AsyncAPI JetBrains Plugin: Freemium Model & Spectral Linter Update

🚀 Upcoming Changes to the AsyncAPI JetBrains Plugin: Freemium Model & Spectral Integration

Hey folks 👋

I wanted to share some important updates about the future of the AsyncAPI JetBrains Plugin — including a shift to a freemium model and the announcement of a brand-new paid feature: Spectral Linter integration.

Why the switch to freemium?

💡 The Motivation

Since day one, I’ve been building the AsyncAPI plugin and other developer tools solo — driven by passion, not profit. The goal has always been to support the community with essential tools that make adopting AsyncAPI smoother across different organizations.

But over the past few months, I’ve been thinking: How can I develop faster, improve quality, and take on bigger projects like a Language Server for AsyncAPI?

The answer boiled down to two options:

1. Continue relying on donations (which are unpredictable), or
2. Turn the plugin into a sustainable product.

After much thought, I’ve decided to move to a freemium model. This will help me estimate revenue more reliably and plan future development better — without burning out.

🤝 What stays free?

All core features will remain free — everything you need for basic authoring and validation of AsyncAPI specs.

Paid features will build on top of the core experience, offering extended capabilities for those who want more power and convenience.

Here’s a breakdown:

Feature	Free	Status
AsyncAPI spec recognition	✅	Released
Completion support	✅	Released
Spec structure validation	✅	Released
Local references resolution + completion	✅	Released
External file references + completion	✅	Released
Internal/external browser preview	✅	Released
Native preview with custom FileEditor	✅	Released
Spectral linter integration	❌	Coming Soon
Redocly linter integration	❌	In Progress
Visual editor (edit via UI)	❌	In Progress
Integration with registries, test suites, mock tools	❌	Planned

A more detailed and up-to-date roadmap will be published soon on the dedicated JetBrains Plugin page. There, you’ll be able to track upcoming features, planned improvements, and long-term goals for the plugin’s development.

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🎯 First Paid Feature: Spectral Linter Integration

The first paid feature coming in the next release is Spectral Linter integration.

This feature gives you real-time and manual validation using Spectral, helping you catch spec issues early and often.

🗂️ Control What Gets Validated

Ever get annoyed by tools validating files you don’t care about? Me too.

That’s why this integration supports a .spectralignore file — with the same syntax as .gitignore.

Want to skip a folder but include a specific file? Easy:

streetlights/
!streetlights/mqtt.yaml

⚙️ Configure Once, Enjoy Always

You can configure your Spectral ruleset and settings right inside JetBrains IDEs.

✅ Validate Your Specs – Automatically or Manually

Whether you’re writing or editing your AsyncAPI spec, get instant feedback as you go:

Want to trigger validation manually? You can do that too:

❤️ Thanks for your support

I deeply appreciate everyone who has used, tested, or shared feedback on the plugin. Your support keeps this project alive and moving forward.

This freemium model isn’t about locking things behind a paywall - it’s about sustainability, speed, and building more awesome tools for you.

If you have thoughts, concerns, or feature requests, feel free to reach out on GitHub or drop me a message.

Stay tuned for the release — coming soon!