JetBrains has announced major updates for Junie, the AI coding agent that helps developers generate code. The agent will be 30 percent faster and will support Model Context Protocol (MCP) and remote development. Additionally, the company is launching an Early Access Program for GitHub integration.
JetBrains research shows that 83 percent of managers believe Junie increases team productivity. In addition, 76 percent are satisfied or very satisfied with the agent. These figures are based on a survey of 272 individual contributors and managers conducted in June 2025.
In addition to the 30 percent speed improvement, Junie now supports the Model Context Protocol. MCP enables the agent to connect to external sources such as databases, file systems, and APIs. This increases the possibilities for complex tasks that require access to different data systems.
Remote development is now also supported, albeit only for macOS and Linux for the time being. Developers can work remotely with their team while delegating tasks to Junie.
Intelligence more important than speed
AI agents are increasingly taking over repetitive programming tasks. This development increases the speed at which developers can generate code and reduces the effort required to do so. However, according to JetBrains, intelligence and reliability are more valuable than pure speed. Fast agents reduce the time per task, but smart agents improve the overall developer experience by minimizing errors and reducing context switching.
Junie distinguishes itself through transparency and control. Developers retain full control over the agent, which works with a transparent thought process and structured task planning. Users receive an execution plan for approval, along with an action log that provides reasoning for each action. This approach offers extensive collaboration opportunities.
Integration with GitHub enables asynchronous development
The full integration between Junie and GitHub opens up new possibilities for asynchronous development. Developers can delegate multiple tasks simultaneously, perform quick fixes without opening an IDE, and collaborate with teammates directly from GitHub.
With the new functionality, developers can fix bugs in work repositories while asking Junie to implement new features in personal projects. They can then review and adjust both results together. This also works for quick changes that don’t require direct code editing, such as localizing multiple pages without interrupting other work.
The Early Access Program for Junie on GitHub is now available for JVM and PHP languages. Teams can seamlessly switch between IDEs and GitHub for an efficient development experience.
Free licenses for open source projects
JetBrains wants to make Junie available to as many teams as possible. That’s why the company is offering free six-month licenses for open source projects. Open source developers can describe their project, indicate their team size, and explain how they want to use Junie via a form.
The company will review all applications and select projects for free access to Junie on GitHub. This step underscores the ambition to support developers in creating new open source content.
The agent has already proven effective in understanding complex codebases in various programming languages, initiating new projects, and writing functional tests. These latest updates make Junie even more versatile for a wide range of development scenarios.
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