Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Carbon VS CodeStream

Compare Carbon VS CodeStream and see what are their differences

Carbon logo Carbon

Create and share beautiful images of your source code.

CodeStream logo CodeStream

CodeStream helps development teams resolve issues faster, and improve code quality by streamlining code reviews inside your IDE
  • Carbon Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-17
  • CodeStream Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-12-15

CodeStream enables asynchronous communication among developers on your team, anywhere. Review changes in the context of the full source tree, using your favorite keybindings and environment. Use a simple shortcut to highlight your code and CodeStream will automatically assign a reviewer based on context and history. Comment and code review threads are automatically repositioned as your code changes, even across branches.

Carbon features and specs

  • Aesthetically Pleasing
    Carbon allows you to create beautiful images of your source code, which can be easily shared on social media, presentations, or documentation.
  • Customization Options
    Provides various customization options such as themes, background colors, window controls, font styles, and more, allowing users to create images that match their preferences or brand identity.
  • Ease of Use
    The interface is user-friendly, enabling users to create high-quality code images with minimal effort. Simply paste your code, customize it, and export.
  • Code Syntax Highlighting
    Supports syntax highlighting for a wide range of programming languages, helping to make your code snippets more readable and visually appealing.
  • Export Options
    Allows users to export images in various formats, including PNG and SVG, ensuring versatility for different use cases.

Possible disadvantages of Carbon

  • Limited Collaboration Features
    Carbon does not support collaborative editing, making it less ideal for team-based projects where multiple users might need to work on the same snippet simultaneously.
  • No Direct Code Editing Features
    Carbon focuses on code visualization and does not provide in-depth code editing capabilities, unlike full-featured code editors.
  • Dependency on Browser
    As a web-based tool, it requires an active internet connection and may be less convenient for users who prefer offline tools.
  • Performance Limitations
    For very large snippets or heavy customization, the tool may experience performance issues or slowdowns.
  • Limited Format Support
    Does not support exporting in all possible image formats or directly integrating into platforms like content management systems without manual steps.

CodeStream features and specs

  • Integration with IDEs
    CodeStream integrates seamlessly with popular IDEs like Visual Studio Code, JetBrains, and others, making it easy for developers to use it within their existing workflow.
  • In-Context Collaboration
    Allows developers to comment and discuss code directly within the IDE, fostering better communication without having to leave the development environment.
  • Code Annotations
    Provides the ability to annotate code, making it easier to give feedback, suggest improvements, and highlight important sections.
  • Integration with Issue Trackers
    Supports integration with popular issue trackers like Jira, Trello, and GitHub Issues, enabling seamless issue management.
  • Code Review Support
    Facilitates code reviews directly within the IDE, simplifying the review process and ensuring that feedback is received and addressed promptly.
  • Real-time Collaboration
    Offers real-time collaboration features, allowing multiple developers to work on the same codebase simultaneously.
  • Ease of Use
    User-friendly interface that makes it easy for both new and experienced developers to adopt and use effectively.

Possible disadvantages of CodeStream

  • Performance Overhead
    The additional features and integration can sometimes lead to performance overhead, potentially making the IDE slower.
  • Learning Curve
    Though user-friendly, some features may still require a learning curve, particularly for developers who are new to in-IDE collaboration tools.
  • Limited to Specific IDEs
    While it integrates with popular IDEs, it does not support all development environments, which may be a limitation for some teams.
  • Dependency on Third-Party Services
    Heavily dependent on third-party services like GitHub, Jira, etc., which might cause issues if those services experience downtime or connectivity issues.
  • Subscription Costs
    Depending on the features needed, some functionalities may require a subscription, adding to the overall cost for software development teams.
  • Security Concerns
    Integrating with various external tools and services might raise security concerns, especially for projects with stringent security requirements.

Analysis of Carbon

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Carbon is a good tool for creating and sharing visually appealing code snippets. It is widely appreciated in the developer community for its functionality and ease of use.

Why this product is good

  • Carbon (carbon.now.sh) is a popular tool for creating and sharing beautiful code snippets as images. It offers a clean interface, customizable themes, and syntax highlighting for numerous programming languages, making it an excellent choice for developers looking to present their code aesthetically. Its ease of use and ability to quickly generate high-resolution images are among its standout features.

Recommended for

  • Software developers looking to share code snippets on social media or blogs
  • Educators and technical writers who need to include code examples in their materials
  • Conference speakers and presenters preparing slides with code samples
  • Developers and designers seeking to build a portfolio showcasing their coding skills

Analysis of CodeStream

Overall verdict

  • CodeStream is generally regarded as a beneficial tool for teams looking to enhance their code review processes and internal collaboration. It is well-suited for teams that want to integrate code discussions into their existing workflows seamlessly.

Why this product is good

  • CodeStream is a tool designed to streamline communication and code review processes within development teams. It integrates with popular IDEs and collaboration tools, making it easier for developers to share insights and feedback without leaving their coding environment. This can improve productivity, reduce context-switching, and enhance code quality through more effective reviews and discussions.

Recommended for

    Development teams who heavily rely on IDEs like Visual Studio Code, IntelliJ, and others. It is particularly useful for remote teams that require robust code review and communication tools to maintain effective collaboration.

Carbon videos

Adidas YEEZY 350 V2 Carbon REVIEW & GIVEAWAY

More videos:

  • Review - Need for Speed: Carbon review - ColourShed
  • Review - Carbon Movie Malayalam Review by Sudhish Payyanur | Monsoon Media

CodeStream videos

CodeStream Code Review Inside Your IDE

More videos:

  • Review - CodeStream
  • Review - CodeStream introduces in-IDE Code Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Carbon and CodeStream)
Web App
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
51 51%
49% 49
Code Collaboration
0 0%
100% 100
Design Tools
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Carbon and CodeStream

Carbon Reviews

We have no reviews of Carbon yet.
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CodeStream Reviews

  1. Great Product

    After using this with my development team for a few weeks, we grew to love it. Product works amazing for its purpose and really helps developers communicate about our code.

    👍 Pros:    Well designed|Works perfectly

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Carbon seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 171 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Carbon mentions (171)

  • Gist Share
    I was inspired by https://carbon.now.sh/ for sharing code snippets on social media but I wanted a tight integration with Github's Gists, a focus on embedding the code in posts like Markdown with access to the code. - Source: dev.to / 4 days ago
  • "10 Free Tools Every Developer Should Bookmark in 2025"
    *Carbon * – Beautiful Code Snippets Https://carbon.now.sh. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • HexShare – Create and share beautiful snippets of your binary/hexbytes
    Inspired by Carbon -(https://carbon.now.sh , I wanted to build a simple tool for easily sharing binary snippets. HexShare is a hex-sharing tool designed for viewing and sharing binary data with colorful byte highlighting. It works entirely offline, running client-side with no backend. You can generate visually appealing images of your hex bytes with annotations and also share configurations via a link. - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • 22 Unique Developer Resources You Should Explore
    URL: https://carbon.now.sh What it does: Carbon lets you turn your code snippets into stunning visuals, perfect for sharing or embedding in blogs and presentations. Why it's great: Make your code aesthetically pleasing and shareable! Highlight your solutions or showcase your work effortlessly. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • Recommend 12 free productivity tools! Make your work more effective with less effort!
    Carbon is a free online code screenshot tool that helps users create beautiful code screenshots for use in blogs, social media, or presentations. It provides a simple interface that allows users to enter their own code and choose different themes, fonts, and color schemes. Users can also adjust the code alignment, line numbers, background, shadow, etc. To better control the screenshot effect. Carbon also supports... - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
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CodeStream mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of CodeStream yet. Tracking of CodeStream recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Carbon and CodeStream, you can also consider the following products

Ray.so - Create beautiful images of your code

Figstack - Your intelligent coding companion

Codeimg.io - Create and share images of your source code

Refactor.io - Share your code instantly for refactoring and code review

Snappify - snappify is a great tool to create and adjust beautiful code snippets easily.

GitLive - Extend Git with real-time collaborative superpowers