How to Install and Configure JRebel for Java Web Development in IntelliJ IDEA and Tomcat

JRebel is a tool that enables instant hot‑deployment of Java classes and Spring configuration files, eliminating the need to restart Tomcat after each change.

Installation methods include adding JRebel parameters to Tomcat startup or installing the JRebel plugin for IntelliJ IDEA; the latter is recommended.

Method 1: Tomcat startup parameters – unzip JRebel, configure Tomcat in IntelliJ, select the Deployment tab, choose an exploded artifact, disable the default Make step, and set the On 'Update' action and On frame deactivation options to Update classes and resources . Then add the appropriate VM options:

-noverify
-agentpath:D:/dev_env/jrebel/jrebel_running/lib/jrebel64.dll

Linux:

-agentpath:/dev_env/jrebel/jrebel_running/lib/libjrebel64.so

macOS:

-agentpath:/dev_env/jrebel/jrebel_running/lib/libjrebel64.dylib

After configuration, start Tomcat; the method requires re‑configuration for each new project.

Method 2: IntelliJ IDEA plugin – install the JRebel plugin locally, enable it in the IDE settings, and verify the VALID status. Two new green buttons (Run and Debug) appear next to the normal run button. The same deployment settings as above must be applied, but the VM options can be left empty.

For Maven or Gradle projects, open the JRebel panel, select the module, and the plugin generates a rebel.xml file under src/main/resources . Launch the project via the Maven/Gradle task with JRebel, then recompile resources (Ctrl+Shift+F9) to see changes instantly.

A free trial activation key can be obtained from the JRebel website.