Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

VS Code VS Dillinger

Compare VS Code VS Dillinger and see what are their differences

VS Code logo VS Code

Build and debug modern web and cloud applications, by Microsoft

Dillinger logo Dillinger

joemccann has 95 repositories available. Follow their code on GitHub.
  • VS Code Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-10-09
  • Dillinger Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-10-09

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.

Dillinger features and specs

  • Real-time Markdown Rendering
    Dillinger provides live rendering of Markdown text, allowing users to see a side-by-side preview of their formatted text.
  • Cloud Integration
    It offers integration with cloud services like Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, and GitHub, making it easy to save and manage documents.
  • User-friendly Interface
    The platform boasts an intuitive and clean interface, which makes it easy for both beginners and experienced users to navigate and use effectively.
  • Export Options
    Dillinger supports exporting documents in multiple formats, including Markdown, HTML, and PDF, providing flexibility in how users can use their content.
  • Open Source
    As an open-source platform, Dillinger allows developers to contribute to the project or customize the tool for their specific needs.

Possible disadvantages of Dillinger

  • Limited Offline Support
    Dillinger is primarily a web-based application and requires an internet connection for full functionality, limiting its usability offline.
  • Basic Markdown Features
    While it covers the basics well, advanced Markdown features or plugins might be missing compared to more comprehensive editors.
  • Dependency on External Services
    Heavy reliance on third-party cloud services may be a drawback for users who prefer to keep their data localized or have privacy concerns.
  • No Native Desktop Application
    Dillinger does not offer a native desktop application, which might be a disadvantage for users who prefer or require desktop-based tools.
  • Limited Customization
    While the interface is user-friendly, it offers limited customization options in terms of themes and editor settings compared to some other Markdown editors.

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.

Analysis of Dillinger

Overall verdict

  • Dillinger is considered a good Markdown editor, especially for users who need a straightforward tool with cloud integration capabilities. Its user-friendly design and ability to handle Markdown documents effectively make it a reliable choice.

Why this product is good

  • Dillinger is a cloud-enabled, mobile-ready, offline-storage compatible, Markdown editor. It is known for its simplicity, ease of use, and ability to integrate with cloud storage services such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and GitHub. Users appreciate its clean interface and the ability to preview Markdown files in real-time. It also supports exporting documents in formats like HTML and PDF.

Recommended for

    Dillinger is recommended for developers, writers, and anyone who frequently works with Markdown documentation. It's particularly useful for those who need access to their documents across different devices or want to store them in the cloud.

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

Dillinger videos

The Dillinger Escape Plan - Dissociation ALBUM REVIEW

More videos:

  • Review - The Dillinger Escape Plan - One Of Us Is The Killer ALBUM REVIEW
  • Review - DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN Dissociation Album Review | Overkill Reviews

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to VS Code and Dillinger)
Text Editors
96 96%
4% 4
Markdown Editor
0 0%
100% 100
IDE
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using VS Code and Dillinger. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare VS Code and Dillinger

VS Code Reviews

  1. dksinden
    ยท Working at SpeechKit ยท

Choosing the Best SQL Server Tool in 2026
If you're a Windows DBA who mainly manages servers, SSMS is still hard to beat. SQL Server Data Tools makes the most sense for teams building database projects in Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code with the MSSQL extension is a good option for cross-platform development, and DBeaver works well if SQL Server is just one of several databases you manage.
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. Youโ€™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

Dillinger Reviews

We have no reviews of Dillinger 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 Dillinger. While we know about 1215 links to VS Code, we've tracked only 27 mentions of Dillinger. 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 (1215)

  • History of JavaScript: Browser wars, ECMAScript, Node.js, TypeScript, and React
    Visual Studio Code, a code editor created by Microsoft, was first introduced on April 29, 2015, at the Build conference. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • How to Get Your First Tool Online
    The step up from there is an editor with a built-in agent like Cursor, Google Antigravity, Windsurf, or VS Code with a coding extension. These are code editors with an AI agent living inside them, and the difference is the responsible party for getting things from place to place. Instead of the software creator shuttling code between windows, the AI agent edits the project files directly and runs the GitHub and... - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • Agentic Engineering: What Does AI Coding Really Cost?
    For IDE-heavy teams, BYOK (bring your own key) can be interesting, no matter whether you live in WebStorm or VS Code. On the JetBrains side, the JetBrains AI plans and Junie BYOK docs allow it, and most VS Code AI extensions offer the same idea: keep the IDE, connect provider keys, pay the provider. - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • Best Markdown Editors for Developers
    Option 1: Raw editing in IDE. You open the .md file in VS Code or whatever you use. Syntax highlighting shows you the structure. Maybe you toggle a preview pane. This works for quick edits but becomes painful for anything involving tables, diagrams, or complex formatting. - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • Document Generation for Developers: Security, Compliance, and Build-vs-Buy Decisions for the Template-Plus-Data Pipeline
    You'll need Python 3.8+ and pip for the quickstart, with venv recommended for isolation. Install the requests library for HTTP calls. VS Code with the Python extension works well as an editor, though PyCharm or Sublime Text work equally well. You'll also need a free Foxit developer account. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
View more

Dillinger mentions (27)

  • 5 Killer FREE Markdown Editors You Need in 2025
    Dillinger (Online - https://dillinger.io/): For a straightforward online experience, Dillinger is a solid choice. It offers split-screen viewing with live preview and supports saving to various platforms. It's a no-frills option that gets the job done efficiently. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • Markdown Syntax & Features: A Comprehensive 2025 Guide
    Dillinger - A cloud-enabled, mobile-ready, offline-storage, AngularJS-powered, HTML5 Markdown editor. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • 100+ Must-Have Web Development Resources
    Dillinger: An online editor that offers cloud storage and supports various export formats like HTML5 and PDF. - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
  • Converting Markdown to PDF
    Simply access https://dillinger.io and paste your markdown code there. It has the option to export to PDF, as well as some other formats. - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
  • Building a simple but scalable blog using Astro
    I have used Markdown before (https://dillinger.io/) so wouldn't have a problem with using it again as long as on page SEO isn't any extra effort. I am not sure how I would use Markdown and then add the content to the blog to be deployed and if that is going to be much harder than a headless CMS, I would go for the headless. Source: almost 3 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing VS Code and Dillinger, 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.

Typora - A minimal Markdown reading & writing app.

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

StackEdit - Full-featured, open-source Markdown editor based on PageDown, the Markdown library used by Stack Overflow and the other Stack Exchange sites.

Node.js - Node.js is a platform built on Chrome's JavaScript runtime for easily building fast, scalable network applications

Markdown by DaringFireball - Text-to-HTML conversion tool/syntax for web writers, by John Gruber