Software Alternatives & Startups

VS Code VS BadDrafts

Compare VS Code VS BadDrafts and see what are their differences

VS Code

Build and debug modern web and cloud applications, by Microsoft

Rating
5.0 · 1 review
Pricing
Open source
BadDrafts

BadDrafts helps you overcome perfectionism and build a daily writing habit. Write badly. Write daily.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Freemium
Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, VS Code seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 1219 times since March 2021.

social mentions
1,219 vs 0
Text Editors popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
240+ vs 10

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

VS Code
BadDrafts
Website code.visualstudio.com baddrafts.com
Pricing
Open source
Platforms —
Web
Company Startup from the United States Startup from Hong Kong · 1 - 9 employees · 2026
Listed in

About VS Code and BadDrafts

In their own words, as submitted to SaaSHub.

VS Code
BadDrafts

No description of VS Code yet.

BadDrafts is a daily writing app built on a contrarian thesis: the reason most people don't write daily isn't time, it's the pressure to write something good. So BadDrafts inverts that. Each day you get an absurd prompt (write a Yelp review for the sun, your villain's origin story in emojis,...

Read more about BadDrafts

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

VS Code 8 features
BadDrafts 9 features
  • 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

  • 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.
  • Daily Absurd Prompts
    A fresh, deliberately ridiculous writing prompt every day. Removes the blank-page paralysis by making "writing badly" the explicit goal.
  • Streaks
    Track every day you write. Visual calendar plus current/longest streak counters give you a daily reason to come back.
  • Community Feed
    Read and upvote other writers' deliberately terrible drafts. The whole point is celebrating the worst, so reading the feed is genuinely fun.
  • Hall of Shame & Leaderboards
    Multiple rankings (Worst of the Week, Streak Kings, All-Time Worst) so every kind of writer has a way to climb.
  • Badges & Achievements
    Earn badges for streaks, milestones, and community glory. Collect them, show them off on your profile.
  • Chaos Mode
    Timed writing sprints with random prompts. Race the clock, no editing, no choosing. Pure adrenaline writing.
  • Writer Portfolios (Portfolio Pro)
    A professional, public portfolio page for serious writers ($3.99/mo). Showcase your best (or worst) work to clients and collaborators.
  • Gig Board (Portfolio Pro)
    A curated list of freelance writing jobs, updated weekly. Exclusive to Portfolio Pro members.
  • Expand a Prompt
    Found a prompt you love? Expand it into a full short story, novella, or even novel-length piece, in the same workspace.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

VS Code
BadDrafts

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.

Overall verdict

  • I don't have verified information about BadDrafts (baddrafts.com), so I can't confirm its quality, legitimacy, or reputation. Before using this service, I'd recommend independently verifying its offerings, checking recent user reviews, confirming business legitimacy, and researching its trust signals.

Why this product is good

  • No reliable or verified data available about this specific product/service
  • Unable to confirm claims about features, pricing, or quality
  • Cannot verify user satisfaction or track record
  • No access to real-time reviews or ratings for this site

Recommended for

  • Users should conduct their own research using review sites, forums, and the Better Business Bureau
  • Check domain registration age and company transparency
  • Look for verified customer testimonials before committing
  • Consider reaching out to the company directly with questions

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

VS Code 2 videos + Add
BadDrafts 0 videos + Add

My New Favorite Text Editor - Visual Studio Code

More videos

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

No BadDrafts videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
VS Code
BadDrafts
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
IDE
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing VS Code and BadDrafts.

What makes your product unique?

BadDrafts's answer:

The "write badly" thesis. Most writing apps treat writing like work, so the blank page feels like an obligation. BadDrafts inverts the pressure: the explicit goal is to write something terrible. Absurd prompts, a Terrible Score that rewards typos and clichés, leaderboards for the worst writers of the week, and a community that celebrates bad first drafts. Streaks and gamification reward consistency, not quality. It's the only writing app I've seen where "trying to write well" is the wrong move.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

BadDrafts's answer:

None of the alternatives let you write badly on purpose. 750words gives you a daily quota with no personality. Reedsy Prompts is a static library with no app, community, or streaks. r/writingprompts is a community but lives on Reddit with no structure. BadDrafts mashes all three (daily habit + absurd prompts + community gallery) together and wraps it in gamification that explicitly rewards consistency over quality. If you've ever opened a writing app, stared at the blank page, and closed it because you didn't feel like writing "something good," this is what you actually wanted.

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

BadDrafts's answer:

React + TypeScript (Vite) Tailwind CSS + shadcn/ui Supabase (Postgres, Auth, Edge Functions, Storage) TanStack Query React Router Stripe (subscriptions) Resend (transactional email) Capacitor (Android wrapper, in progress)

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

BadDrafts's answer:

Writers who want to write daily but get blocked by perfectionism. Aspiring fiction writers building a habit. BookTok and Substack-curious people experimenting with voice. The 30-something who keeps saying "I should write more" but hasn't opened Day One in six months. Comedy-leaning and absurdist-writing fans. Generally: people who want daily writing to feel like a 5-minute game on the bus, not a discipline they're failing at.

Who are some of the biggest customers of your product?

BadDrafts's answer:

Honestly: BadDrafts is in early access, MVP-stage, no enterprise customers and no paying users yet (Premium is dormant by design until the founding member cohort fills). The first 250 signups become Founding Members with Premium free for six months as a thank-you for showing up early. If you're reading this and want to be one of those 250, the door is open.

What's the story behind your product?

BadDrafts's answer:

I kept noticing the same thing: I'd open a writing app, stare at the blank page, close it. The barrier wasn't time. It was the implicit pressure to write something good before I'd even started. Existing tools either felt too precious (Day One), too publishable (Substack), or too lifeless (750words). So I built the opposite. A daily writing app where writing badly is the explicit goal, where absurd prompts remove the pressure to be original, and where the community celebrates terrible first drafts. Solo founder, MVP stage, learning from real users in real time.

User comments

Share your experience with using VS Code and BadDrafts. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

VS Code 5.0 · 1 review
BadDrafts no reviews yet

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

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

VS Code 1219 mentions
BadDrafts 0 mentions

View more

Tracking BadDrafts since May 2026.

Alternatives to VS Code and BadDrafts

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