Online code editors are a very useful tool for programmers and developers alike. What may be the ideal substitute for coding? Of course, the code editor! After code formatting, code editors are the second most common cause of flame battles among programmers.
The majority of a programmer’s time is spent using their preferred code editor—more than 98%, if we had to guess. They are familiar with the editor’s features, limitations, peculiarities, and hidden treasures. But if you’re interested in Web programming, we encourage you to consider this alternative: online code editors! Another name for them would be cloud-based code editors.
To put it simply, they are browser-based editors that are fully hosted on a distant server. Here is a compilation of my all-time favorite online code editors. We’ll discuss it at the conclusion if you’re not sure how they’ll help you.
Best Online Code Editors
1. Visual Studio Code
Microsoft created Visual Studio Code, one of the feature-rich online code editors with an extensive toolkit for programmers. Because it supports so many different programming languages, such as Java, TypeScript, and Node.js, it’s a flexible option for developers. According to 86,544 respondents in the last year, Visual Studio Code was the most widely used tool for developing environments, with 73.71% of developers stating they use it.
With an extensive library of extensions available to expand its capabilities, Visual Studio Code is very versatile. These extensions provide a multitude of features, including code snippets, debugging tools, and language support. Developers may now easily customize the code editor to fit their requirements and processes thanks to this.
IntelliSense, which offers context-aware recommendations and intelligent code completion as you write, is another noteworthy feature of Visual Studio Code. This reduces the need for engineers to spend time searching for syntax or function names, which boosts productivity.
2. AWS Cloud9
With only a browser, you can create, execute, and debug code with AWS Cloud9, one of the cloud-based integrated best online code editors. Any Linux server that supports SSH or a managed EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) instance may be used to run Cloud9. Naturally, Cloud9 has a code editor. It also has an integrated debugging tool and useful features like autocomplete, syntax highlighting, code hinting, and application runners.
Remembering the collaborative characteristics is important. You may collaborate in real-time with other team members using AWS Cloud9 and benefit from the convenient chat functionality. There is no extra charge to utilize AWS Cloud9. The only computational or storage resources required to execute and save your code are what you pay for.
3. PhpStorm
Designed exclusively for PHP programming, PhpStorm is an integrated programming environment (IDE) and sophisticated code editor. PhpStorm’s strong features and knowledgeable support make it a priceless tool for PHP web developers.
PhpStorm’s code completion is one of its best features; it makes intelligent recommendations for variable names, methods, and classes as you write. By doing this, you avoid typing mistakes and syntactic errors in your code and save a significant amount of time.
A multitude of refactorings are also included with PhpStorm, enabling you to quickly alter your code structure without creating errors. With its robust refactoring features, PhpStorm can handle a variety of refactoring tasks, including variable renaming, method extraction, and import optimization.
PhpStorm is excellent at mistake detection in addition to code completion and refactorings. It instantly examines your code, pointing up any problems and making recommendations for improvements. You can produce high-quality code and find errors early in the development process using PhpStorm.
4. CodePen
CodePen describes itself as a front-end developer and designer “social development environment.” The site focuses on front-end programming languages, enabling you to exchange code snippets instantaneously in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It works well for presentations, lessons, and demonstrations. With CodePen, you can create and test new projects directly from the browser since it functions as a full IDE.
Since the community is a major component of CodePen (hence the name “social development environment”), a large number of the works on the website are open-source and available to the public. You may explore the community project gallery and take part in weekly challenges as a user to get daily inspiration!
CodePen offers four different price categories. Unlimited public pens, collections, and templates are included with Free. Starter costs $8 per month and comes with live preview, unlimited projects, asset hosting (up to 2 GB of storage, 5 MG per file), and other features. Developer and Super have monthly starting prices of $12 and $26, respectively.
5. CodeSandbox
One of the top online code editors designed specifically for quick web development is called CodeSandbox. To help you get started fast, it interacts with Github, facilitates real-time collaboration, and even offers templates.
CodeSandbox supports both front-end and full-stack development and is compatible with JavaScript, including TypeScript. Vue, React, Angular, Preact, Svelte, Dojo, CX, Reason, and more UI frameworks are supported. You can even get npm packages from your unique npm registry if you have the Team Pro subscription.
CodeSandbox provides both premium and free options. You can learn and explore with CodeSandbox with lots of features in the free edition, whether you’re working alone or in a group of up to five people. Personal Pro begins at $9 per month, while Team Pro starts at $15 per editor per month. Additionally, the business provides customized programs for businesses desiring greater flexibility and sophisticated functionality.
6. Codespaces
Microsoft and GitHub created Codespaces, a browser-based code editor that offers a smooth cloud-based coding experience. Any device with an internet connection may be used to edit, execute, and debug your apps with ease thanks to Codespaces. You can continue coding and be productive while on the road using Codespaces, regardless of whether you’re using a laptop, tablet, or smartphone.
Codespaces, a cloud-based code editor, makes it easy to access your code and work environment from any location. Installing dependencies and configuring your local development environment are no longer concerns. Just sign in to Codespaces and get to work coding.
One of the most widely used code editors on the market, Visual Studio Code, serves as the basis for Codespaces. This implies that you may use Visual Studio Code’s robust features and functions right in your browser. Codespaces provides a comprehensive code editing experience customized to your requirements, including extensions and a Git repository.
7. Gitpod
One of the best online code editors Gitpod, which utilizes VS Code as its code editor, is the next in line. Gitpod enhances your cloud development process with continuous integration, or CI. Gitpod continually builds and tests your git branches, saving you time and frustration when it comes to starting to code. Developing a seamless work environment for those who develop and interact with others is the main goal of this platform. A reviewer on Capterra wrote:
They set up your account, so you didn’t have to download anything or configure anything on your computer, and you could start working right away. Gitpod should be extremely familiar to you if you have dealt with Visual Studio Code before. With its built-in continuous integration system (CI), you can test your code and use all of the functionality of Visual Studio Code right from your browser. The ability to conduct code reviews straight from the IDE is a useful tool.
Gitpod offers four parallel workspaces and is free to use for up to 50 hours per month. With the personal plan, each user pays $9 per month for 100 hours. With the professional plan, each user pays $25 per month for eight parallel workplaces and limitless hours. Lastly, the liberated plan includes 16 parallel workspaces and more for a monthly fee of $39 per user.
8. Espresso
A stylish code editor made just for Mac users is called Espresso. It is popular among Mac users because it has a contemporary, minimalistic style and an easy-to-use interface. Espresso’s live preview feature is one of its best qualities. You may see changes to your code in real-time using this feature without having to save or publish. This makes editing more smooth and enables you to precisely adjust your code.
Additionally, drag-and-drop capability is offered by Espresso, which is very helpful for novices or those working on front-end design projects. Code snippets and other parts may be quickly rearranged by just dragging and dropping them, which helps to expedite the development process.
9. Notepad++
One of the most popular code editors for Windows users is still Notepad++. It is an open-source, free editor with a user-friendly design and many features for smooth coding. You may work on numerous projects at once using Notepad++’s capability for tabbed editing, which increases efficiency.
With frequent updates, this code editor guarantees compliance with the most recent coding standards and provides new features to improve your coding experience. Even though it may not have all the sophisticated features present in other code editors, Notepad++ is still a solid and very configurable choice for Windows users.
Key Takeaways
It’s evident from testing out several online code editors that the optimal one to use will rely on your tastes and the demands of the project. It is advisable to experiment with many code editors to find the one that best fits your requirements and coding style. There is a code editor out there that can increase your productivity and efficiency as a developer, regardless of whether you think speed, customization, or teamwork features are more important.
Don’t forget to take into account things like the programming languages you use, the kinds of projects you work on, and how much help and automation you need. You may have a flawless coding experience and optimize your productivity by choosing the appropriate code editor.
FAQ
Q: What use does an online code editor serve?
A: An online code editor is a program that can be accessed by browsers and is hosted on a remote server. While some online code editors are closer to full IDEs, others are more like text editors with capabilities like syntax highlighting and code completion.
Q: Why would someone use a code editor?
A: A code editor is just a more sophisticated text editor. Source code may be written and edited using both. But coding editors these days can do a lot more for you than that. They may be used, for instance, to work with Git or debug code. Their AI capabilities can even assist you in expediting your workflow.
Q: Does coding come with editing?
A: Even though coding is necessary to modify a website, non-programmers may now edit websites using simple tools and platforms without any coding knowledge.
