Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

SharpDevelop VS Lazarus

Compare SharpDevelop VS Lazarus and see what are their differences

SharpDevelop logo SharpDevelop

#develop (short for SharpDevelop) is a free IDE for C#, VB.NET and Boo projects on Microsoft's .

Lazarus logo Lazarus

Lazarus is a cross-platform IDE for the Free Pascal compiler.
  • SharpDevelop Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-27
  • Lazarus Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-17

SharpDevelop features and specs

  • Open Source
    SharpDevelop is open-source software, allowing developers to contribute to its development and customize it as needed.
  • Free of Charge
    It is available for free, which lowers the barrier for entry for individual developers and small teams who may not have the budget for commercial alternatives.
  • Lightweight
    SharpDevelop is lightweight compared to some other integrated development environments (IDEs), which can result in faster startup times and lower system resource consumption.
  • C# and .NET Support
    It provides good support for C# and .NET languages, catering to developers working within the Microsoft ecosystem.
  • Extensible
    The IDE is extensible, allowing developers to add features and customize it through a range of plugins and extensions.

Possible disadvantages of SharpDevelop

  • Limited Features
    Compared to larger IDEs like Visual Studio, SharpDevelop may have fewer features and tools available out of the box.
  • Discontinued Development
    Active development on SharpDevelop has been discontinued, meaning it may lack support for new technologies or bug fixes over time.
  • Community Size
    The user and developer community for SharpDevelop is relatively small, which can lead to limited support options and fewer third-party resources.
  • Compatibility
    SharpDevelop might not support all the latest features of C# and .NET, especially newer releases, due to its discontinued status.
  • Platform Limitations
    It's primarily designed for Windows, which may not be ideal for developers working in cross-platform environments.

Lazarus features and specs

  • Cross-Platform Development
    Lazarus IDE supports development for multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, and Linux, allowing developers to create applications that are portable across different operating systems.
  • Open Source
    Lazarus is open-source software, which means it is free to use, distribute, and modify, providing flexibility and cost savings for developers.
  • Rich Component Library
    The environment includes the Free Pascal Component Library (FCL) and Lazarus Component Library (LCL), offering a wide range of pre-built components to speed up application development.
  • Compatibility with Delphi
    Lazarus aims to be compatible with Delphi, allowing developers familiar with Delphi IDE to transition more easily and utilize existing Delphi codebases.
  • Community Support
    Being open-source, Lazarus has a supportive community that provides extensive documentation, tutorials, and forums to assist developers.

Possible disadvantages of Lazarus

  • Steep Learning Curve
    New users, especially those with no background in Pascal programming, may find Lazarus challenging to learn and start using effectively.
  • Less Modern UI Components
    Compared to other modern IDEs, Lazarus may lack some of the cutting-edge UI components or design tools that newer environments offer.
  • Limited Third-Party Libraries
    The ecosystem for third-party libraries and components may not be as extensive as other platforms like .NET or Java, which could limit functionality for certain projects.
  • Smaller Developer Community
    While there is support available, the community is smaller compared to other IDEs, which might impact the speed of getting help or updates.
  • Potential Delphi Compatibility Issues
    Despite efforts to maintain compatibility, some differences between Delphi and Lazarus can result in compatibility issues, requiring adjustments when migrating projects.

Analysis of Lazarus

Overall verdict

  • Lazarus is a good IDE for certain use cases.

Why this product is good

  • Lazarus is an open-source IDE that is designed for rapid application development. It is particularly well-suited for developing applications in the Pascal programming language, using the Free Pascal Compiler. Its strengths lie in its cross-platform capabilities, allowing developers to create applications that can run on Windows, macOS, and Linux with minimal effort. Additionally, Lazarus provides a comprehensive set of components and a visual form designer, which make GUI development more accessible.

Recommended for

  • Developers who prefer using the Pascal programming language.
  • Those who need to develop cross-platform applications.
  • Users looking for an open-source solution with a strong community support.
  • Programmers interested in rapid application development.

SharpDevelop videos

Hello World App in C# with SharpDevelop IDE

More videos:

  • Review - SharpDevelop | Visual Studio Alternative For Weaker Devices | And Low Space Computers
  • Review - tuananhktmt- Hฦฐแป›ng dแบซn lแบญp trรฌnh C# trรชn SharpDevelop

Lazarus videos

Lazarus The First Collection Hardcover Review.

More videos:

  • Review - Lazarus at NYTW Review
  • Review - Lazarus DELUXE Collection - Series and Hardcover Review! IMAGE COMICS
  • Tutorial - Lazarus Free Pascal, creating Sistem From zero to expert
  • Tutorial - acordeon menu with Lazarus

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to SharpDevelop and Lazarus)
IDE
32 32%
68% 68
Text Editors
34 34%
66% 66
Software Development
35 35%
65% 65
Developer Tools
50 50%
50% 50

User comments

Share your experience with using SharpDevelop and Lazarus. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Lazarus seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 1 time 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.

SharpDevelop mentions (0)

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

Lazarus mentions (1)

  • Are we GUI Yet? The state of building user interfaces in Rust
    > nearly as easy and pleasant as WinForms with VisualStudio Check out Lazarus: http://lazarus-ide.org It is WAY easier than WinForms. WinForms' VS "integration" feels as if they started with what Delphi 1 could do back in 1995 or so, implemented most of it and then decided that is enough. Lazarus' GUI tools are way above and beyond anything WinForms can do and the underlying LCL is crossplatform using... - Source: Hacker News / about 5 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing SharpDevelop and Lazarus, you can also consider the following products

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

MonoDevelop - MonoDevelop enables developers to write desktop and web applications on Linux, Windows and Mac OS X.

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.

Qt Creator - Qt Creator is a cross-platform C++, JavaScript and QML integrated development environment. It is the fastest, easiest and most fun experience a C++ developer could wish for.

Embarcadero Delphi - Delphi is the fastest way to write, compile, package and deploy cross-platform native applications on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android and Linux.

Code::Blocks - Code::Blocks is a free C++ IDE built to meet the most demanding needs of its users.