEs' to delete it from JetBrains' cloud

What the export includes

✓IDE themes, keymaps, color schemes, system and UI settings, menus/toolbars, project view settings
✓Editor settings: code completion, parameter name hints, live templates, code styles, file encodings, file types
✓Enabled/disabled plugin list
✓Code style settings, configured deployment servers, Git settings (including registered GitHub accounts), Debugger settings, Registry keys when using the manual ZIP export

What it doesn't include

✗Project source code or project files themselves
✗Project-specific settings (these are shared with teammates via VCS, not through this export)
✗License/subscription entitlements (you still need to sign in/activate separately on the new machine)
✗Data from other JetBrains products you may use (e.g. separate tools have their own export mechanisms — this page covers IDE settings only)

Before you start

⚠The manual ZIP export/import is one-directional and manual — you must pick the ZIP file and re-select which components to import each time; there's no automatic merge
⚠Backup and Sync keeps syncing continuously once enabled: your local settings update automatically whenever you change something and whenever the JetBrains server receives updates from another instance of the IDE
⚠Disabling Backup and Sync on one IDE does not delete your settings from JetBrains' cloud — you must explicitly choose 'Remove data from JB account and disable for all IDEs' to delete them
⚠The Backup and Sync plugin requires being bundled/enabled (it's on by default, but check Settings | Plugins if the feature is missing)

Where to take your data

Free and cheaper tools that can take a JetBrains export. See all JetBrains alternatives →

Visual Studio Code

Alternatives

There's no direct importer for a JetBrains settings ZIP. Use the exported keymap/color-scheme/code-style info as a reference and manually recreate it in VS Code's settings.json, or install a JetBrains-style keymap extension and VS Code's own built-in Settings Sync for future syncing.

VSCodium

Same as VS Code: no native import of the JetBrains ZIP. Manually port over keybindings, theme, and formatting rules, since VSCodium strips Microsoft's proprietary Settings Sync service and uses open alternatives instead.

Eclipse IDE

Eclipse has its own preferences export/import (.epf files) under File | Export | Preferences. There's no converter from a JetBrains settings ZIP, so you'll need to manually re-apply equivalent formatter, keymap, and editor preferences.

Exporting from JetBrains: common questions

Does exporting JetBrains settings also export my source code or projects?+

No. Export Settings only packages IDE configuration (keymaps, themes, code style, plugin state, etc.) in a ZIP file — your project files and source code are separate and aren't included.

Can I export my JetBrains data as CSV or JSON?+

IDE settings are only exportable as a ZIP archive. CSV/JSON export exists in JetBrains IDEs, but that's a separate feature for exporting database query results and tables via the bundled Database Tools, not for your IDE/account configuration.

Do I need a paid JetBrains subscription to export my settings?+

No. Manual Export Settings works in any edition, including free Community editions. The cloud-based Backup and Sync feature only requires a free JetBrains Account, not a paid license.

If I disable Backup and Sync, is my data deleted from JetBrains' servers?+

Not automatically. Disabling sync on one IDE just stops that instance from syncing. To actually delete your settings from JetBrains' cloud, you must choose 'Remove data from JB account and disable for all IDEs' when disabling.

Can I move my settings between different JetBrains IDEs, like from IntelliJ IDEA to PyCharm?+

Yes. Both the manual ZIP export/import and the Backup and Sync plugin work across different JetBrains IDE products as long as you choose to share across 'all JetBrains IDEs' rather than restricting to one product.

Can I export project-level settings shared with my team, not just my personal IDE settings?+

That's handled differently — JetBrains recommends sharing project settings with teammates through version control (VCS) rather than through the personal settings export/import or Backup and Sync features.