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VS Code VS Xojo

Compare VS Code VS Xojo and see what are their differences

VS Code logo VS Code

Build and debug modern web and cloud applications, by Microsoft

Xojo logo Xojo

Real Software and Real Studio are now Xojo.
  • VS Code Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-10-09
  • Xojo Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-07-28

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.

Xojo features and specs

  • Cross-Platform Development
    Xojo allows users to create native applications for multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and the web from a single codebase. This simplifies development and reduces the effort required to maintain different versions of the same app.
  • Rapid Application Development
    The Visual IDE (Integrated Development Environment) provided by Xojo enables rapid prototyping and development. Users can drag and drop UI elements, which makes it easy to create complex user interfaces quickly.
  • Versatile Language Support
    Xojo uses a unique language that combines elements from various programming languages. It is straightforward enough for beginners to pick up while still being powerful for more advanced tasks.
  • Active Community and Support
    Xojo has a vibrant community and offers various forms of support, including forums, documentation, and dedicated customer service. This can be very beneficial for troubleshooting and learning best practices.
  • Regular Updates
    The platform receives frequent updates, which include new features, bug fixes, and improvements. This ensures that developers have access to the latest tools and functionalities.

Possible disadvantages of Xojo

  • Performance Limitations
    While Xojo is powerful for developing various applications, it may not be the best choice for highly performance-intensive applications, particularly those requiring extensive optimization.
  • Licensing Costs
    Xojo's licensing model can be considered expensive, especially for individual developers or small teams. The cost may be a barrier for some users considering long-term use.
  • Limited Third-Party Integrations
    Compared to more widely-adopted development platforms, Xojo has fewer third-party libraries and integrations. This limitation can make it harder to extend the platform with additional functionalities.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite its simplicity, there is still a learning curve associated with mastering Xojo, especially for developers accustomed to more conventional programming languages. This may require additional time and resources for training.
  • Less Popular
    Xojo is not as widely used as some other development platforms, which means there are fewer resources, tutorials, and third-party tools available. This could be a limiting factor for some developers.

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

Xojo videos

Try Xojo

More videos:

  • Review - What is Xojo?
  • Review - Xojo 2020 with Geoff Perlman

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to VS Code and Xojo)
Text Editors
98 98%
2% 2
IDE
97 97%
3% 3
Developer Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Programming Language
0 0%
100% 100

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 Xojo

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

Xojo Reviews

12 Best Frameworks and Toolkits to Build Desktop Applications
If you are looking for a beginner-friendly framework, Xojo can be a good option. It is a cross-platform application development framework with a simple drag-and-drop user interface. Developers with basic web development skills can easily use this platform to build desktop applications.
Source: geekflare.com
Frameworks & Tools to Develop Cross-Platform Desktop Apps – Best of
Xojo is a programming environment available for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. With its Xojo IDE, it provides an easy-to-use, drag-and-drop UI builder, and its own language for coding your application. The IDE also allows testing the app immediately, and when it’s ready, it converts this app to run on multiple platforms.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, VS Code seems to be a lot more popular than Xojo. While we know about 1138 links to VS Code, we've tracked only 5 mentions of Xojo. 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 / 2 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 / 6 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 / 8 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 / 26 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

Xojo mentions (5)

  • PysimpleGUI
    Xojo is basically VB6's spiritual successor. https://xojo.com/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: Why did Visual Basic die?
    For anyone looking for a modern alternative to Visual Basic, you might want to take a look at Xojo. Xojo's a rapid application development platform (both a language and an IDE) that you can use to develop desktop apps (for macOS, Windows, Linux), Web apps, mobile apps (for iOS and Android), as well as console apps. It's been around for more than 20 years, and some of you might remember it from back when it was... - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Small Visual Basic
    I really recommend Xojo[1] (formally RealBasic). It’s like a modern VB6 but runs on macOS, Windows and many flavours of Linux. It has very polished drag and drop UI editor. I’ve been developing with it for over 20 years and my 10 year old daughter is now learning programming with it. You can create and debug apps for free and only need a license to deploy an app as a binary so it’s ideal to learn with. Heck, it... - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Do any of you code with/on steno?
    I have yet to get into actual programming, but when I do, it will probably be with the multi-platform programming environment called XoJo. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Performance Improvements in .NET 6
    I've been using Xojo (https://xojo.com) for about 15 years now to make cross-platform GUI apps. The language is similar to VB6 but it's been constantly updated. No affiliation, just a happy customer. - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing VS Code and Xojo, 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.

PureBasic - Fantaisie Software Official WebSite. PureBasic - Feel The Pure Power. PureBasic is a programming language based on established BASIC rules.

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

B4X - Cross platform development tools for native iOS, Android, desktop and server applications.

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

FreeBASIC - FreeBASIC is a completely free, open-source, 32-bit BASIC compiler, with syntax similar to...