Microsoft Visual Studio AlternativesOnly Free apps categorised as Code Editors

The best free Code Editor alternative to Microsoft Visual Studio is Visual Studio Code. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Microsoft Visual Studio and many of them are free Code Editors so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting free Code Editor alternatives to Microsoft Visual Studio are Eclipse, VSCodium, Apache NetBeans and PyCharm.

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Microsoft Visual Studio alternatives are mainly Code Editors, but if you're looking for IDEs or Text Editors you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Linux, Open Source, Mac, Android, Android Tablet, iPad and Free. 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 Microsoft Visual Studio.
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Alternatives list

  1. Visual Studio Code icon
     1407 likes

    Free and extensible code editor with built-in Git support, smart IntelliSense, integrated debugger, 30,000+ extensions, works offline, supports markdown and syntax highlighting for numerous languages.

    216 Visual Studio Code alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary (MIT)

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Chrome OS
    • Snapcraft
     
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    14
  2. Eclipse icon
     1152 likes

    Eclipse is an extensible development platform with runtimes and application frameworks for building, deploying and managing software across the entire software lifecycle. Many people know Eclipse as a Java IDE, but it is much more than that- Eclipse actually consists of over 60...

    150 Eclipse alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
     
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    4
  3. VSCodium icon
     431 likes

    This repository contains a build file to generate FLOSS release binaries of Microsoft's Visual Studio Code - Open Source ("Code - OSS") project, the open source core of the proprietary Visual Studio Code.

    205 VSCodium alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Electron
    • Snapcraft
    • Homebrew
    • Chocolatey
     
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    2
  4. Apache NetBeans icon
     746 likes

    A free, open-source Integrated Development Environment for software developers. You get all the tools you need to create professional desktop, enterprise, web, and mobile applications with the Java language, C/C++, and even dynamic languages such as PHP, JavaScript, Groovy, and...

    98 Apache NetBeans alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
     
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    6
  5. PyCharm icon
     299 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.

    58 PyCharm alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
     
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    1
  6. IntelliJ IDEA icon
     444 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.

    65 IntelliJ IDEA alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
     
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    1
  7. JetBrains Rider icon
     34 likes

    JetBrains Rider is a powerful integrated development environment (IDE) designed specifically for developing .NET applications. With its intuitive and feature-rich interface, Rider provides developers with a seamless coding experience across multiple platforms, including Windows...

    13 JetBrains Rider alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free Personal
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
     
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    3
  8. Windsurf Editor icon
     36 likes

    Windsurf Editor is an IDE merging AI and developers for lockstep collaboration with Cascade capabilities, boosting speed and contextual coding through copilot and agent-like systems across Mac, Windows, and Linux.

    84 Windsurf Editor alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
     
  9. WebStorm icon
     134 likes

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

    56 WebStorm alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free Personal
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
     
  10. Xcode icon
     158 likes

    Xcode 14 includes everything you need to develop, test, and distribute apps across all Apple platforms. Leverage the simplicity and power of Swift and SwiftUI with a new multiplatform app experience, code faster with enhanced editor features, and start testing and deploying from...

    53 Xcode alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
     
  11. Trae icon
     15 likes

    Trae is an adaptive AI IDE that transforms how you work, collaborating with you to run faster.

    43 Trae alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
     
  12. KDevelop icon
     81 likes

    A cross-platform IDE for C, C++, Python, QML/JavaScript and PHP.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • KDE Plasma
    • Flathub
    • Snapcraft
     
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    1
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