Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

VS Code VS Bluefish Editor

Compare VS Code VS Bluefish Editor and see what are their differences

VS Code logo VS Code

Build and debug modern web and cloud applications, by Microsoft

Bluefish Editor logo Bluefish Editor

Home of the Bluefish Editor, a powerful editor targeted towards programmers and webdesigners. It supports working with local and remote files, syntax highlighting and a WYSIWYN interface.
  • VS Code Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-10-09
  • Bluefish Editor Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-19

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.

Bluefish Editor features and specs

  • Lightweight
    Bluefish Editor is known for being lightweight, which means it consumes relatively low system resources and performs efficiently even on older hardware.
  • Fast Performance
    The editor offers rapid performance and quick loading times, making it ideal for handling large files and complex projects without slowing down.
  • Syntax Highlighting
    Bluefish supports syntax highlighting for a wide range of programming and markup languages, improving readability and aiding in debugging and development.
  • Multiple Platforms
    Bluefish is available for Linux, Windows, and macOS, providing a consistent development environment across different operating systems.
  • Powerful Search and Replace
    The editor offers robust search and replace functionalities, including support for regular expressions, enabling efficient code manipulation.
  • Integrated Development Tools
    Bluefish includes built-in tools and features that facilitate web development, such as project management, auto-completion, and error detection.
  • Free and Open Source
    As a free and open-source software, Bluefish allows users to contribute to its development and customize the editor according to their needs without any cost.

Possible disadvantages of Bluefish Editor

  • User Interface
    The user interface of Bluefish is somewhat dated and not as polished as some other modern code editors, which might deter users who prioritize aesthetics.
  • Learning Curve
    For beginners, Bluefish may have a steep learning curve due to its extensive range of features and customizable options, which can be overwhelming initially.
  • Limited Plugin Ecosystem
    Compared to more popular editors like Visual Studio Code or Sublime Text, Bluefish has a more limited plugin ecosystem, reducing the ability to extend its functionality.
  • No Integrated Version Control
    Bluefish lacks integrated version control support (e.g., Git), requiring users to use external tools for version management, which can be inconvenient.
  • Fewer Collaboration Features
    The editor does not have built-in features for real-time collaboration or pair programming, which some modern IDEs and editors offer.
  • Less Frequent Updates
    Updates and new feature releases for Bluefish are less frequent compared to some other popular editors, potentially leading to slower adaptation of new technologies.

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

Bluefish Editor videos

Replacing Dreamweaver with Bluefish Editor

More videos:

  • Review - A quick look at Bluefish Editor
  • Review - Ojambo - Review Bluefish Editor (vs 0014)

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to VS Code and Bluefish Editor)
Text Editors
98 98%
2% 2
CMS
0 0%
100% 100
IDE
98 98%
2% 2
Developer Tools
100 100%
0% 0

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 Bluefish Editor

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

Bluefish Editor Reviews

Top 8 Dreamweaver Alternatives for Web Designers
Bluefish is yet another open-sourced tool for building web pages in matter of seconds. You can use this superb tool in your Windows or Mac or Linux powered devices, and the tool would do its job very well! Even though you cannot use the power of WYSIWYG Editing in the tool, additional features such as the support for Google Go, Ruby etc, FTP support, spell-checker, preview...
Source: xtendedview.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, VS Code seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 1138 times 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.

VS Code mentions (1138)

  • Why Understanding, Not Just Generating Code, Still Matters
    To do this, I used VS Code, an extension called Cline configured in Act mode, and Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 03-25, which is amazing. I made two attempts. The first one using a simple and very generic prompt, and a second one using a more detailed prompt. Let’s talk about them. - Source: dev.to / 2 days ago
  • 🚀 Your First Setup Win: Python and VS Code on Mac (Beginner Friendly)
    I visited code.visualstudio.com and clicked the big, inviting "Download for Mac" button. After downloading, I opened the .zip file, dragged the VS Code app into my Applications folder, and launched it. - Source: dev.to / 6 days ago
  • Vibe coding a GO CLI to extract data from articles
    For this challenge we will use Visual Studio Code and Anthropic Claude (Claude 3.7 Sonnet). Also, Go lang must be installed. I am running Fedora Linux. - Source: dev.to / 8 days ago
  • How to Run and Debug Tests in VS Code (With Keploy Integration)
    VS Code installed on your machine (available from here). - Source: dev.to / 26 days ago
  • Get Started with DeepSeek API for FREE: Guide with Multiple Tools!🔥
    Get your hands on VS Code by downloading it from the official website - your new coding command center. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
View more

Bluefish Editor mentions (0)

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

What are some alternatives?

When comparing VS Code and Bluefish Editor, 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.

Nova Code Editor - Nova Code Editor is software that is used for writing and editing codes.

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

Google Web Designer - Google Web Designer is a free, professional-grade HTML5 authoring tool. Build interactive, animated HTML5 creative, no coding necessary.

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

SquareSpace - Squarespace is the easiest way for anyone to create an exceptional website. Pages, galleries, blogs, e-commerce, domains, hosting, analytics, 24/7 support - all included.