Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

VS Code VS Arduino

Compare VS Code VS Arduino and see what are their differences

VS Code logo VS Code

Build and debug modern web and cloud applications, by Microsoft

Arduino logo Arduino

Build your own electronics
  • VS Code Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-10-09
  • Arduino Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-08-01

VS Code features and specs

  • Cross-platform
    VS Code works on Windows, macOS, and Linux, providing a consistent development experience across different operating systems.
  • Extensibility
    A vast library of extensions allows users to add functionalities like debuggers, linters, and themes, making it highly customizable.
  • Integrated Git
    Built-in Git integration makes it easy to manage version control tasks directly within the editor.
  • Performance
    Lightweight compared to full-fledged IDEs, ensuring good performance even on systems with limited resources.
  • IntelliSense
    Advanced code completion and refactoring tools help improve coding efficiency and reduce errors.
  • Community Support
    A strong and active community provides extensive support, tutorials, and third-party extensions.
  • Debugging
    Robust debugging tools for various languages and frameworks are available out of the box.
  • Free and Open-Source
    VS Code is completely free to use and open-source, which is beneficial for both individual developers and organizations.

Possible disadvantages of VS Code

  • Limited IDE Features
    While extensible, it may lack some advanced features found in dedicated IDEs out of the box.
  • Extension Management
    Managing and configuring a large number of extensions can become cumbersome and sometimes lead to performance issues.
  • Learning Curve
    Although user-friendly, it has a steeper learning curve for beginners due to its numerous features and customization options.
  • Memory Usage
    Despite being lightweight, it can consume a significant amount of memory when multiple extensions are installed.
  • Update Frequency
    Frequent updates may sometimes introduce bugs or require users to adapt to new changes quickly.
  • Internet Dependency
    Some features and extensions may require an internet connection to function optimally.
  • Telemetry
    By default, VS Code collects usage data, which might be a concern for users sensitive about data privacy. However, this can be disabled.

Arduino features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    Arduino provides a user-friendly platform, especially for beginners, with an intuitive IDE and a wide range of libraries that simplify coding and hardware control.
  • Large Community
    A vast, active community of users and developers who share knowledge, projects, and provide support through forums, tutorials, and documentation.
  • Open Source
    Both the hardware and software are open source, allowing users to modify, enhance, and create custom projects with the freedom provided by open standards.
  • Diverse Range of Boards
    Arduino offers a wide variety of boards and shields with different capabilities, allowing users to choose the right platform for their specific needs.
  • Cost-Effective
    Arduino boards are generally affordable, making it accessible for hobbyists, students, and educators to experiment and prototype without significant investment.

Possible disadvantages of Arduino

  • Limited Processing Power
    Compared to other microcontrollers and development platforms, Arduino boards typically have lower processing power, which might not be suitable for projects requiring heavy computation.
  • Limited Memory
    Most Arduino boards have limited RAM and storage, which can restrict the complexity of the programs and projects they can handle.
  • Less Suitable for Advanced Projects
    For complex projects requiring more power or advanced features, professional developers might find Arduino's capabilities to be limiting.
  • Dependency on an External Computer
    Arduino's development process often requires a computer for programming and debugging, which might not be ideal in some standalone or embedded applications.
  • Limited Support for Multitasking
    Arduino’s architecture isn't inherently designed for multitasking, which can pose challenges when trying to run multiple processes simultaneously.

Analysis of VS Code

Overall verdict

  • Yes, VS Code is generally considered a good choice for developers due to its flexibility, efficiency, and strong community support. It is lightweight, fast, and user-friendly, catering to both novice and experienced developers.

Why this product is good

  • VS Code, developed by Microsoft, is a widely popular and versatile code editor. It offers a robust extension ecosystem, which allows developers to customize their workflow and coding environment extensively. Additionally, VS Code supports numerous programming languages right out of the box and provides features like IntelliSense, debugging, Git integration, and a built-in terminal, making it a powerful tool for developers.

Recommended for

  • Web developers looking for a comprehensive yet lightweight coding environment.
  • Software developers who need an editor with extensive language support and customization options.
  • Beginner programmers who would benefit from a feature-rich editor that can grow with their skills.
  • Developers interested in an open-source tool with continuous updates and community-driven enhancements.

VS Code videos

My New Favorite Text Editor - Visual Studio Code

More videos:

  • Review - 7 reasons why I switched to Visual Studio Code from Sublime Text

Arduino videos

Arduino Starter Kit REVIEW

More videos:

  • Review - 🔴 Arduino Unboxing: Arduino vs Elegoo Uno R3 Starter Kit: best kits for your projects
  • Review - The 5 Best Arduino Starter Kits for 2021

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to VS Code and Arduino)
Text Editors
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
98 98%
2% 2
IDE
100 100%
0% 0
IoT Platform
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 VS Code and Arduino

VS Code Reviews

  1. dksinden
    · Working at SpeechKit ·

Boost Your Productivity with These Top Text Editors and IDEs
Visual Studio Code, commonly known as VS Code, is a powerful and extensible code editor developed by Microsoft. With its rich ecosystem of extensions and features like IntelliSense, debugging, and Git integration, VS Code enhances your coding productivity.
Source: convesio.com
13 Best Text Editors to Speed up Your Workflow
Finally, the Visual Studio Code website has numerous tabs for you to learn about the software. The documentation page walks you through steps like the setup and working with different languages. You’re also able to check out some tips and tricks and learn all of the Visual Studio Code keyboard shortcuts. Along with a blog, updates page, extensions library and API...
Source: kinsta.com
Jupyter Notebook & 10 Alternatives: Data Notebook Review [2023]
Previously, VS Code was more suited to developers or engineers due to its lack of data analysis capabilities, but since 2020, the VS Code team has collaborated with the Jupyter team to create an integrated notebook within VS Code. The end result is a fantastic IDE workbook for data analysis.
Source: lakefs.io
The Best IDEs for Java Development: A Comparative Analysis
Overview: Although not a traditional IDE, VS Code has gained popularity as a lightweight code editor.
Source: dev.to
20 Best Diff Tools to Compare File Contents on Linux
Visual studio code is a code editor made by Microsoft. It supports several development operations like debugging, task running, and version control. It works on Linux, macOS and Windows operating systems.
Source: linuxopsys.com

Arduino Reviews

We have no reviews of Arduino yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, VS Code seems to be a lot more popular than Arduino. While we know about 1146 links to VS Code, we've tracked only 63 mentions of Arduino. 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.

VS Code mentions (1146)

  • What Are the Best Code Editors for Collaborative Coding?
    Visual Studio Code is a highly popular, lightweight, and versatile code editor. Its Live Share extension transforms it into a powerful collaborative tool. With Live Share, developers can co-edit and co-debug codes in real-time, making it easier to handle complex projects together. It offers:. - Source: dev.to / 14 days ago
  • Before the Code: Why I Chose Web Development and How I Got Started
    Built-in terminal (you’ll love this later) Download it here. - Source: dev.to / 15 days ago
  • #The Chronicles of Sam: 10,000 Hours to Say “Hi” Automatically 💬
    Somewhere between enabling CORS and accidentally enabling IAM authentication, Sam backed out slowly and did what all developers eventually do when faced with AWS UI: They closed the tab and opened [VSCode 🖥️].(https://code.visualstudio.com/). - Source: dev.to / 21 days ago
  • Build Python Docker Development Environment on Win11 from Scratch
    Download VSCode through the following URL Https://code.visualstudio.com/. - Source: dev.to / 27 days ago
  • How to Handle File Uploads with Node.js and Express - Multer Edition
    A text editor or lightweight IDE such as Visual Studio Code. - Source: dev.to / 27 days ago
View more

Arduino mentions (63)

  • Tips
    I was gonna say the arduino.cc site but that works too. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Help? DFR Nano Unresponsive
    When you write your code and compile it, what environment are you doing it in? Are you using an online cloud service like arduino.cc's IoT cloud? Or have you downloaded and installed the Arduino IDE application from arduino.cc's software download page? Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Need help with a sound module
    There are tons of libraries for the Arduino platform that people have written and there are many available for use with this module, so you don't have to do any super heavy lifting programming-wise. In the Arduino IDE you can download from arduino.cc I installed a couple of libraries just now as a test. The reason I installed them is because almost every library comes with several short example programs showing... Source: almost 2 years ago
  • What to do after Paul McWhorter's New Arduino Tutorials?
    Did all of it make sense? Could you do the projects he shows by yourself without starting and stopping the video? That might show areas that you would want to brush up on. Another great idea is to go through all of the commands on the arduino.cc language reference page. Make sure you instinctively understand what each function listed does and experiment with any that you aren't familiar with. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • LCD on pc
    There are also IoT cloud style dashboards at places like arduino.cc that let you add various widgets for dials and controls to represent the data you have locally with your Arduino. Source: about 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing VS Code and Arduino, you can also consider the following products

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.

Iotellect - Iotellect helps businesses on all continents to develop, deliver and operate IoT/IIoT solutions, services and products.

Vim - Highly configurable text editor built to enable efficient text editing

Ubidots - A cloud service to capture and make sense of sensor data

Notepad++ - A free source code editor which supports several programming languages running under the MS Windows environment.

Amazon AWS - Amazon Web Services offers reliable, scalable, and inexpensive cloud computing services. Free to join, pay only for what you use.