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VS Code VS GNOME Builder

Compare VS Code VS GNOME Builder and see what are their differences

VS Code logo VS Code

Build and debug modern web and cloud applications, by Microsoft

GNOME Builder logo GNOME Builder

Builder is an IDE for GNOME that is focused on bringing the power of the platform to more...
  • VS Code Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-10-09
  • GNOME Builder Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-08-25

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.

GNOME Builder features and specs

  • Integrated Development Environment
    GNOME Builder offers a comprehensive IDE that supports an integrated suite of tools for development, including text editing, project management, and debugging.
  • GNOME Integration
    Seamlessly integrates with the GNOME desktop environment, providing a consistent look and feel and utilizing GNOME technologies effectively.
  • Language Support
    Supports a variety of programming languages, including C, C++, Python, JavaScript, and Rust, making it versatile for different types of projects.
  • Code Suggestions and Auto-Completion
    Improves coding efficiency with smart code suggestions, auto-completion features, and real-time syntax checking.
  • Debugger Integration
    Features integrated debugging tools that help developers identify and fix issues within their applications.
  • Version Control
    Supports version control systems like Git, allowing users to manage code changes and collaborate with others effectively.
  • Plugin System
    Extendable through plugins, enabling users to add functionality according to their needs.

Possible disadvantages of GNOME Builder

  • Limited Cross-Platform Support
    Primarily designed for Linux, particularly the GNOME environment, which may limit its usability on other operating systems like Windows or macOS.
  • Resource Intensive
    May consume more system resources compared to lightweight editors, which can be a consideration for users on lower-end hardware.
  • Learning Curve
    Although designed to be user-friendly, the abundance of features can be overwhelming for new users or those who are used to simpler text editors.
  • Limited Non-GNOME Integration
    While excellent for GNOME, users of other desktop environments might find the integration less seamless, affecting workflow.
  • Smaller Community
    Compared to more established IDEs, has a smaller user base and community, which might affect the availability of tutorials and third-party plugins.

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.

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

GNOME Builder videos

Messing around with: GNOME Builder - Part 1

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to VS Code and GNOME Builder)
Text Editors
99 99%
1% 1
IDE
99 99%
1% 1
Developer Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Software Development
99 99%
1% 1

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 GNOME Builder

VS Code Reviews

  1. dksinden
    ยท Working at SpeechKit ยท

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
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

GNOME Builder Reviews

  1. Supervik
    ยท None at None ยท
    GNOME Builder is best IDE for Linux development

    GNOME Builder is fast, clean & simple IDE for GTK application development (on Linux), integrated support for Git and easy possibility to publish the application on FlatHub. This is probably the best IDE for developing applications on Linux

    ๐Ÿ Competitors: KDevelop
    ๐Ÿ‘ Pros:    Intuitive|Super simple|Clear|Fast|Integrated support for git|Easy publication of the application on flathub thanks to the automatically generated manifest|Super localization
    ๐Ÿ‘Ž Cons:    Nothing

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, VS Code seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 1177 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 (1177)

  • Improve Your Git Commit Messages with GitLens Tips
    To generate the commit messages, first of all, you have to change your codebase ๐Ÿ˜Ž After that, when you are ready to commit, itโ€™s time to generate the message. To do that, you need to go to the Source Control panel in VSCode, and if you have the GitLens extension installed, you can use the โ€œMagicโ€ icon to generate the message. - Source: dev.to / 1 day ago
  • How to upload SDI FatturaPA invoices with C#
    We use the dotnet tool and VS Code as they are available on most systems, but you can follow along with your favourite IDE (Visual Studio, Rider, etc.) if you prefer. - Source: dev.to / 3 days ago
  • An Experiment with AI Assisted Web Development
    As a productive learning exercise, I spent the last couple of evenings taking Cursor (the desktop code editor that is a fork of VS Code) for a spin to build a new web app I needed for a side project โ€“ a system to manage charity raffle tickets at the 2025 Melbourne Pen & Stationery Show I am helping to run soon. - Source: dev.to / 4 days ago
  • Go (Golang) - Environment Setup
    Download: Get it from its official site: code.visualstudio.com. - Source: dev.to / 6 days ago
  • Microsoft: An Open-Source Comedy
    Since the beginning of opensource ideology, Microsoft has been one of those companies that no one ever expected to join the cause. Weirdly enough, They did! By making PowerShell opensource, and more important than that: by introducing Visual Studio Code to the world of programming. Microsoft vscode is one the fastest text editors out there and, thanks to its massive list of extensions, one of the best most-used... - Source: dev.to / 14 days ago
View more

GNOME Builder mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of GNOME Builder yet. Tracking of GNOME Builder recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing VS Code and GNOME Builder, 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.

Code::Blocks - Code::Blocks is a free C++ IDE built to meet the most demanding needs of its users.

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

Geany - Lightweight IDE for Linux and Windows

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

Zenity - Zenity is a tool that allows you to display GTK dialog boxes in commandline and shell scripts.