Advantage of using VS Code over IntelliJ
Tags: vscode, intellij, programming, ide
Published: 2022-12-16 17:36:26

Hello guuys 👋
Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a popular code editor developed by Microsoft. It has gained widespread adoption among developers due to its lightweight design, numerous built-in features, and extensibility through plugins. On the other hand, IntelliJ is a powerful-integrated development environment (IDE) developed by JetBrains. It is commonly used for Java development, but also supports other languages such as Kotlin, Python, and C++.

While both VS Code and IntelliJ are popular choices among developers, there are certain advantages to using VS Code over IntelliJ.

![programming](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/z3nj1oj6r0cl9l8n3vjv.gif)


**Lightweight design**
![programming](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/7qgbm80w1bnsy6edju3k.gif)
One of the main advantages of VS Code is its lightweight design. It is designed to be a simple code editor, rather than a full-fledged IDE like IntelliJ. This means that it consumes fewer system resources and starts up faster. This can be especially useful for developers working on older or low-spec machines.


**Built-in features**
![programming](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/1rfp5avdsdn8e9h6gph3.gif)
VS Code comes with a number of built-in features that can be helpful for developers. These include a built-in terminal, integration with Git, syntax highlighting, code formatting, and code completion. Many of these features are also available in IntelliJ, but they may require additional plugins or configuration to be set up.


**Extensibility through plugins**
![programming](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/o701mj8vzqegndlqqrq6.gif)
VS Code has a large ecosystem of plugins that can be used to extend its functionality. These plugins can be installed directly from the VS Code marketplace and can range from language support to productivity tools. This allows developers to customize their code editor to fit their specific needs and workflow.


**Cross-platform support**
![programming](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/ezlh79uzp3sn54ehsehg.gif)
VS Code is available on Windows, Linux, and macOS and Web, making it a good choice for developers working on multiple platforms. IntelliJ, on the other hand, is only available on Windows, Linux, and macOS.


**Cost**
![programming](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/l9wm71gxbve1s34ghedl.gif)
VS Code is free to use and open source, while IntelliJ has a paid subscription model. This can be a significant factor for developers working on a budget or for organizations looking to save on development costs.



**In conclusion**, while both VS Code and _IntelliJ_ are **excellent code** editors and IDEs, there are certain advantages to using VS Code. Its lightweight design, built-in features, extensibility through plugins, cross-platform support, and cost make it a good choice for many developers. Ultimately, the decision of which tool to use will depend on the specific needs and preferences of the developer.

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