Visual Studio Code vs Atom
Every developer has their favorite IDE, and many passionate debates have been had over which one is the best. In this post, we are going to look at Visual Studio Code and Atom, two of the most popular IDEs, and compare them based on their user experience.
Popularity
According to the latest Stack Overflow developer survey of 2021, Visual Studio Code is the most popular IDE with 71.06% of developers using it, while Atom is used by 11.41% of developers. Visual Studio Code is also the most popular IDE on GitHub based on the number of downloads and the number of stars on the repository page.
Platform Compatibility
Both IDEs are cross-platform compatible, which means you can install them on Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems.
User Interface & Design
Visual Studio Code has a more sophisticated design compared to Atom, with a more extensive menu panel on the left-hand side and a more organized and comprehensive layout of icons. Atom’s interface is straightforward, where functions like find, search, and the settings panel are all easy to access.
Extensions & Plugins
Visual Studio Code has several extensions and plugins that make it more functional and customizable. Currently, it has over 10,000 extensions available. Atom has around 7,000 packages on the Atom Packages website. Thus, we can say that Visual Studio Code is ahead when it comes to the number of plugins and extensions.
Performance
On the issue of performance, many people have noted that Visual Studio Code opens and runs projects quicker than Atom, which has experienced some lagging issues due to its Electron framework.
Price
Both IDEs are open-source and free to use.
Conclusion
In conclusion, if you want to go with the more mainstream choice with a more extensive library of plugins and extensions, Visual Studio Code is an excellent option. On the other hand, if you prefer simplicity and performance, Atom is a solid choice.
References
- Stack Overflow Developer Survey Results 2021: https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2021
- Visual Studio Code: https://code.visualstudio.com/
- Atom Text Editor: https://atom.io/