Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

PyCharm VS Xcode

Compare PyCharm VS Xcode and see what are their differences

PyCharm logo PyCharm

Python & Django IDE with intelligent code completion, on-the-fly error checking, quick-fixes, and much more...

Xcode logo Xcode

Xcode is Apple’s powerful integrated development environment for creating great apps for Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Xcode 4 includes the Xcode IDE, instruments, iOS Simulator, and the latest Mac OS X and iOS SDKs.
  • PyCharm Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-20
  • Xcode Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-07-04

PyCharm features and specs

  • Comprehensive IDE
    PyCharm is a full-featured Integrated Development Environment (IDE) that comes with built-in tools for debugging, testing, profiling, and version control, which can significantly enhance productivity.
  • Smart Code Navigation
    PyCharm provides intelligent code navigation features such as code completion, code snippets, and quick jumps to definitions, enabling developers to write code more efficiently.
  • Integrated Tools
    PyCharm integrates with many external tools like Docker, SSH, and terminal, making it easy to manage environments and dependencies directly within the IDE.
  • Built-in Developer Assistance
    PyCharm offers robust developer assistance features such as real-time code analysis, refactoring tools, and coding suggestions, which help maintain code quality.
  • Extensive Plugin Ecosystem
    PyCharm supports a wide range of plugins that can extend its functionality, allowing for customization according to specific development needs or preferences.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    PyCharm is available on multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, and Linux, which ensures that teams working in different environments can use the same toolkit.

Possible disadvantages of PyCharm

  • Resource Intensive
    PyCharm can be quite heavy on system resources, consuming significant memory and CPU, which can slow down the system, especially on machines with lower specifications.
  • High Cost
    PyCharm's Professional Edition is a paid product, which might not be feasible for individual developers or small teams with limited budgets, although a free Community Edition is available.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    Due to its extensive feature set, PyCharm can be overwhelming for beginners, and it may take some time for new users to become proficient with all its functionalities.
  • Occasional Performance Issues
    Some users report occasional performance lags and stability issues, especially when working on large projects or while using certain plugins.
  • Frequent Updates
    While updates are generally a positive feature, PyCharm's frequent updates can sometimes disrupt workflow and necessitate reconfiguring settings or updates to plugins.

Xcode features and specs

  • Integrated Development Environment
    Xcode offers a fully integrated development environment for macOS, iOS, watchOS, and tvOS. This integration includes code editing, project management, compilers, and debugging tools all in one application.
  • Interface Builder
    Interface Builder is a graphical tool included with Xcode that allows developers to design user interfaces visually. This can speed up the development process and allow for easier customization of user interfaces.
  • Swift and Objective-C Support
    Xcode provides robust support for both the Swift and Objective-C programming languages, which are essential for Apple's ecosystem.
  • Simulator
    Xcode includes simulators for all Apple devices, allowing for rapid testing and debugging of applications without the need for physical hardware.
  • In-depth Debugging Tools
    Xcode provides a comprehensive suite of debugging tools like breakpoints, stack trace analysis, and memory management tools, helping developers identify and resolve issues efficiently.
  • Performance and Profiling Tools
    Xcode includes Instruments, a powerful performance analysis and profiling toolset. This helps developers optimize the performance and memory usage of their applications.
  • Documentation and Resources
    Xcode has built-in access to extensive Apple Developer Documentation and resources, making it easier to find information and solutions related to Apple's APIs and frameworks.

Possible disadvantages of Xcode

  • macOS Exclusive
    Xcode is only available for macOS, meaning that developers must use an Apple computer to build applications for Apple's platforms.
  • Resource Intensive
    Xcode can be demanding on system resources, particularly RAM and CPU, which can affect performance on older or less powerful machines.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    For new developers, Xcode can be overwhelming due to its complexity and the vast array of features and options available.
  • Update Frequency
    Frequent updates to Xcode can sometimes introduce new bugs or require developers to update their project settings and code to maintain compatibility.
  • Limited Cross-Platform Capabilities
    Xcode is designed specifically for Apple's ecosystems and provides limited support for cross-platform development, restricting its use for developers targeting multiple platforms.
  • Build Times
    Build times for larger projects can become lengthy, potentially slowing down the development cycle and time to market.

PyCharm videos

Why Pycharm is the Best Python Editor/IDE!!!

More videos:

  • Review - Best Plugins for PyCharm
  • Tutorial - Pycharm Tutorial #1 - Setup & Basics

Xcode videos

Getting Started: An Overview of Xcode

More videos:

  • Review - Xcode 15 - What's New

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to PyCharm and Xcode)
Text Editors
42 42%
58% 58
IDE
37 37%
63% 63
IDEs And Text Editors
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

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

PyCharm Reviews

Top 10 Visual Studio Alternatives
PyCharm is a dedicated Python Integrated Development Environment (IDE). It is well-known for offering various vital tools for Python developers. It is securely combined to make a suitable atmosphere for a good level and high productivity Python, website, and data science development process. Moreover, if you are a beginner, the PyCharm can be the one for you.
Top 4 Python and Data Science IDEs for 2021 and Beyond
PyCharm gives you a more professional experience. It isn’t easy to describe, but you’ll understand what I’m talking about after a couple of minutes of usage. The coding assistance is superb, the debugger works like a charm, and the environment management is as easy as it gets.
The Rise of Microsoft Visual Studio Code
The percentages on this graph are per editor. So we can see, for example, that 97% of engineers using PyCharm program in Python (which makes sense — it's in the name). Eclipse is dominated by Java (94%) and Visual Studio is mostly C# and C++ (88%). I can't really say which way the causality goes, but it seems that both the languages (Java, C#) and the IDEs (Eclipse, Visual...
Source: triplebyte.com
Top 5 Python IDEs For Data Science
Features Just like other IDEs, PyCharm has interesting features such as a code editor, errors highlighting, a powerful debugger with a graphical interface, besides of Git integration, SVN, and Mercurial. You can also customize your IDE, choosing between different themes, color schemes, and key-binding. Additionally, you can expand PyCharm’s features by adding plugins; You...

Xcode Reviews

Explore 9 Top Eclipse Alternatives for 2024
While Xcode is primarily free, a subscription to the Apple Developer Program is required for iOS app development at $99 per year.
Source: aircada.com
What's The Best C++ IDE? Our Top C++ IDEs & Editors In 2024
Occupying the sixth spot on my list is Xcode, Apple's flagship IDE. And yes, it's probably most well-known for macOS, iOS, watchOS, and tvOS development, but Xcode is also an excellent choice for C++ developers working on the macOS platform.
Source: hackr.io
Android Studio Alternative
Apple’s integrated development environment (IDE) for macOS is Xcode, which can be used to create software for macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS. In addition, it provides Command Line Tools (CLT), which enable UNIX-style development via the Terminal app in macOS. Xcode also has built-in support for source code management via the Git version control system and protocol,...
Source: www.educba.com
Top 10 Visual Studio Alternatives
The XCode cloud is a constant integration and a type of delivery service. It is a type of cloud that is ideally designed for apple users. It is only made for MAC OS X; hence, you need to try other ways if you have a Windows PC. The main goal of Xcode is to develop the software system for various IOS systems.
Best Eclipse Alternatives to Use
Xcode includes a code editor supporting syntax highlighting, intelligent code completion, and code snippets, as well as an interface builder, which is designed for developing graphical user interfaces. Xcode supports the entire lifecycle of an application, including code editing, compilation, debugging, testing, and deployment.
Source: eclipsewin.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Xcode seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 145 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.

PyCharm mentions (0)

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

Xcode mentions (145)

  • An Animated Introduction to Programming in C++ [Full Course]
    There are practice problems in each section so that you can practice while learning from the content. These are in the 'Hands-On Practice' section in each section. Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) are tools that allow you to write your own programs. There are some great, free C++ IDEs out there like Visual Studio, Xcode, and CLion. The simplest way to get started is to use a web-based IDE. Replit works... - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • Which App Debugging Tools are the Best?
    2. Xcode Debugger Xcode remains the standard iOS app debugging tool. Its debugger is exceptional at identifying memory leaks, helping to discover thread races, and even focusing on the cause of crashes. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • Must-Use Mobile Accessibility Testing Tools in 2025
    XCode inspector offers VoiceOver Simulation to read out app elements for identifying if descriptions mentioned for the UI are meaningful and informative. It helps to make your app accessible to users with disabilities. Apart from that the Accessibility Inspector offers a complete audit of the app’s UI elements. Also as you make changes to your app the tool offers immediate feedback on accessibility issues. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • From React to React Native – A Beginner-Friendly Guide🚀
    Set Up Android Studio and Xcode: To develop for Android, you need Android Studio installed. For iOS development, Xcode is required (macOS only). - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • How To Build a TikTok Clone With SwiftUI
    To follow along with this tutorial, you will need an Xcode installation. It is recommended to download Xcode 15 or a later version. Also, to provide access to the user's camera feed in this app, we will use the Stream Video SDK. The Video SDK allows developers to build FaceTime-style video calling](https://getstream.io/blog/facetime-clone/), Twitch-like content... - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing PyCharm and Xcode, you can also consider the following products

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

IntelliJ IDEA - Capable and Ergonomic IDE for JVM

VS Code - Build and debug modern web and cloud applications, by Microsoft

Android Studio - Android development environment based on IntelliJ IDEA

Sublime Text - Sublime Text is a sophisticated text editor for code, html and prose - any kind of text file. You'll love the slick user interface and extraordinary features. Fully customizable with macros, and syntax highlighting for most major languages.

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.