Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

VS Code VS StackEdit

Compare VS Code VS StackEdit and see what are their differences

VS Code logo VS Code

Build and debug modern web and cloud applications, by Microsoft

StackEdit logo StackEdit

Full-featured, open-source Markdown editor based on PageDown, the Markdown library used by Stack Overflow and the other Stack Exchange sites.
  • VS Code Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-10-09
  • StackEdit Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-12-08

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.

StackEdit features and specs

  • Markdown Support
    StackEdit offers robust support for Markdown, allowing for efficient and straightforward text formatting and editing.
  • Offline Access
    Users can work on their documents offline, making it convenient for use in areas with limited or no internet connectivity.
  • Synchronization
    StackEdit can be synchronized with various cloud storage services like Google Drive and Dropbox, enabling easy access and backup.
  • Collaboration
    The platform supports real-time collaboration, which is useful for teams working on a document simultaneously.
  • Integrated Editor
    It includes a feature-rich Markdown editor with a live preview, which helps users see the formatted version of their text as they type.

Possible disadvantages of StackEdit

  • Learning Curve
    Users unfamiliar with Markdown may find it initially challenging to use all of StackEdit's features effectively.
  • Limited Export Options
    While it does support exporting to HTML, PDF, and a few other formats, the export options may be limited compared to other markdown editors.
  • Performance
    Some users might experience performance issues with large documents or when using the application for extended periods.
  • Requires Signup for Full Features
    To access all features, such as cloud synchronization and import/export options, users need to sign up for an account.
  • Dependency on Internet for Sync
    While offline editing is a plus, syncing documents still requires an internet connection, which may be inconvenient for some users.

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

StackEdit videos

StackEdit - Write Markdown on Google Drive

More videos:

  • Review - StackEdit éditeur puissant de Markdown en ligne 💪

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to VS Code and StackEdit)
Text Editors
92 92%
8% 8
IDE
100 100%
0% 0
Markdown Editor
0 0%
100% 100
Developer Tools
100 100%
0% 0

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 StackEdit

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

StackEdit Reviews

We have no reviews of StackEdit 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 StackEdit. While we know about 1138 links to VS Code, we've tracked only 51 mentions of StackEdit. 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 (1138)

  • Why Understanding, Not Just Generating Code, Still Matters
    To do this, I used VS Code, an extension called Cline configured in Act mode, and Gemini 2.5 Pro Preview 03-25, which is amazing. I made two attempts. The first one using a simple and very generic prompt, and a second one using a more detailed prompt. Let’s talk about them. - Source: dev.to / 1 day ago
  • 🚀 Your First Setup Win: Python and VS Code on Mac (Beginner Friendly)
    I visited code.visualstudio.com and clicked the big, inviting "Download for Mac" button. After downloading, I opened the .zip file, dragged the VS Code app into my Applications folder, and launched it. - Source: dev.to / 5 days ago
  • Vibe coding a GO CLI to extract data from articles
    For this challenge we will use Visual Studio Code and Anthropic Claude (Claude 3.7 Sonnet). Also, Go lang must be installed. I am running Fedora Linux. - Source: dev.to / 7 days ago
  • How to Run and Debug Tests in VS Code (With Keploy Integration)
    VS Code installed on your machine (available from here). - Source: dev.to / 25 days ago
  • Get Started with DeepSeek API for FREE: Guide with Multiple Tools!🔥
    Get your hands on VS Code by downloading it from the official website - your new coding command center. - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
View more

StackEdit mentions (51)

  • If it is worth keeping, save it in Markdown
    Https://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/syntax#philosophy "Markdown-formatted document should be publishable as-is, as plain text, without looking like it’s been marked up with tags or formatting instructions." Any text editor (Notepad, TextPad, (neo)vi(m), Emacs, TextMate, Apostrophe, GhostWriter, Typora, etc.) will do. Markdown-specific editors have either a real-time preview or the ability to edit as... - Source: Hacker News / 2 months ago
  • 100+ Must-Have Web Development Resources
    StackEdit: An open-source, free Markdown editor based on PageDown. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • Markdown as Fast as Possible
    Alternatively, you can use an online markdown editor like StackEdit or HackMD. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Good Notes App?
    Use https://stackedit.io/ in the browser :). Source: over 1 year ago
  • Vrite Editor: Open-Source WYSIWYG Markdown Editor
    Markdown is awesome! But, when writing 1000 words+ articles, I quickly feel the need for a better experience. For years, I’ve used StackEdit — an open-source, in-browser Markdown editor — for editing all kinds of long-format Markdown text. That said, given my recent experience with WYSIWYG editors, I thought I could do something better. - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing VS Code and StackEdit, 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.

Typora - A minimal Markdown reading & writing app.

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

Markdown by DaringFireball - Text-to-HTML conversion tool/syntax for web writers, by John Gruber

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

MarkdownPad - MarkdownPad is a full-featured Markdown editor for Windows. Features: