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Thonny VS Spacemacs with Python layer

Compare Thonny VS Spacemacs with Python layer and see what are their differences

Thonny logo Thonny

Python IDE for beginners

Spacemacs with Python layer logo Spacemacs with Python layer

A community-driven Emacs distribution - The best editor is neither Emacs nor Vim, it's Emacs *and* Vim! - syl20bnr/spacemacs
  • Thonny Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-15
  • Spacemacs with Python layer Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-26

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 donโ€™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.

Spacemacs with Python layer features and specs

  • Rich Feature Set
    Spacemacs with the Python layer provides a comprehensive set of features such as code completion, syntax checking, and code navigation. These features enhance productivity and help streamline the development process for Python projects.
  • Consistent Keybindings
    Spacemacs offers a consistent, mnemonic keybinding system that integrates both Vim-like and Emacs-like keybindings. This allows users to benefit from the efficiency of modal editing while still having access to Emacs functionalities.
  • Customizability
    Spacemacs is highly customizable, allowing users to configure their environment to suit specific preferences or project requirements. The layer system makes it easier to add or remove features as needed.
  • Community Support
    Spacemacs has a large, active community that contributes to its development and provides support through forums and chat channels. This ensures that users can find help and resources to resolve issues or learn new functionalities.

Possible disadvantages of Spacemacs with Python layer

  • Steep Learning Curve
    For beginners, Spacemacs can be intimidating due to its complex configuration options and the need to understand both Vim and Emacs concepts. This can result in a longer onboarding period for new users.
  • Performance Overhead
    The extensive customization and feature set of Spacemacs can result in a performance overhead, especially for users on older or less powerful hardware. This may affect the speed and responsiveness of the editor.
  • Dependency Management
    While Spacemacs automates many aspects of configuration, managing dependencies and external tools (like Python interpreters and linters) can still present challenges, requiring manual intervention or additional configuration.
  • Complex Configuration
    Although one of its strengths is customizability, the complexity of Spacemacs' configuration system can be a drawback for those who want a straightforward, out-of-the-box solution and are not interested in tweaking settings.

Analysis of Thonny

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Thonny is highly regarded as a good choice for beginner programmers, particularly those starting with Python. It effectively balances simplicity and functionality, making it an excellent tool for educational purposes.

Why this product is good

  • Thonny is a beginner-friendly Python IDE designed to make programming more accessible and understandable for newcomers. It offers an intuitive interface, a simple debugger, and features like variable tracing and expression evaluation that are particularly helpful for beginners. Its design minimizes distractions and helps in focusing on learning the basics of programming without being overwhelmed by complex features.

Recommended for

  • Beginners learning Python.
  • Educational environments and coding classrooms.
  • Users who prefer a simple and clean interface without extra complexity.
  • Those interested in a straightforward setup to start coding quickly.

Thonny videos

Thonny - a Python IDE for beginners

More videos:

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

Spacemacs with Python layer videos

No Spacemacs with Python layer videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Thonny and Spacemacs with Python layer)
Text Editors
80 80%
20% 20
IDE
72 72%
28% 28
Python IDE
100 100%
0% 0
Software Development
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 Spacemacs with Python layer

Thonny Reviews

  1. steve
    ยท retired ยท
    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.

Spacemacs with Python layer Reviews

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Thonny seems to be a lot more popular than Spacemacs with Python layer. While we know about 113 links to Thonny, we've tracked only 7 mentions of Spacemacs with Python layer. 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 (113)

  • Hacking with Raspberry Pico: Data Exfiltration with a Captive Portal
    The Pico reboots itself. Then, open the Thonny IDE, configure the interpreter to "MicroPython (Raspberry Pi Pico)", and select your connected board. Using Thonny's file explorer, you can add the required library. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Adafruit: Arduino's rules are 'incompatible with Open Source'
    There is a version of Thonny[1] designed for use with the Pico that is great for education. Raspberry Pi have some good resources on getting started[2]. If your target audience is school kids, you really can't go past the micro:bit and Makecode[3]. 1. https://thonny.org 2. https://projects.raspberrypi.org/en/projects/getting-started-with-the-pico/2 3. https://makecode.microbit.org. - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
  • 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 / over 1 year 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 / almost 2 years 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 / about 2 years ago
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Spacemacs with Python layer mentions (7)

  • Emacs bankruptcy
    Spacemacs (most stars & most contributors) and DoomEmacs (most commits) were 1st and 2nd, but I wanted to keep emacs key binding and so I chose spacemacs with emacs bindings. Source: over 3 years ago
  • What "set and forget" flexible VIM setup would you recommend?
    Oh I see. Alternative, and I know it's not Vim, but Spacemacs (the project Spacevim is based on) is quite active. It comes with Vim emulation, some people say it's even better than Vim itself (evil-mode). Source: over 4 years ago
  • What language is .spacemacs written in?
    Open the [https://github.com/syl20bnr/spacemacs](repository) and check the languages used in the github page. It's emacs lisp. Source: over 4 years ago
  • Making Emacs feels less 80s
    If you want a "modern" version of Emacs that "works" out of the box, I would recommend using a distribution like Doom Emacs or Spacemacs. I personally have never used Spacemacs as a daily driver, but it seems to look more modern. Doom Emacs is faster, and more minimal. Depends on your choice. Source: almost 5 years ago
  • [Blog post] Recommendations
    Also, if you don't wanna bother configuring all of emacs yourself, there are prebuilt distributions around like spacemacs or doom emacs as well. Source: about 5 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Thonny and Spacemacs with Python layer, 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...

PyScripter - PyScripter is a free and open-source Python Integrated Development Environment (IDE) created with...

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

Doom Emacs - Emacs configuration similar to Spacemacs but faster and lighter.

PyDev - PyDev is a third-party plug-in for Eclipse.

PaizaCloud - PaizaCloud IDE is a programming platform that allows developers to do coding efficiently.