Software Alternatives & Startups

VS Code VS Rainway

Compare VS Code VS Rainway and see what are their differences

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VS Code logo VS Code

Build and debug modern web and cloud applications, by Microsoft

Rainway logo Rainway

Rainway is a free video game streaming service that allows you to play your favourite games on any device.
  • VS Code Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-10-09
  • Rainway Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-07-07

Rainway

$ Details
-
Release Date
2017 January
Startup details
Country
United States
State
Washington
City
Seattle
Founder(s)
Andrew Sampson
Employees
10 - 19

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.

Rainway features and specs

  • Accessibility
    Rainway allows you to stream your PC games to various devices, including phones, tablets, and other PCs, enabling you to play your games anywhere.
  • Platform Compatibility
    It is compatible with multiple operating systems and platforms, such as Windows, Android, iOS, and web browsers, providing versatile gaming options.
  • Free Service
    Rainway is free to use, removing the barrier of entry for users who might be reluctant to pay for a streaming service.
  • Low Latency
    The platform aims to offer low-latency streaming, making the gameplay experience smoother and more enjoyable.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The interface is designed to be intuitive and easy to navigate, making it accessible for users of all technical skill levels.

Possible disadvantages of Rainway

  • Internet Dependency
    A strong and stable internet connection is required for optimal performance, which can be a limiting factor in areas with poor internet infrastructure.
  • Hardware Requirements
    The performance of Rainway heavily depends on the power of your gaming PC, which may limit its effectiveness for users with lower-end hardware.
  • Potential Lag
    Despite aiming for low latency, users may occasionally experience lag or disruptions, particularly during high-demand periods or due to network issues.
  • Limited to PC Games
    Rainway is designed for streaming PC games, so it doesn’t support console-exclusive games, which limits its use for console gamers.
  • Privacy Concerns
    Since Rainway involves streaming data from your PC to other devices, there may be potential privacy concerns related to data security and unauthorized access.

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 Rainway

Overall verdict

  • Rainway is generally considered a good option for gamers looking to stream their PC games to other devices.

Why this product is good

  • Rainway offers a user-friendly interface, low-latency streaming, and wide device compatibility, allowing users to play games on various platforms such as smartphones, tablets, and even smart TVs. It supports high-quality graphics and smooth gameplay, making it an attractive choice for gamers who want flexibility in gaming locations. Additionally, it is free to use, which adds to its appeal.

Recommended for

    Rainway is recommended for PC gamers who want to play their games on different devices without being restricted to their primary gaming rig. It's ideal for those who value convenience and accessibility in their gaming experience, especially individuals who often travel or share gaming equipment.

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

Rainway videos

Rainway 1.0 Launch Review - Early 2019

More videos:

  • Review - Rainway Beta - First Impressions & Gameplay 2018
  • Review - Rainway Basics Part 1: Setting up Rainway

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to VS Code and Rainway)
Text Editors
100 100%
0% 0
Games
0 0%
100% 100
IDE
100 100%
0% 0
Game Streaming
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using VS Code and Rainway. 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 Rainway

VS Code Reviews

  1. dksinden
    · Working at SpeechKit ·

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. 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

Rainway Reviews

Top Remote Desktop Software for Gaming
Rainway cannot guarantee a high-quality and latency-free gaming experience. The quality of your game streaming with Rainway entirely depends on your internet connection. The better your connection is, the faster your game will perform.
Source: cloudzy.com
Moonlight game streaming alternatives
Rainway game streaming service is a very recent release. The application allows you to stream the games on your Windows 10 computer through any supported device via the internet. The service is free with no ads whatsoever. With all the features and reviews considered, it can surely be one of the alternatives for Moonlight game streaming. The only thing holding it back is its...
Source: androidgram.com
11 Best Parsec Alternatives & Similar Apps
Sometimes you will run into issues like slow connections, some bugs, and other technical problems. Still, Rainway is an excellent cloud gaming platform for almost any operating system. Thus, there is no reason to not give this software a try.
Stream games with these Google Stadia alternatives
In a similar vein to Google Stadia, Rainway allows you to host access your gaming PCs library of games across the internet via basically any browser. It claims to have an ultra-low delay for streaming, based on the Pulsar Engine, and can drive 1080p60 streams with low latency.
15 game streaming services you can try before Google Stadia arrives
Rainway is a game streaming service that allows you to remotely stream games from your preexisting Steam, Origin, Battle.net, or uPlay libraries, and its claim to fame is the web: you can stream games directly to a web browser window, as well as Mac or Windows PCs or Android phones, with an iOS version planned for a later date. Rainway makes sense if you want to stream games...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, VS Code seems to be a lot more popular than Rainway. While we know about 1216 links to VS Code, we've tracked only 14 mentions of Rainway. 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 (1216)

  • Introducing MonoLisa for Visual Studio Code
    While Visual Studio Code supports OpenType features for its code editor well, configuring those features can be complex as it relies on understanding related CSS syntax. On top of this, additional configuration may be required. Because of this purpose, we have introduced an official MonoLisa extension for VS Code (Open VSX). Depending on the version you have installed, it guides you in configuration. On top of... - Source: dev.to / 6 days ago
  • 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 / 2 months 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 / 3 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 / 3 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 / 3 months ago
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Rainway mentions (14)

  • iPad Pro M2
    Code-server https://github.com/coder/code-server works fairly well and can be saved to the home screen as a web applet to get rid of the browser URL bar. Their are a few UI issues related to touch but it has server well enough for some light work. You can also use an remote apps like Rainway/TeamViewer/RDP/VNC somewhat successfully to get a more full desktop experience. Unfortunately they all seem to have their... - Source: Hacker News / almost 4 years ago
  • why you shouldn't buy shadow.
    Rent your Server own at Google, Amazon or even Microsoft Microsoft has also a Windows in the Cloud Service There is Amazon with LUNA if you only want to play There is NVidia GForce now There is STADIA (Which I use by myself. Better than expected) There is XBox Cloud Streaming (XCloud) There is https://parsec.app/ There is Playstaion now Streaming There is https://welcome.playkey.net There is... Source: about 4 years ago
  • Rainway is Dead
    We just don’t offer support anymore. Our business is entirely focused on B2B offerings now https://rainway.com/. Source: about 4 years ago
  • Has anyone ever received a partnership deal with Rainway?
    I too found this in my emails. And funnily enough, that one was in my Spam folder. But I know that not everything in there is necessarily spam. I was curious though as took me less than 2 mins to track-down https://rainway.com/gaming/ and I did also notice the email as rainway.us That and no website link. Source: over 4 years ago
  • Has anyone ever received a partnership deal with Rainway?
    These emails are sent from [scott@rainway.us](mailto:scott@rainway.us) The real domain is rainway.com. So it's 100% fake. By the way I once got a scam email where they managed to fake some real company domain. So even if domain is real you should definitely double check. Source: over 4 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing VS Code and Rainway, 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.

Parsec - Streams games locally or over the internet

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

GoToMyPC - Remotely access your computer from anywhere on any device! Discover productivity and flexibility with GoToMyPC remote desktop software. Try it Free!

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

LogMeIn - LogMeIn gives you fast, easy remote access to your PC or Mac from your browser, desktop and mobile...