Software Alternatives & Startups

VS Code VS Ghostty

Compare VS Code VS Ghostty 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
Ghostty

A fast, feature-rich, and cross-platform terminal emulator

No screenshot yet
Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, VS Code seems to be a lot more popular than Ghostty. While we know about 1219 links to VS Code, we've tracked only 30 mentions of Ghostty.

social mentions
1,219 vs 30
Text Editors popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
240+ vs 154

Base details

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

VS Code
Ghostty
Website code.visualstudio.com ghostty.org
Pricing
Open source
Open source
Company Startup from the United States —
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

VS Code 8 features
Ghostty 4 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.
  • Easy-to-Use Interface
    Ghostty offers a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate, making it accessible for users of all experience levels.
  • Enhanced Privacy
    The platform emphasizes user privacy, ensuring that personal data is kept secure and not shared without consent.
  • Multiple Platforms Supported
    Ghostty supports a wide range of platforms, allowing users to connect and share content across different networks seamlessly.
  • Customizable Features
    Users have the option to customize settings and features, enabling them to tailor their experience to their specific needs.

Possible disadvantages

  • Limited Free Version
    The free version of Ghostty offers limited features, which may restrict functionality for users not willing to upgrade to a paid plan.
  • Occasional Downtime
    Some users have reported occasional downtime or connectivity issues, which can disrupt the user experience.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    While the basic interface is easy to use, some advanced features require a learning curve and may be more complex for new users.
  • Subscription Cost
    Users may find the subscription cost for premium features to be relatively high compared to similar services.

Analysis

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

VS Code
Ghostty

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.

No analysis of Ghostty yet.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

VS Code 2 videos + Add
Ghostty 3 videos + Add

My New Favorite Text Editor - Visual Studio Code

More videos

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

Ghostty is Probably The Best Terminal Emulator I've Ever Used

More videos

  • - so i tried ghostty...
  • - Ghostty is a Fast and Feature-Rich Terminal

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
Ghostty
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
IDE
0% 0%
93% 93%
7% 7%

User comments

Share your experience with using VS Code and Ghostty. 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
Ghostty no reviews yet

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We have no reviews of Ghostty 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
Ghostty 30 mentions

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  • Pi 1.0
    Have you tried a different terminal app, such as Ghostty? https://ghostty.org/ has a Mac build, and handles italics properly. That might solve your issue without having to edit any configuration files. Plus, as a side benefit, Ghostty... - Source: Hacker News / 12 days ago
  • Making Ghostty and herdr share one keyboard
    I've been on Ghostty for about 8 months. Last week I added herdr, a multiplexer built around running coding agents (Claude Code, Codex, opencode and friends) in panes. Ghostty already has tabs and splits, with Cmd shortcuts I use all... - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • I built a native macOS terminal so I'd stop losing track of my AI agents
    So I built a terminal. It's called viterm: a native macOS app in Swift + AppKit, with rendering handled by libghostty. MIT licensed. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago

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Alternatives to VS Code and Ghostty

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