Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

VS Code VS Textadept

Compare VS Code VS Textadept and see what are their differences

VS Code logo VS Code

Build and debug modern web and cloud applications, by Microsoft

Textadept logo Textadept

Textadept is a cross-platform text editor that runs on different types of platforms, that allows to control over the application using Lua programming language.
  • VS Code Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-10-09
  • Textadept Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-02-08

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.

Textadept features and specs

  • Lightweight
    Textadept is a minimalist text editor and thus consumes minimal system resources, making it ideal for use on older or less powerful machines.
  • Highly Extensible
    It offers extensive customization options through Lua scripting, allowing users to tailor the editor to fit specific workflows and preferences.
  • Cross-Platform
    Textadept works on multiple operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, providing a consistent experience across different environments.
  • No Dependency on Other Libraries
    The editor operates independently of other text editing libraries or frameworks, ensuring it remains stable and less prone to conflicts.
  • Fast Startup
    The editor is designed to start up quickly, reducing wait times when opening files or switching between projects.

Possible disadvantages of Textadept

  • Steep Learning Curve
    Due to its reliance on Lua scripting for extensions and customization, new users may find it challenging to fully leverage its capabilities without prior coding experience.
  • Limited Out-of-the-Box Features
    Textadept doesn't offer as many built-in features as other editors, requiring users to manually add or script additional functionality.
  • Lack of Large Community
    The editor does not have as large a user community as other popular text editors, which can limit the availability of plugins and community support.
  • GUI Limitations
    Textadept’s graphical interface is minimalistic and might not appeal to users who prefer more visually rich editors with graphical customization options.
  • Text-Only Interface
    It may not support tasks requiring advanced graphical capabilities, making it less suitable for users who need more than text editing functions.

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

Textadept videos

Textadept - Behind the Scenes

More videos:

  • Review - TextAdept : Minimalist Text Editor For Programmers in Linux Mint / Ubuntu

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to VS Code and Textadept)
Text Editors
98 98%
2% 2
IDE
99 99%
1% 1
Productivity
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 Textadept

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

Textadept Reviews

We have no reviews of Textadept yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, VS Code seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 1140 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 (1140)

  • 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 / about 1 hour ago
  • An Introduction to TypeScript for JavaScript Developers
    Better Tooling – Enhanced autocompletion, refactoring, and navigation in IDEs like VS Code. - Source: dev.to / 1 day ago
  • 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 / 5 days 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 / 9 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 / 11 days ago
View more

Textadept mentions (0)

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

What are some alternatives?

When comparing VS Code and Textadept, 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.

Light Table - Light Table is a new interactive IDE that lets you modify running programs and embed anything from...

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

Kakoune - Vim inspired — Faster as in less keystrokes — Multiple selections — Orthogonal design

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