VS Code Alternatives

Visual Studio Code is a cross-platform, extension-driven code editor with IntelliSense-style completion plus integrated Git and debugging workflows. Users praise its versatility and ease of use for many programming workflows, though some complain it can feel resource-intensive and may get slower over time, especially after updates.

VSCodium tops the rankings as a fully open-source build of Code - OSS that removes telemetry while keeping most VS Code functionality and extensibility. Privacy-focused developers who want a VS Code-like experience often choose VSCodium specifically to avoid telemetry, though some Microsoft extensions may be unavailable. Sublime Text ranks second and is repeatedly praised for outstanding speed and being less resource-intensive than VS Code, making it popular with developers on slower machines or large projects.

The alternatives landscape spans lightweight text editors like Vim and Notepad++ to newer AI-first editors like Zed Editor, with over 100 alternatives covering code editors, full IDEs, and terminal-based editors.

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Visual Studio Code is a code editor, but the alternatives span different approaches to development workflows. Open source options like VSCodium, Vim, and GNU Emacs appeal to users who want transparent licensing and community-driven tooling. For privacy-focused development, VSCodium and Helix emphasize no-tracking and telemetry prevention features.

Linux users have native options in VSCodium, Kate, and Lapce. Web-based development suits users who want browser-based environments - Replit and Firebase Studio run online for coding without local setup. For developers who live in the terminal, Micro, Neovim, and Helix target command-line workflows useful for SSH-heavy or low-overhead environments.

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Visual Studio Code alternatives page was last updated

Alternatives list

  1. OpenVSCode Server provides a version of Code - OSS (vscode) that runs a server on a remote machine and allows access through a modern web browser. It's based on the very same architecture used by .

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Online
    • Self-Hosted
    • Docker
     
  2. Textastic icon
     16 likes

    Textastic is an advanced code editor for iOS and macOS with support for syntax highlighting, remote file transfer, and SSH.

    68 Textastic alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • iPhone
    • iPad
     
  3. LiteIDE icon
     7 likes

    LiteIDE is a simple, open source, cross-platform Go IDE.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
     
  4. jEdit icon
     115 likes

    jEdit is a mature programmer's text editor with hundreds (counting the time developing plugins) of person-years of development behind it. jEdit beats many expensive development tools for features and ease of use AND it is released as free software with full source code...

    138 jEdit alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
     
  5. Kakoune icon
     20 likes

    Vim inspired text editor with support for multiple selections and scores of other "out of the box" features.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Cygwin
     
  6. GNOME Builder icon
     20 likes

    Builder is an actively developed Integrated Development Environment for GNOME. It combines integrated support for essential GNOME technologies such as GTK+, GLib, and GNOME APIs with features that any developer will appreciate, like syntax highlighting and snippets.

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • GNOME
    • Flatpak
     
  7. SynWrite icon
     30 likes

    SynWrite is a free source code editor and notepad replacement for Microsoft Windows Operating Systems.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Total Commander
     
  8. MacVim icon
     32 likes

    MacVim is a port of the text editor Vim to macOS. MacVim supports multiple windows with tabbed editing and a host of other features such as:

    87 MacVim alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
     
  9. RubyMine icon
     38 likes

    Comprehensive IDE specialized for Ruby and Rails, offering smart code completion, advanced navigation, error analysis, refactoring tools, integrated debugging, test frameworks, and web development support alongside extensive VCS integration and plugin extensibility.

    Cost / License

    • Free Personal
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
     
  10. Xed Editor icon
     4 likes

    Xed Editor is a versatile text and code editor designed specifically for Android devices, offering users the ability to create, edit, and manage their text and code files with ease on their mobile devices.

    54 Xed Editor alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Android
    • F-Droid
     
  11. Onivim 2 icon
     11 likes

    Onivim 2 is a retro-futuristic modal editor - the next iteration of the Onivim project - combining Vim-style modal editing with the aesthetics and language features of modern editors.

    Cost / License

    • Pay once
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application types

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
     
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