Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

VS Code VS GIMP

Compare VS Code VS GIMP and see what are their differences

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.

VS Code logo VS Code

Build and debug modern web and cloud applications, by Microsoft

GIMP logo GIMP

GIMP is a multiplatform photo manipulation tool.
  • VS Code Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-10-09
  • GIMP Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-30

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.

GIMP features and specs

  • Free and Open Source
    GIMP is completely free to use and open source, allowing users to download, modify, and distribute the software without any cost.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    GIMP is compatible with multiple operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux, providing flexibility for users on different platforms.
  • Extensive Plugin Support
    GIMP supports a wide range of plugins, which can be used to enhance functionality and customize the software to suit specific needs.
  • Powerful Editing Tools
    GIMP offers a comprehensive set of image editing tools for tasks such as photo retouching, image composition, and image authoring, suitable for both beginners and advanced users.

Possible disadvantages of GIMP

  • Complex Interface
    The user interface can be overwhelming and not as intuitive as other commercial software, which can pose a steep learning curve for new users.
  • Performance Issues
    Some users experience performance issues, such as slow rendering times, especially when working with large files or applying multiple layers and effects.
  • Limited Professional Features
    Compared to industry-standard software like Adobe Photoshop, GIMP lacks some advanced features and tools that professionals might need for high-end work.
  • Inconsistent Updates
    Updates and new features can be inconsistent, as the development relies on a community of volunteers rather than a dedicated team.

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

GIMP videos

Gimp vs Photoshop - Photo Editing Software - COMPARISON 2018

More videos:

  • Review - GIMP 2020 Preview and GIMP 2019 Recap
  • Review - 10 Reasons to Use GIMP in 2020 Over Photoshop

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to VS Code and GIMP)
Text Editors
100 100%
0% 0
Graphic Design Software
0 0%
100% 100
IDE
100 100%
0% 0
Image Editing
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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

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

GIMP Reviews

  1. Clipping Path universe
    · Working at Clipping Path ·
    A great site

    This is a great site for photo editing and the software is supper.

    👍 Pros:    Trusted

12 Best Free PosterMyWall Alternatives and Competitors
You can use GIMP as a basic paint tool, a high-quality photo editor, a tool to process many images at once online, a way to make lots of images, or even to change the format of an image. GIMP can do even more because you can add extra features to it using plugins and extensions. You can make it do just about anything you like.
Source: mockey.ai
10 Best Photopea Software Alternatives in 2024 (Free & Paid)
There are 1,439 votes for GIMP and 14 votes for Photopea. GIMP gets 4.3/5, and Photopea gets 4.8/5. These rankings come from real user reviews and can help you choose between the two based on your industry’s needs.
Best Adobe Photoshop alternatives of 2024
In our experience, GIMP was slightly less responsive and used a few more resources than its proprietary counterpart, but this can be easily forgiven on the basis that GIMP always has been and always will be free and open source.
10 Best Adobe Illustrator Alternatives
Check out GIMP, one of the best free Illustrator alternatives which is ideal for any creative.
16+ Best Web Design Software in 2022 (Ranked by a Trusted Expert)
GIMP stands for GNU Image Manipulation Program. It’s a free and open-source software for editing images and a valuable tool to have in your arsenal.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, VS Code seems to be a lot more popular than GIMP. While we know about 1144 links to VS Code, we've tracked only 59 mentions of GIMP. 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 (1144)

  • #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 / 3 days ago
  • Build Python Docker Development Environment on Win11 from Scratch
    Download VSCode through the following URL Https://code.visualstudio.com/. - Source: dev.to / 9 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 / 9 days ago
  • What's Happening in Developer Tools? (OpenAI Just Bought Windsurf for $3B)
    Microsoft's Visual Studio Code is a free code editor that relies on community plugins for support across various languages and frameworks. It also has an AI offering, Copilot, that provides code completion and it just added its own agent. VSCode supports multiple LLMs, but initially, there seemed to be a preference for ChatGPT, in part given its early lead and no doubt influenced by the fact Microsoft was an early... - Source: dev.to / 14 days ago
  • Your first MCP Server (quick)
    Explore different MCP Clients too! You can continue using ollmcp as we did earlier, or try other clients like Claude Desktop, Visual Studio Code, and more to see how different environments interact with your server. - Source: dev.to / 14 days ago
View more

GIMP mentions (59)

  • Yurt Calculator
    Image Creative Commons (CC) BY-SA-NC 2005-2017, developed, designed and written by René K. Müller Graphics & illustrations made with Inkscape, Tgif, Gimp, PovRay, GD.pm Web-Site powered by FreeBSD & Debian/Linux - 100% Open Source. Source: about 2 years ago
  • I just cannot understand why they did Paint so bad
    Paint.NET for a familiar paradigm with nicer features. Pinta for an old school, simple Paint experience. Krita for more advanced drawing. Gimp for editing/manipulating photos. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Had to make This after seeing all the post over and over again
    If you don't want to pay for photoshop, check out the Gnu Image Manipulation Program at http://gimp.org which is free. It has most of what you'd want photoshop for. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Super, just Super.
    As good as this suggestion is, without proper links and explanation it means nothing. GEGL is a type of plugins for GIMP, which can adjust the settings of already present effects and create new ones. The most notable ones are made by LinuxBeaver. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Useful apps for Ux designers
    GIMP: FOSS alternative to Photoshop. Like Inkscape, it’s not directly related to UI, but might be handy. Source: over 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing VS Code and GIMP, 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.

Adobe Photoshop - Adobe Photoshop is a webtop application for editing images and photos online.

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

Krita - Krita is a professional FREE and open source painting program. It is made by artists that want to seaffordable art tools for everyone. Concept art. texture and matte painters, illustrations and comics.

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

Affinity Photo - Affinity is the imaging and design suite for creative professionals exclusively for Mac.