Does JavaScript sound familiar? It is one of the three pillars of front-end web development. Along with HTML and CSS, JavaScript is doing a great job of building amazing websites.
Earlier, JavaScript was limited to web development, but now with continuous updates and support for many frameworks, JavaScript is used for developing backend as well as for GUI games.
So, let's discuss the best JavaScript IDE and text editors. But, when you google for the best software to write JavaScript code, you must have come across a galore of IDEs and text editors.
If you want to learn JavaScript and are confused with picking the right software on which to write the code, we will help you here.
Here in this article, we will discuss the 10 best JavaScript IDEs and text editors on which you can write your JavaScript code. Before advancing to the JS IDEs and text editors, it's highly suggested to check out what are IDEs and text editors.
Let's discuss the same up ahead.
JavaScript IDE and Text Editor
An IDE or integrated development environment is software that allows you to write code with many extra features that you do not get on a typical text editor. With IDEs , you can edit, modify, debug, execute, run and deploy your code.
IDEs come with many extra features, such as auto text completion. It provides more flexibility to the user. With the help of IDEs, you could be more productive. There are many IDEs on the internet, and, fortunately, many of those are open-source. This means you can download the same for free. Nonetheless, paid options are also available.
Though IDEs are better than text editors, they have some cons too. For example, many best IDEs are not free to use. Moreover, these could suffer from freezing issues on systems with low-end processors.
Text editors, on the other hand, are also used to write the code, but they do not provide many features like integrated development environments. With a JavaScript editor, you can only edit, modify and launch your code. Testing and debugging aren't available.
An interesting fact about text editors is that experts prefer them over IDEs to write JS code. This is because most of the text editors are open-source and flaunt a smaller size. This makes them run on any computer efficiently without experiencing any problems.
10 Best JavaScript IDE and Text Editors
1. Visual Studio Code
- Type: Text Editor
- Developer: Microsoft
- For Windows, Linux, and macOS
- Released on April 29, 2015
- Open Source
Visual Studio Code is a very famous code editor by Microsoft. It was initially released on 29th April 2015 for Windows, but later on, it was also designed for other popular operating systems, notably Linux and macOS. It wouldn’t be appropriate to say that Visual Studio Code is specially designed for a specific programming language.
Consequently, apart from JavaScript, you can write code for many other programming languages, such as C#, Java, and Python , using the popular code editor. Though it comes with support for many programming languages, the same makes it a very bulky software to use, and in low-end computers, you might experience freezes.
Features
- It has a debugger.
- Syntax highlighting is available.
- It is open-source.
- The JS code editor has auto code completion.
- It has shortcut keys.
- VS Code allows code refactoring.
Pricing
Free.
2. Atom
- Type: Code Editor
- Developer: GitHub
- For Windows, Linux, and macOS
- Open-source
When it comes to powerful code editors, you can’t ignore Atom. It was released on 26th Feb. 2014 by GitHub. As it is developed by the world's most popular online software repository, it features electronics and some typescript language packages that help the user to code easily.
Furthermore, switching between JavaScript, CSS, and Node.js is easy in Atom. Like other popular code editors, Atom supports multiple programming languages, such as the C family and Java.
Features
- Code auto-completion.
- Syntax highlighting.
- Real-time debugging.
- It has a hover tool (this tool shows information about the code and thus, comes in very handy).
- Built-in package management.
- Multiline select.
Pricing
Free.
3. WebStorm
- Type: IDE
- Developer: JetBrains
- For Windows, Linux, and macOS
- Paid software
WebStorm is the first JavaScript IDE on our list, and it is specially designed for JavaScript and its frameworks. JetBrains is a very famous name when it comes to powerful IDEs. Consequently, it offers many top-notch IDEs for many popular programming languages . They have released specific IDEs that support many built-in features.
The debugging feature of WebStorm is just amazing. But all these features come with a price. Yes, you have to pay for this JS IDE. It, however, comes with a 30-day free trial.
Features
- Intelligent code completion.
- Error identification.
- Inbuilt debugger.
- Built-in Node.js app.
Pricing
It is available for $129 per year.
4. Brackets
- Type: Code Editor
- Developer: Adobe
- For Windows, Linux, and macOS
- Open-source
Brackets is designed by Adobe Systems and released on 4th November 2014. It is specially designed for front-end web development frameworks , such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Unlike other JavaScript IDEs and code editors, Brackets is lightweight, and therefore, you won’t find any difficulty while running it on even systems with low configuration.
Features
- Ease of jumping between tabs.
- Intelligence auto-correction.
- Syntax highlighting.
- The JS code editor comes with Live Preview (It helps you to have a good look at the live output of the code).
- It flaunts a very fast processing speed as compared to other options.
Pricing
Free.
5. Komodo IDE
- Type: IDE
- Developer: Active State
- For Windows, macOS, Linux, and CentOS
It is a JavaScript IDE developed by ActiveState in May 2000. Being written in Python, C++, C, XUL, JavaScript, and CSS makes it native to JavaScript, thus, facilitating code development in the popular programming language of the web.
Komodo IDE is not an open-source application, but it has a subset - a code editor - known as Komodo Edit, which is free and open-source. Obviously, it does not provide as many features as that offered by Komodo IDE.
Features
- It has a multi-language editor.
- The JavaScript IDE features intelligent code completion.
- It has Live Preview.
- Printing debugging is available.
- The JS IDE offers Chrome debugging.
- It comes with an interactive shell.
- Komodo IDE facilitates real-time code collaboration.
Pricing
- Free: Free forever
- Team: $84 per month (billed annually)
- Enterprise: Custom pricing
6. Notepad++
- Type : Code Editor
- Developer: Don Ho
- Open-source
- For Windows
Notepad++ is a classic text editor. It supports almost every programming language. As such, with this text editor, you can code for most of the popular programming languages, including JavaScript. Notepad++ is a basic tool found in the toolkit of many front-end developers. As it is written in C++, simplicity, and performance are its main assets.
Also, you can directly launch the code from it. The main feature of Notepad++ is a multifile opening, which lets you easily switch from one file to another. Due to its lightweight build, you will not find any difficulty while running this JavaScript code editor.
Features
- It is open-source.
- The JS editor is lightweight.
- It comes with auto-correction suggestions.
- Notepad++ features multifile opening.
- Syntax highlighting is available.
Pricing
Free.
7. Sublime Text Editor
- Type : Code Editor
- Developers: Jon Skinner and will Bond
- Open-source
- For Windows, Linux, and macOS
Initially introduced on 18th Jan 2008, Sublime Text is a code editor written in C++ and Python. As with other leading text editors, developers use Sublime to write code in a range of programming and markup languages.
Like Notepad++, Sublime Text is also a very lightweight application that is very easy to use and run too. Also, many experts prefer Sublime over Notepad++ because the interface of Sublime Text is more attractive than Notepad++. Moreover, you can customize its theme according to your mood and preferences.
Features
- It is lightweight.
- It comes with customizable themes.
- The JS editor has syntax highlighting.
- It features auto-correction.
Pricing
Free.
8. AWS Cloud9
- Type : Cloud IDE
- Developer: Amazon Web Services
AWS Cloud9 is a cloud-based integrated development environment (IDE) that you can use for writing and editing JavaScript code. It lets you write, edit, and run your source code using a browser. It comes with a terminal, code editor, and debugger. Moreover, it includes essential tools for writing source code in various programming languages.
Other than JavaScript, the IDE supports Java, Python, and PHP. Since it is a cloud-based IDE, it allows you to work from anywhere and on any internet-connected device. Moreover, it allows you to share your development environment with your team members and work together.
Features
- There is no need to install a local IDE, as this IDE works within a browser.
- Code hinting, code completion, and step-through debugging are available.
- It can connect to any Linux server platform.
- Collaborative editing and chat are available.
- It has a plethora of themes to choose from.
- The JavaScript IDE comes with a built-in image editor.
Pricing
If you use the Amazon EC2 instance, you do not have to pay additional charges for AWS Cloud9 since the EC2 instance charges on the pay-as-you-basis.
9. Eclipse
- Type : IDE
- Developer: Eclipse Foundation
- Open-source
- For Windows, Linux, and macOS
Eclipse is primarily a Java IDE. However, it comes with various plugins that support various programming languages, including JavaScript, C, C++, COBOL, D, Perl, PHP, and Python. Besides developing applications, you can use it to create documents using LaTeX and packages for the software Mathematica.
Moreover, the JavaScript IDE comes with a separate development environment for every programming language. Also, it has a Web Tool Platform (WTP), which is an extension of Eclipse. This platform enables you to develop web and Java EE applications.
Features
- It features code editing with syntax highlighting.
- The JS IDE has a built-in visual code debugger.
- It features a drag-and-drop user interface.
- Maven support is available.
Pricing
Free.
10. Codeanywhere
- Type : Cloud IDE
- Developer: Codeanywhere
Codeanywhere is a cloud IDE, allowing you to work from your browser. It eliminates the need to install an offline IDE or code editor for working with JavaScript. Also, it supports a wide variety of programming languages, including PHP, Python, Java, C, and C++. Moreover, this IDE comes with a code editor, built-in terminal, and containers.
Features
- Code completion, refactoring, and auto-complete are available.
- You can debug your code with breakpoints and call stacks.
- It offers multiple extensions.
- The online JavaScript IDE supports working directly on servers.
Pricing
- Basic: $6 per month.
- Standard: $15 per month.
- Premium: $40 per month.
Conclusion
That sums up our list of the best JS IDEs and code editors you can use in 2023. Of course, this isn't a list that everyone would agree with. Nonetheless, most people will find their best JavaScript IDE - or text editor - on this list. Didn't you? Let us know in the comments section down below!
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