Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

VS Code VS JOE

Compare VS Code VS JOE and see what are their differences

VS Code logo VS Code

Build and debug modern web and cloud applications, by Microsoft

JOE logo JOE

JOE is a full featured terminal-based screen editor which is distributed under the GNU General...
  • VS Code Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-10-09
  • JOE Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-10-01

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.

JOE features and specs

  • Lightweight
    JOE is a lightweight text editor that doesn't consume much system resources, making it ideal for use on older hardware or systems with limited resources.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The interface of JOE is relatively simple and familiar to users of classic text editors, which makes it easy to navigate without a steep learning curve.
  • Highly Configurable
    JOE offers extensive configuration options, allowing users to customize the editor according to their preferences and needs.
  • Keyboard Shortcuts
    The editor supports numerous keyboard shortcuts that help streamline tasks and enhance productivity for experienced users.
  • Support for Multiple File Types
    JOE can handle a variety of file types, making it versatile for different types of projects and use cases.

Possible disadvantages of JOE

  • Limited Advanced Features
    Compared to more modern editors, JOE lacks some of the advanced features and integrations that power users might expect, such as built-in code linting or version control system integration.
  • Steeper Learning Curve for Non-Traditional Users
    Users who are not familiar with command-line interfaces or text editors that rely heavily on keyboard shortcuts might find JOE difficult to learn and use effectively.
  • Less Community Support
    JOE does not have as large a user community as some other text editors, which means less community-driven plugins and extensions, as well as fewer resources for troubleshooting.
  • No Graphical User Interface
    As a terminal-based text editor, JOE does not offer a graphical user interface, which may not appeal to those who prefer more visually-oriented text editors.

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

JOE videos

Joe - Movie Review

More videos:

  • Review - Joe Movie Review (Schmoes Know)
  • Review - Barstool Pizza Review - Joe & Pat's Pizzeria

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to VS Code and JOE)
Text Editors
99 99%
1% 1
IDE
98 98%
2% 2
Developer Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Software Development
97 97%
3% 3

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 JOE

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

JOE Reviews

We have no reviews of JOE 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 JOE. While we know about 1143 links to VS Code, we've tracked only 17 mentions of JOE. 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 (1143)

  • Build Python Docker Development Environment on Win11 from Scratch
    Download VSCode through the following URL Https://code.visualstudio.com/. - Source: dev.to / 4 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 / 4 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 / 9 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 / 9 days ago
  • An Introduction to TypeScript for JavaScript Developers
    Better Tooling – Enhanced autocompletion, refactoring, and navigation in IDEs like VS Code. - Source: dev.to / 11 days ago
View more

JOE mentions (17)

  • Microsoft 365 Copilot launch was a total disaster
    Allow me to introduce you to WordStar, in the "modern" context of Joe's Own Editor. https://gizmodo.com/sci-fi-writer-releases-free-archive-of-legendary-word-processor-used-by-george-rr-martin-2000484618 https://joe-editor.sourceforge.io/ https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe%27s_Own_Editor. - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • WordStar – A Writer's Word Processor (1990)
    The Joe editor has "jstar" where if you invoke the editor as this command it loads the Wordstar keymapping and looks/operates with the WordStar keybindings and screen interface. https://joe-editor.sourceforge.io/. - Source: Hacker News / 11 months ago
  • Ask HN: Interesting TUIs (text user interfaces), maybe forgotten ones?
    > Unlike emacs or vim or even nano, it didn't have a bunch of invisible shortcut keys, just a Windows-like drop-down menu system (but rendered in DOS). You might like "joe", which was inspired by WordStar: . - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • WordStar: Arrogant, Difficult, Powerful (2022)
    I actually have a bound set for WordStar 4. If you want to use something similar on modern systems, try "Joe's Own Editor." https://joe-editor.sourceforge.io/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Micro – A Modern Alternative to Nano
    JOE is pretty nice https://joe-editor.sourceforge.io/ — a hybrid of WordStar and Emacs, and if you run it with `jstar` you get a pretty authentic WordStar experience which also reminds of the earliest Borland Turbo IDEs. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing VS Code and JOE, 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.

Micro - Modern terminal-based text editor

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

GNU nano - GNU nano is a small and friendly text editor.

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

IntelliJ IDEA - Capable and Ergonomic IDE for JVM