VS Code AlternativesOnly apps from the EU

The best alternative to Visual Studio Code is Notepad++, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Visual Studio Code and many of them are so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting alternatives to Visual Studio Code are Vim, Kate, IntelliJ IDEA and Geany.

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Visual Studio Code alternatives are mainly Code Editors, but if you're looking for Text Editors or IDEs you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Online, Android, Windows, Linux, iPad, Open Source and Chrome OS. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Visual Studio Code.
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Alternatives list

  1. Notepad++ icon

    Notepad++

     4935 likes

    Notepad++ is a free, open-source code editor supporting several languages, offering features like syntax highlighting, plugin support, dark mode, portability, privacy, and efficient resource usage, making it highly customizable and suitable for various programming needs.

    249 Notepad++ alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • PortableApps.com
    Notepad++ screenshot 1
     
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    12
    Notepad++ vs Visual Studio Code Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    DevGrx
    6

    Lightweight and resource-less code editor.

    Top Negative Comment
    Matt Adamek
    13

    It is not an extensible IDE, it lacks many features of VSC. Great software nevertheless.

    social-remodeler
    Positive
    1

    Notepad++ is a good texteditor whereas Visual Studio Code is a fully functional IDE with VCS.

    3 of 12 comments
    • Notepad++ is Free and Open SourceVisual Studio Code is Free and Proprietary
    • Notepad++ is Lightweight and Privacy focusedVisual Studio Code is not according to our users
  2. Vim icon

    Vim

     1349 likes

    Vim, or "Vi IMproved", is an advanced text editor that provides a myriad of features including syntax highlighting, word completion, and a vast amount of contributed content. This tool comes with a GUI version known as GVim. Vim's top features include being lightweight, keyboard-focused, and customizable. It supports a wide range of operating systems such as Mac, Windows, Linux, BSD, Haiku, AmigaOS, OpenSolaris, and MorphOS. Vim is recognized as an open-source software and is available for free.

    In comparison to Visual Studio Code, Vim presents itself as a viable alternative. Both being Text Editor & Code Editors, they share some similar features such as customizability. However, Vim stands out with its lightweight design and keyboard-focused operation. Vim has received positive comments as an alternative to Visual Studio Code, with users noting it as 'the lightest alternative with the most features', praising its readiness to work as soon as it is opened, and its massive amount of extendable, open-source plugins.

    216 Vim alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Haiku
    • AmigaOS
    • OpenSolaris
    • MorphOS
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    • Snapcraft
    Vim screenshot 1
     
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    6
    Vim vs Visual Studio Code Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    alelondon
    0

    the lightest alternative with the most features

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    1

    It is not alternative, if you dont want to spend your life configuring shit in vim instead of writing some code you should chose something else

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Amara
    2

    If you intend to use this, learn Vim Motions FIRST. If you're in VisualStudio Code, use the Vim plugin and start using the motions to get a feel for it. Using someone else's configuration is usually harder to learn because you have to learn that person's workflow. I say this because I see a lot of comments saying that it's extendable and lightweight which is all true but don't expose the true learning curve that using Vim proficiently requires.

    3 of 6 comments
    • Vim is Free and Open SourceVisual Studio Code is Free and Proprietary
    • Vim is LightweightVisual Studio Code is not according to our users
  4. Kate icon

    Kate

     314 likes

    Kate is a product of the Kate project, which primarily develops two key products: KatePart and Kate. KatePart is an advanced editor component, utilized in a myriad of KDE applications that require a text editing component. On the other hand, Kate is a MDI text editor application. It is a native application that comes with a variety of themes and supports syntax highlighting. Kate has been well-received by users and has garnered numerous positive reviews. It is compatible with multiple platforms including Mac, Windows, Linux, BSD, and KDE.

    As a popular open source and free alternative to Visual Studio Code, Kate offers certain advantages. Unlike Visual Studio Code which is an Electron app, Kate is a compiled C++ application, which results in a more performant operation. This difference is often noted by users who prefer Kate over Visual Studio Code. Additionally, users have pointed out that while Kate may not be suitable for larger projects as of yet, it is an excellent choice for smaller ones due to its syntax highlighting and other features. It's important to note that while both Kate and Visual Studio Code serve as Text Editor, Code Editor & IDE, Visual Studio Code is known for its extensibility through plugins/extensions, customization options, and autocompletion feature.

    146 Kate alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • KDE Plasma
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    • Snapcraft
    Kate screenshot 1
     
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    4
    Kate vs Visual Studio Code Comments
    Peter Mello
    Positive
    10

    Compiled C++ applications are so much more performant than Electron apps like VS Code.

    Zipping
    Positive
    3

    It's not based on electron.

    Guest
    Positive
    1

    Kwrite is nice too. Use it mainly, has syntax hightligting and other features. Wouldnt use it for big projects just yet though.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 4 comments
    • Kate is Free and Open SourceVisual Studio Code is Free and Proprietary
    • Kate is LightweightVisual Studio Code is not according to our users
  5. IntelliJ IDEA icon

    IntelliJ IDEA

     441 likes

    IntelliJ IDEA is the JetBrains IDE for pro development in Java and Kotlin. Built for your comfort, it unlocks productivity, ensures quality code, supports cutting-edge tech, and protects your privacy.

    63 IntelliJ IDEA alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    IntelliJ IDEA interface overview: the Project tool window (left) outlines the code structure and the Editor (right) is used to read, write, and explore the source code.
     
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    2
    IntelliJ IDEA vs Visual Studio Code Comments
    Ranogard
    Positive
    0

    VS Code is much more than a text editor. Comparing it with IntelliJ IDEA is totally fine. There are plugins for various programming languages available, like python. Both can work interchangeably.

    Jo
    Negative
    11

    IntelliJ IDEA, by it's own definition, is a Java IDE. Visual Studio Code is a text editor.

    • IntelliJ IDEA is Freemium and Open SourceVisual Studio Code is Free and Proprietary
    • IntelliJ IDEA is Privacy focusedVisual Studio Code is not according to our users
  6. Geany icon

    Geany

     578 likes

    Geany is a powerful, stable and lightweight programmer's text editor that provides tons of useful features without bogging down your workflow.

    155 Geany alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • Flatpak
    • Haiku
    Geany screenshot 1
     
  7. PyCharm icon

    PyCharm

     298 likes

    Cross-platform IDE for Python and Django with refactoring capabilities, code completion, VCS integration, deployment, issue tracking, remote debugging, and Community Edition, though lacking database support and web technologies.

    57 PyCharm alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    PyCharm screenshot 1
     
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    2
    PyCharm vs Visual Studio Code Comments
    Guest
    Negative
    4

    A good IDE but it's not a text editor

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    matti631
    Positive
    0

    It's a great tool and much less invasive then microsoft products

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • PyCharm is Freemium and Open SourceVisual Studio Code is Free and Proprietary
    • PyCharm is Lightweight and Privacy focusedVisual Studio Code is not according to our users
  9. WebStorm icon

    WebStorm

     134 likes

    JetBrains WebStorm is a commercial IDE for JavaScript, CSS & HTML built on JetBrains' IntelliJ IDEA platform.

    55 WebStorm alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free Personal
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    WebStorm screenshot 1
     
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    2
    WebStorm vs Visual Studio Code Comments
    Kristopher Kalish
    Positive
    0

    WebStorm at the time of writing has slightly better integration with JS build tools and TypeScript. If you're doing primarily frontend work, WebStorm is probably still the best choice. However, VsCode is a bit more flexible if you move out of that area.

    Guest
    Positive
    0

    easily the most professional one and things work properly not dependent on outside programmers

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • WebStorm is Free Personal and ProprietaryVisual Studio Code is Free and Proprietary
  10. CodeEdit icon

    CodeEdit

     13 likes

    CodeEdit is a code editor built by the community, for the community, written entirely and unapologetically for macOS. Features include syntax highlighting, code completion, project find and replace, snippets, terminal, task running, debugging, git integration, code review...

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    CodeEdit screenshot 1
     
  11. PSPad icon

    PSPad

     204 likes

    PSPad is a freeware programmers editor in 8 languages for Microsoft Windows operating systems. Some features are highlighted syntax, ftp, projects and so on. Code explorer for Pascal, C/C++, INI, HTML, XML, PHP and more in development, internal web browser with APACHE support.

    171 PSPad alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Main Window - Project Settings
     
  12. RustRover icon

    RustRover

     5 likes

    Enjoy full support when running your code inside the Rust IDE, be it for testing purposes, debugging, benchmarking, profiling, or targeting different platforms.

    Cost / License

    • Free Personal
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    RustRover screenshot 1
     
  13. GoLand icon

    GoLand

     9 likes

    A Clever IDE to Go.

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    GoLand screenshot 1
     
  14. Spacemacs icon

    Spacemacs

     27 likes

    Spacemacs is an beautiful Emacs distribution designed for both GNU Emacs and Vim users.

    41 Spacemacs alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Spacemacs screenshot 1
     
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    1
    Spacemacs vs Visual Studio Code Comments
    inventor500
    Positive
    0

    It is by far more extendable than Visual Studio Code, and combines the best of EMACS and VIM. The only downside is that it loads only a little faster than VS Code, instead of much faster like EMACS.

    • Spacemacs is Free and Open SourceVisual Studio Code is Free and Proprietary
12 of 42 Visual Studio Code alternatives