ArcTree

ArcTree

ArcTree™ is a plugin for IntelliJ IDEA™ that visualizes the dependency structure of your project. It shows the classes and methods related to the code you are working on, helping you navigate large codebases and quickly identify undesirable dependencies. Currently, we support projects written in Java and Kotlin.

In the screenshot above, the ArcTree tool window is shown on the right, with the dependency list below. The project is displayed as a tree, much like the navigation view of your IDE. Dependencies are represented as counterclockwise-directed arcs. Arc thickness indicates the number of dependencies between two nodes. ArcTree’s magic lies in its graph layout algorithm, which minimizes upward dependencies. So if some node 'A' is using another node 'B', then 'B' will be located under 'A'. If 'B' is also using 'A' at the same time, then the order is determined by the relative weight of the dependencies in both directions. If 'A' has more dependencies on 'B', then 'B' will still be located under 'A'. Also, in that case both 'A' and 'B' will be marked with a red background because they form a cyclic dependency. That makes cyclic dependencies easy to spot.

If you look a bit closer, you can see that the arc between the packages 'kotlin' and 'base' is selected. The dependencies forming that connection are listed in the dependencies window on the bottom. In our example there are 21 dependencies between the two packages. Double-clicking any of them jumps directly to the code location that introduces the dependency.

ArcTree solves one of the biggest issues for developers working on complex codebases – the lack of visibility when it comes to code structure and architecture. Usually that problem causes developers to introduce undesirable dependencies without noticing the problem. By using ArcTree every developer can immediately spot problematic dependencies and fix them while they are still easy and inexpensive to fix. That will lead to better codebases that are easier to maintain, easier to test and easier to comprehend.

When working with coding assistants like Claude Code or ChatGPT, ArcTree helps you to verify proposed changes. If the proposed change introduces dependencies that violate the design of your system, you can give feedback to the AI assistant to avoid introducing those dependencies.

ArcTree also comes with a powerful focus concept that allows you to limit the visualization to just the parts of the system that are currently relevant to you.

Coming soon

ArcTree will be released in late April or early May 2026.

Get started

You can try ArcTree for free for two weeks. All you have to do is to install ArcTree from the JetBrains Marketplace (once it is released). If you want to continue after the evaluation period, you can buy an annual subscription from this website. The plugin is quite affordable with an annual subscription price of under 100 USD per year. And if you like our plugin, please remember to rate it on the JetBrains Marketplace.