Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

PhpStorm VS Dillinger

Compare PhpStorm VS Dillinger and see what are their differences

PhpStorm logo PhpStorm

Professional IDE for PHP and Web Developers

Dillinger logo Dillinger

joemccann has 95 repositories available. Follow their code on GitHub.
  • PhpStorm Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-18
  • Dillinger Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-10-09

PhpStorm features and specs

  • Advanced Code Editor
    PhpStorm provides an intelligent code editor with features like syntax highlighting, code completion, and real-time error detection to help you write clean and maintainable code efficiently.
  • Built-in Debugging and Testing Tools
    Integrated powerful debugging and testing tools support multiple frameworks and enable step-by-step debugging, ensuring you can quickly identify and fix issues in your code.
  • Version Control Integration
    PhpStorm offers seamless integration with version control systems like Git, SVN, Mercurial, and Perforce, allowing easy management of your codebase and collaboration with your team.
  • Framework Support
    The IDE supports a wide range of PHP frameworks such as Laravel, Symfony, Yii, and Magento, providing specialized tools and features to streamline development within these frameworks.
  • Database Tools
    PhpStorm comes with built-in database tools that allow you to manage and query databases directly from the IDE, improving your development workflow involving database interactions.
  • Live Edit
    The Live Edit feature enables real-time changes to your code to be reflected in your browser immediately, streamlining the development process by reducing the need for manual refreshing.
  • Cross-platform Compatibility
    PhpStorm is available on Windows, macOS, and Linux, providing a consistent development environment regardless of your operating system.

Possible disadvantages of PhpStorm

  • Cost
    PhpStorm is a premium IDE with a subscription-based payment model, which can be a barrier for individual developers or small teams with limited budgets.
  • Resource Intensive
    The IDE can be heavy on system resources, which may affect the performance of your machine, especially if you are using older hardware.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    Due to its extensive range of features and capabilities, new users might find PhpStorm difficult to master and may require a significant time investment to become proficient.
  • Overwhelming for Simple Projects
    The multitude of tools and features can be overkill for small projects or beginner developers who do not need the advanced capabilities provided by PhpStorm.
  • Periodic Updates
    While updates usually bring improvements, the frequency of updates can sometimes cause disruptions or require adjustments in workflows.

Dillinger features and specs

  • Real-time Markdown Rendering
    Dillinger provides live rendering of Markdown text, allowing users to see a side-by-side preview of their formatted text.
  • Cloud Integration
    It offers integration with cloud services like Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, and GitHub, making it easy to save and manage documents.
  • User-friendly Interface
    The platform boasts an intuitive and clean interface, which makes it easy for both beginners and experienced users to navigate and use effectively.
  • Export Options
    Dillinger supports exporting documents in multiple formats, including Markdown, HTML, and PDF, providing flexibility in how users can use their content.
  • Open Source
    As an open-source platform, Dillinger allows developers to contribute to the project or customize the tool for their specific needs.

Possible disadvantages of Dillinger

  • Limited Offline Support
    Dillinger is primarily a web-based application and requires an internet connection for full functionality, limiting its usability offline.
  • Basic Markdown Features
    While it covers the basics well, advanced Markdown features or plugins might be missing compared to more comprehensive editors.
  • Dependency on External Services
    Heavy reliance on third-party cloud services may be a drawback for users who prefer to keep their data localized or have privacy concerns.
  • No Native Desktop Application
    Dillinger does not offer a native desktop application, which might be a disadvantage for users who prefer or require desktop-based tools.
  • Limited Customization
    While the interface is user-friendly, it offers limited customization options in terms of themes and editor settings compared to some other Markdown editors.

Analysis of PhpStorm

Overall verdict

  • PhpStorm is considered an excellent choice for professional PHP developers who are looking for a comprehensive and reliable IDE that can handle complex projects efficiently. Although it is a paid software, many users find the investment worthwhile due to the productivity boost it offers.

Why this product is good

  • PhpStorm is widely regarded as a good IDE due to its robust feature set that aids in PHP development. It offers intelligent code assistance, a powerful debugging tool, seamless integration with databases and version control systems, and extensive plugin support. Its user-friendly interface and stability further enhance the development experience.

Recommended for

  • Professional PHP developers
  • Developers working with frameworks like Laravel, Symfony, or Drupal
  • Teams that require collaboration tools
  • Those who need advanced features like code refactoring and testing

Analysis of Dillinger

Overall verdict

  • Dillinger is considered a good Markdown editor, especially for users who need a straightforward tool with cloud integration capabilities. Its user-friendly design and ability to handle Markdown documents effectively make it a reliable choice.

Why this product is good

  • Dillinger is a cloud-enabled, mobile-ready, offline-storage compatible, Markdown editor. It is known for its simplicity, ease of use, and ability to integrate with cloud storage services such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and GitHub. Users appreciate its clean interface and the ability to preview Markdown files in real-time. It also supports exporting documents in formats like HTML and PDF.

Recommended for

    Dillinger is recommended for developers, writers, and anyone who frequently works with Markdown documentation. It's particularly useful for those who need access to their documents across different devices or want to store them in the cloud.

PhpStorm videos

Testing PHPStorm vs Atom || Code Editor side-by-side

More videos:

  • Review - Introduction to PhpStorm
  • Review - What's New in PhpStorm 2019.1

Dillinger videos

The Dillinger Escape Plan - Dissociation ALBUM REVIEW

More videos:

  • Review - The Dillinger Escape Plan - One Of Us Is The Killer ALBUM REVIEW
  • Review - DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN Dissociation Album Review | Overkill Reviews

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to PhpStorm and Dillinger)
Text Editors
61 61%
39% 39
Markdown Editor
0 0%
100% 100
IDE
100 100%
0% 0
Software Development
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using PhpStorm and Dillinger. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Dillinger seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 27 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.

PhpStorm mentions (0)

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

Dillinger mentions (27)

  • 5 Killer FREE Markdown Editors You Need in 2025
    Dillinger (Online - https://dillinger.io/): For a straightforward online experience, Dillinger is a solid choice. It offers split-screen viewing with live preview and supports saving to various platforms. It's a no-frills option that gets the job done efficiently. - Source: dev.to / 12 months ago
  • Markdown Syntax & Features: A Comprehensive 2025 Guide
    Dillinger - A cloud-enabled, mobile-ready, offline-storage, AngularJS-powered, HTML5 Markdown editor. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • 100+ Must-Have Web Development Resources
    Dillinger: An online editor that offers cloud storage and supports various export formats like HTML5 and PDF. - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
  • Converting Markdown to PDF
    Simply access https://dillinger.io and paste your markdown code there. It has the option to export to PDF, as well as some other formats. - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
  • Building a simple but scalable blog using Astro
    I have used Markdown before (https://dillinger.io/) so wouldn't have a problem with using it again as long as on page SEO isn't any extra effort. I am not sure how I would use Markdown and then add the content to the blog to be deployed and if that is going to be much harder than a headless CMS, I would go for the headless. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing PhpStorm and Dillinger, you can also consider the following products

IntelliJ IDEA - Capable and Ergonomic IDE for JVM

Typora - A minimal Markdown reading & writing app.

Eclipse - Eclipse is an open source community, whose projects are focused on building an open development platform comprised of extensible frameworks, tools and runtimes for building, deploying and managing software across the lifecycle.

StackEdit - Full-featured, open-source Markdown editor based on PageDown, the Markdown library used by Stack Overflow and the other Stack Exchange sites.

Microsoft Visual Studio - Microsoft Visual Studio is an integrated development environment (IDE) from Microsoft.

Markdown by DaringFireball - Text-to-HTML conversion tool/syntax for web writers, by John Gruber