Lightweight, extensible code editor
Visual Studio Code is a free source-code editor from Microsoft that has become the most popular editor among developers. It is lightweight enough to start quickly, yet powerful enough for large projects in JavaScript, Python, Java, C++, PHP, Go and many other languages.
Key features include IntelliSense code completion, built-in Git support, an integrated terminal, a debugger, and multi-cursor editing. Its marketplace offers thousands of extensions for languages, themes, linters, formatters, Docker, remote development and AI coding assistants. Settings and extensions can sync across computers with a GitHub or Microsoft account.
Installing many extensions can slow it down, and it is an editor rather than a full IDE, so some heavy-duty tools need extra setup. For web development, scripting and everyday programming, VS Code offers an excellent balance of speed, features and price — it costs nothing.
Pros
- Fast and extensible
- Great Git support
Cons
- Extensions can slow it down
