Visual Studio Code

What is VS Code?

Visual Studio Code is a free, open-source code editor from Microsoft. It sits between a lightweight text editor and a full IDE — fast enough to open instantly, but capable enough to handle large projects across almost any language. It's become the most widely used editor in web development over the past decade.

IntelliSense and language support

VS Code's IntelliSense provides context-aware autocomplete, parameter hints, and inline documentation. Language support is built around extensions, so whether you're writing TypeScript, Python, PHP, Rust, or Go, there's a well-maintained extension that handles syntax highlighting, linting, and completion. The TypeScript and JavaScript support is built in and is notably strong.

Extensions

The VS Code marketplace has tens of thousands of extensions. You can add linters, formatters, Git tools, database clients, AI assistants, remote development support, Docker integration, and more — all without leaving the editor. The extension ecosystem is one of the main reasons VS Code has become the default choice for so many developers.

Built-in Git and debugging

Git support is integrated directly into the editor. You can stage, commit, diff, and manage branches from the source control panel without touching a terminal. The debugger supports multiple languages and lets you set breakpoints, inspect variables, and step through code properly — not just console.log your way through problems.

Pricing

VS Code is free and open source. Microsoft publishes the source on GitHub under the MIT licence. There are community builds like VSCodium that strip out Microsoft telemetry if that matters to you.