Visual Studio Code: when to install it, and when not to
An editor with a debugger that handles most languages well out of the box and has the largest extension ecosystem, which means fewer single-purpose…
The short version
Visual Studio Code: The default editor for most languages, with the largest extension ecosystem in existence. Note that official builds ship Microsoft telemetry, so turn it off in settings or use VSCodium if that matters to you.
| Licence / price | Free · Source-available |
|---|---|
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Category | Developer Tools — 12 programs |
| Official download | https://code.visualstudio.com/download ↗ |
What it is for
An editor with a debugger that handles most languages well out of the box and has the largest extension ecosystem, which means fewer single-purpose editors on the machine.
When to pick something else
Read the licence column: it is source-available, not open source, and the prebuilt Microsoft distribution ships with telemetry that can be disabled. For a full IDE with deep refactoring, a dedicated IDE is still the better tool.
What independent reviewers found
We do not run lab tests or benchmarks. These summaries are written in our own words, with the publisher named and the original linked. Our citation policy explains what we will and will not reproduce.
Stack Overflow — 2025
What the source says. In the 2025 Stack Overflow Developer Survey, Visual Studio Code was reported by 75.9% of respondents for development environments, holding the top position for a fourth year.
What we take from it. High adoption means extensions, answers and tutorials are easy to find - a real advantage on a first install. It does not mean it is the fastest editor for any given task.
Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2025 ↗ (Stack Overflow · 2025 · Developer survey)
How it compares in Developer Tools
These are the alternatives we would consider for the same job. The notes are the same ones used on the main list, so there is no separate ranking hiding on this page.
| Program | Licence / price | Platforms | Why it is on the list |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notepad++ Publisher's site ↗ | Free · Open source | Windows | Replaces Notepad for anything involving line endings, encodings, regex search or large log files. Light enough to open in a fraction of a second, which is why it survives next to VS Code. |
| Git for Windows Publisher's site ↗ | Free · Open source | Windows, macOS, Linux | Version control, plus a real Bash shell on Windows so you can stop translating commands in your head. Install it before anything else in this section. |
Practical notes
- Open the settings and decide on telemetry before the first project.
- Configure terminal integration and the formatter once, rather than redoing it per repository.
Questions people ask
Do I need a full IDE as well?
For most local work, no. Add one when a project's tooling genuinely requires it.
Where it appears in our guides
See the full Developer Tools explainer for the other 11 programs in this category.
How to read this page. How to read this page. Platform, licence and publisher details come from our directory data. Where an independent review, audit or survey is mentioned, it is summarised in our own words with the source named and linked; our /sources page sets out that policy. The recommendation, the trade-offs and every 'skip it if' line are our editorial judgement. We do not run benchmarks, publish measured performance figures or host installers, and every download link goes to the publisher's own site. If a detail is out of date, our About page explains how to tell us.