Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Thonny VS CodeRunner

Compare Thonny VS CodeRunner and see what are their differences

Thonny logo Thonny

Python IDE for beginners

CodeRunner logo CodeRunner

An advanced, highly flexible, and easy-to-use programming editor for your Mac.
  • Thonny Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-15
  • CodeRunner Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-22

Thonny features and specs

  • Beginner-Friendly Interface
    Thonny is designed with simplicity in mind, which makes it ideal for beginners. The interface is clean and intuitive, helping new users to focus on learning Python without being overwhelmed by unnecessary features.
  • Integrated Python Debugger
    Thonny comes with a built-in debugger that allows users to step through their code line by line. This feature helps in understanding the flow of the program and is especially useful for debugging and learning.
  • Simple Variable Inspector
    The variable inspector in Thonny provides a clear and straightforward view of variables and their values, helping users to better understand how data changes as the program runs.
  • Preinstalled with Python
    Thonny comes with Python preinstalled, which makes the setup process easier for beginners. Users don’t have to worry about separate Python installation and can start coding right away.
  • Support for MicroPython
    Thonny supports MicroPython, making it a suitable choice for programming microcontrollers and embedded systems. This expands its usability beyond just desktop applications.
  • Educational Focus
    Thonny includes features specifically designed for educational purposes, such as highlighting syntax errors and visualizing code execution, which helps students grasp programming concepts more effectively.

Possible disadvantages of Thonny

  • Limited Advanced Features
    While Thonny is great for beginners, it lacks some advanced features found in other IDEs like PyCharm or Visual Studio Code. This may hinder users as they advance and need more complex workflows and customizations.
  • Performance Issues with Large Projects
    Thonny may not perform efficiently with large-scale projects or extremely large files, potentially causing lag or crashes, which could be a limitation for more extensive development work.
  • Plugin Ecosystem
    Thonny's plugin ecosystem is not as robust as some other IDEs. Users might find fewer extensions and customizations available, which can limit its functionality for certain workflows.
  • Limited Language Support
    Thonny is designed primarily for Python and lacks support for other programming languages. This makes it less flexible for developers who work with multiple languages.
  • Basic Editor Features
    Essential features such as intelligent code completion, refactoring tools, and version control integration are present but not as sophisticated as in more professional IDEs, which could limit productivity for seasoned developers.
  • Less Frequent Updates
    Compared to more popular and commercially-backed IDEs, Thonny receives less frequent updates. This could mean slower adoption of new Python features and slower fixes for bugs.

CodeRunner features and specs

  • Multi-language Support
    CodeRunner supports a wide range of programming languages, making it a versatile tool for developers who need to work with multiple syntaxes.
  • Lightweight and Fast
    The application is designed to be lightweight, which results in fast performance and quick startup times compared to more resource-intensive IDEs.
  • Customizable Features
    CodeRunner offers users the ability to highly customize their coding environment, from themes to shortcuts, enhancing user productivity and comfort.
  • Integrated Debugging Tools
    Comes with built-in debugging tools which aid in identifying and resolving coding errors more efficiently.

Possible disadvantages of CodeRunner

  • Limited Advanced Tools
    While it covers basics well, CodeRunner might lack some of the advanced tools and plugins available in more comprehensive IDEs.
  • MacOS Exclusive
    CodeRunner is only available for MacOS, which limits its accessibility for users on other operating systems like Windows or Linux.
  • Not Free
    The application is not free, requiring a purchase, which might be a barrier for some users considering it alongside free alternatives.
  • Less Community Support
    Due to its smaller user base compared to popular IDEs like Visual Studio Code, community support and plugins might be more limited.

Thonny videos

Thonny - a Python IDE for beginners

More videos:

  • Review - Step Through Python Scripts With Thonny
  • Review - Introducing Thonny

CodeRunner videos

CGRundertow CODERUNNER for iPhone Video Game Review

More videos:

  • Review - CodeRunner - Review & Preview [Mac OS X Mavericks]
  • Review - Best Mac Developer Tool 2016 - CodeRunner 2 (Review)

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Thonny and CodeRunner)
Text Editors
79 79%
21% 21
IDE
80 80%
20% 20
Python IDE
100 100%
0% 0
Productivity
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 Thonny and CodeRunner

Thonny Reviews

  1. steve
    · retired ·
    I like Thonny

    I started an on-line python course that used Pycharm as its basis. I had previously used Thonny to look at code for various programs. I found Pycharm to be over-featured for a beginner like me. Thonny seems much more on my level so I am continuing the course using it instead. And successfully I might add.

CodeRunner Reviews

Top 10 Notepad++ Alternatives for Mac in 2022
Here we have discussed more Notedpad++ Mac alternatives. We discussed that it is actually not available on Mac. However, we have discussed different alternatives you can choose with your computer. These include Atom, Sunset Code, Brackets, BBEdit, SlickEdit, Komodo IDE, Coderunner, and Coda, among others. All of these have their own limitations, capabilities, and features,...
Source: www.imymac.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Thonny seems to be a lot more popular than CodeRunner. While we know about 111 links to Thonny, we've tracked only 4 mentions of CodeRunner. 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.

Thonny mentions (111)

  • Essential Software for Hardware Hackers: Your First IDE & Tools
    Raspberry Pi Pico (MicroPython): The Thonny IDE is highly recommended and often pre-installed in Raspberry Pi OS. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • Antirez/load81: SDL based Lua programming environment for kids similar to Codea
    The nice thing about Python is that because it's so pervasive as a teaching language, there are many tools for it that specifically cater to this niche. In particular, https://thonny.org is very nice for explaining basic programming concepts like expression evaluation and function calls. And yeah, turtle graphics is the time-honored method of teaching things like loops, recursion, and parametrization via functions... - Source: Hacker News / 7 months ago
  • Python: From Beginners to Pro in 30 Mins (Part 1)
    Thonny or IDLE are great starting points for beginners due to their simplicity. As you become more comfortable, VS Code or PyCharm Community Edition offers more features to help you develop your skills. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
  • FeedMyFurBabies – Send and Receive MQTT messages between AWS IoT Core and your micro-controller
    Install Thonny and run it. Then go to Tools -> Options, to configure the ESP32C3 device in Thonny to match the settings shown in the screenshot below. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Raspberry Pico Badger: Hardware Features and OS
    The recommended way to programm MicroPython on the Raspberry Pico is to use the Thonny IDE. Accessing the Badger with reveals the following file structure:. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
View more

CodeRunner mentions (4)

  • Simple compile and run?
    Https://coderunnerapp.com is a good lightweight alternative if you want to try out snippets of Swift code. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Xcode users how can I disable this blue line?
    BTW, if you're just start learning C++, get CodeRunner. Xcode is for project development, not a good learning tool. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Best IDE for C++ on M1 Mac
    I'm going to presage this by saying that if what you want from an IDE is that you can open a tab, tap in some C++, add some breakpoints if necessary and hit run, and if you're willing to spend $20, then I highly recommend CodeRunner. You can also set it up to invoke whatever you want to invoke for building, allowing you to use it as a full project-management IDE, but I usually don't bother with that. But it's... Source: almost 4 years ago
  • Your Username Story
    Mine is simple, probably wont win but I made this my username cause I like code, conuidentley coderunner is a program editor for macOS. Source: about 4 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Thonny and CodeRunner, you can also consider the following products

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

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

IDLE - Default IDE which come installed with the Python programming language.

SlickEdit - SlickEdit is a cross-platform, multi-language source code editor text editor that allows programmers to developer in over 40 languages on seven platforms.

Light Table - Light Table is a new interactive IDE that lets you modify running programs and embed anything from...

Spyder - The Scientific Python Development Environment