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VS Code VS Sublime Text

Compare VS Code VS Sublime Text and see what are their differences

VS Code logo VS Code

Build and debug modern web and cloud applications, by Microsoft

Sublime Text logo 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.
  • VS Code Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-10-09
  • Sublime Text Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-17

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.

Sublime Text features and specs

  • Speed
    Sublime Text is known for its fast performance, even with very large files and heavy duty workloads, providing a smooth coding experience.
  • Customizability
    It offers extensive customization options via JSON settings files, allowing users to tailor the editor to their specific needs and preferences.
  • Package Control
    The Package Control feature allows for easy installation, management, and discovery of plugins and themes, greatly enhancing functionality.
  • Multi-Platform Support
    Available on Windows, macOS, and Linux, it enables a consistent working environment across different operating systems.
  • Multiple Selections
    Allows for simultaneous editing by making multiple text selections, which is a powerful feature for rapidly making large-scale changes.
  • Distraction-Free Mode
    Offers a distraction-free mode that lets you focus on code by providing a full-screen, minimal interface.
  • Command Palette
    Provides a command palette that gives quick access to various functionalities, making performing complex actions easier.

Possible disadvantages of Sublime Text

  • Cost
    While a free evaluation version is available, continued use requires purchasing a license, which may be a barrier for hobbyists or cash-strapped developers.
  • Limited IDE Features
    It lacks some of the advanced features found in full-fledged Integrated Development Environments (IDEs), such as robust debugging tools and integrated version control.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    The high degree of customizability can be overwhelming for beginners, requiring a significant time investment to master.
  • Plugin Dependencies
    While the extensive plugin ecosystem is an advantage, it can also lead to dependencies on third-party plugins which may not always be reliable or maintained.
  • No Real-Time Collaboration
    Unlike some modern editors, Sublime Text lacks built-in support for real-time collaboration between multiple users.
  • Occasional Plugin Conflicts
    Plugins can occasionally conflict with each other, causing unexpected behavior or performance issues.
  • Less Active Community
    Compared to some other popular editors like VSCode, the Sublime Text community is relatively smaller and less active.

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

Sublime Text videos

SUBLIME TEXT REVIEW | CODE EDITOR TOOL

More videos:

  • Review - Visual Studio Code vs Sublime Text - Laravel Dev POV

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to VS Code and Sublime Text)
Text Editors
77 77%
23% 23
IDE
72 72%
28% 28
Developer Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Software Development
72 72%
28% 28

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 Sublime Text

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

Sublime Text Reviews

Boost Your Productivity with These Top Text Editors and IDEs
Sublime Text is widely regarded as one of the best text editors for coding. Its speed, flexibility, and ease of use make it a favorite among developers. With a simple and intuitive user interface, Sublime Text allows you to focus on your code without distractions. It supports a wide range of programming languages and offers features like split editing, multiple selections,...
Source: convesio.com
13 Best Text Editors to Speed up Your Workflow
As for the features, Sublime Text has an advantage in that itโ€™s extremely lightweight (low resource usage), but still keeps around some of the more advanced features you would expect out of a top text editor. The primary benefit is that Sublime Text offers shortcuts and search tools for immediately finding certain functions and making changes to multiple lines at once....
Source: kinsta.com
Top 10 Free CSV Readers in 2023!
Sublime Text: A text editor that supports multiple file formats including CSV and has powerful features for viewing and editing large CSV files.
Source: www.retable.io
Top 10 Notepad++ Alternatives for Mac in 2022
Another Notepad++ Mac alternative, Sublime Text is a good choice if youโ€™re going for code sophistication. The tool supports a lot o programming languages and mark-ups. In addition, you can even add in plugins in order to incorporate new functions. Sublime Text can actually be downloaded for free by Mac users. A purchased version is next up after you have finished the license.
Source: www.imymac.com
What's The Best C++ IDE? Our Top C++ IDEs & Editors In 2024
Sublime Text also offers a clean and uncluttered interface, which is great for focusing on your code without unnecessary distractions. This minimalist approach is combined with powerful editing features like syntax highlighting, customizable key bindings, code folding, and an advanced search functionality.
Source: hackr.io

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, VS Code seems to be a lot more popular than Sublime Text. While we know about 1215 links to VS Code, we've tracked only 3 mentions of Sublime Text. 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 (1215)

  • 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 / 9 days 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 / 24 days 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 / about 1 month 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 / about 2 months ago
  • Document Generation for Developers: Security, Compliance, and Build-vs-Buy Decisions for the Template-Plus-Data Pipeline
    You'll need Python 3.8+ and pip for the quickstart, with venv recommended for isolation. Install the requests library for HTTP calls. VS Code with the Python extension works well as an editor, though PyCharm or Sublime Text work equally well. You'll also need a free Foxit developer account. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
View more

Sublime Text mentions (3)

  • Want better keybinding parity between micro and Sublime Text?
    I went through the key-bindings in Micro (which use different modifier keys) and added them to Sublime Text:. - Source: dev.to / over 3 years ago
  • Trying pop os episode 1
    Oh, and sublimetext.com too if you prefer something "cleaner". It is multi-platform too, like VSCodium. Source: over 4 years ago
  • Sublime Text 3 Setup
    Sublime Text Terminal Shortcuts and menu entries for opening a terminal at the current file, or the current root project folder in Sublime Text. - Source: dev.to / over 5 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing VS Code and Sublime Text, you can also consider the following products

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

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

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

Netbeans - NetBeans IDE 7.0. Develop desktop, mobile and web applications with Java, PHP, C/C++ and more. Runs on Windows, Linux, Mac OS X and Solaris. NetBeans IDE is open-source and free.

Microsoft Visual Studio - Microsoft Visual Studio is an integrated development environment (IDE) from Microsoft.

GitHub - Originally founded as a project to simplify sharing code, GitHub has grown into an application used by over a million people to store over two million code repositories, making GitHub the largest code host in the world.