This IDE is all of the things you love about VS Code, but without Microsoft
4
By
Parth Shah
13 hours ago
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VSCodium on a laptop display
Visual Studio Code has become the undisputed king of code editors, winning over developers with its speed, powerful features, and vast ecosystem of extensions. But what if you could have all of that without the baggage of Microsoft’s branding? This is where VSCodium comes in. It’s not a different IDE from scratch, but rather a community-driven VS Code. It offers the same user experience while putting privacy and freedom first.
✕
Remove Ads
If you’ve ever felt uneasy about big tech’s presence in your developer tools, VSCodium is a robust and seamless alternative that you need to know about.
The problem with VS Code
I don’t hate it, though
VS Code on a display
I have been a dedicated user of VS Code for years. When I started coding, it quickly became my go-to editor, and for good reason. Its speed, high number of extensions, and intuitive interface made it the perfect tool for me.
It’s the editor that has helped me complete countless projects and improve my skills as a developer. For a long time, I didn’t think there was anything wrong with it.
But then I started to dig a little deeper, and the more I learned, I realized that the official VS Code download from Microsoft isn’t as open as I thought. While the source code for the editor is open-source and available on GitHub, the product that Microsoft distributes is not.
✕
Remove Ads
The built-in telemetry quietly collects usage data and sends it back to Microsoft. That’s when I discovered VSCodium. It’s the same great editor I love, but without any data collection baggage. It’s the truly open-source VS Code experience I had been looking for.
VSCoidum covers the basics
Have the same familiar coding setup
Prettier extension in VSCodium
Switching to a new tool, especially a core one like a code editor, can be challenging. When I first considered it, my biggest concern was, ‘Will it feel exactly the same?’ After all, I didn’t want to spend hours reconfiguring everything or learning new commands.
Thankfully, I found that VSCodium covers all the basics. First, it offers native applications for Windows, Mac, and Linux, which means the installation is a breeze and the performance is just as snappy as the original.
✕
Remove Ads
When I first opened it, VSCodium immediately greeted me with a familiar interface I have used for years. The layout is identical, and it feels like home. It supports all the keyboard shortcuts as well.
Beyond the core functionality, the visual customization is also fully supported. I was able to install my favorite themes and icon packs and made VSCodium look and feel exactly like my old VS Code setup.
Key advantages of VSCodium
A true open-source solution
The most important advantage of using VSCodium is privacy. When you are a developer, your tools are an extension of your thoughts. You won’t want a company (no matter how much you respect them) to be collecting data on what you are doing, what extensions you use, or how often you code.
✕
Remove Ads
With VSCodium, I have peace of mind. The project team stripped out all the data-collecting code before they even built the application. This is different from just disabling a setting in the official VS Code, which can still have certain data-collecting functions. When I use VSCodium, the telemetry code isn’t just turned off — it’s not even in the binary.
The second huge advantage is that VSCodium is a truly open-source product. VSCodium is built from the open-source codebase that is distributed under the pure MIT license. This means it’s free and open, with no strings attached.
A word about the extension marketplace
Read this before you go all in
VSCodium Python extension
Now, before you go ahead and download VSCodium, let’s have a word of caution. There are several trade-offs you need to be aware of. The biggest issue (for some) will be with the extension marketplace.
✕
Remove Ads
The official VS Code, being a Microsoft product, connects directly to the Visual Studio marketplace. This marketplace is huge and has a near-monopoly on many popular extensions.
For the most part, this isn’t a problem. I found all the core extensions I needed, from language support for Python and JavaScript to my favorite themes and linters. However, you may run into a specific extension that isn’t available on VSCodium.
I would recommend downloading VSCodium on your main machine, head to the extension store, and make sure that all your preferred tools are available to download.
Experience the best of VS Code
Overall, the choice between VS Code and VSCodium comes down to your personal priorities. If you are comfortable with Microsoft’s ecosystem, the standard VS Code is an excellent tool. However, for those who value privacy, open-source freedom, and full control over their software, VSCodium is the clear winner. You get all of the things you love about VS Code, with none of the things you don’t.
Once it’s up and running, here are some of the extensions you can use to boost your productivity.
4
By
Parth Shah
13 hours ago
Follow
Like
Thread
Link copied to clipboard
VSCodium on a laptop display
Visual Studio Code has become the undisputed king of code editors, winning over developers with its speed, powerful features, and vast ecosystem of extensions. But what if you could have all of that without the baggage of Microsoft’s branding? This is where VSCodium comes in. It’s not a different IDE from scratch, but rather a community-driven VS Code. It offers the same user experience while putting privacy and freedom first.
✕
Remove Ads
If you’ve ever felt uneasy about big tech’s presence in your developer tools, VSCodium is a robust and seamless alternative that you need to know about.
The problem with VS Code
I don’t hate it, though
VS Code on a display
I have been a dedicated user of VS Code for years. When I started coding, it quickly became my go-to editor, and for good reason. Its speed, high number of extensions, and intuitive interface made it the perfect tool for me.
It’s the editor that has helped me complete countless projects and improve my skills as a developer. For a long time, I didn’t think there was anything wrong with it.
But then I started to dig a little deeper, and the more I learned, I realized that the official VS Code download from Microsoft isn’t as open as I thought. While the source code for the editor is open-source and available on GitHub, the product that Microsoft distributes is not.
✕
Remove Ads
The built-in telemetry quietly collects usage data and sends it back to Microsoft. That’s when I discovered VSCodium. It’s the same great editor I love, but without any data collection baggage. It’s the truly open-source VS Code experience I had been looking for.
VSCoidum covers the basics
Have the same familiar coding setup
Prettier extension in VSCodium
Switching to a new tool, especially a core one like a code editor, can be challenging. When I first considered it, my biggest concern was, ‘Will it feel exactly the same?’ After all, I didn’t want to spend hours reconfiguring everything or learning new commands.
Thankfully, I found that VSCodium covers all the basics. First, it offers native applications for Windows, Mac, and Linux, which means the installation is a breeze and the performance is just as snappy as the original.
✕
Remove Ads
When I first opened it, VSCodium immediately greeted me with a familiar interface I have used for years. The layout is identical, and it feels like home. It supports all the keyboard shortcuts as well.
Beyond the core functionality, the visual customization is also fully supported. I was able to install my favorite themes and icon packs and made VSCodium look and feel exactly like my old VS Code setup.
Key advantages of VSCodium
A true open-source solution
The most important advantage of using VSCodium is privacy. When you are a developer, your tools are an extension of your thoughts. You won’t want a company (no matter how much you respect them) to be collecting data on what you are doing, what extensions you use, or how often you code.
✕
Remove Ads
With VSCodium, I have peace of mind. The project team stripped out all the data-collecting code before they even built the application. This is different from just disabling a setting in the official VS Code, which can still have certain data-collecting functions. When I use VSCodium, the telemetry code isn’t just turned off — it’s not even in the binary.
The second huge advantage is that VSCodium is a truly open-source product. VSCodium is built from the open-source codebase that is distributed under the pure MIT license. This means it’s free and open, with no strings attached.
A word about the extension marketplace
Read this before you go all in
VSCodium Python extension
Now, before you go ahead and download VSCodium, let’s have a word of caution. There are several trade-offs you need to be aware of. The biggest issue (for some) will be with the extension marketplace.
✕
Remove Ads
The official VS Code, being a Microsoft product, connects directly to the Visual Studio marketplace. This marketplace is huge and has a near-monopoly on many popular extensions.
For the most part, this isn’t a problem. I found all the core extensions I needed, from language support for Python and JavaScript to my favorite themes and linters. However, you may run into a specific extension that isn’t available on VSCodium.
I would recommend downloading VSCodium on your main machine, head to the extension store, and make sure that all your preferred tools are available to download.
Experience the best of VS Code
Overall, the choice between VS Code and VSCodium comes down to your personal priorities. If you are comfortable with Microsoft’s ecosystem, the standard VS Code is an excellent tool. However, for those who value privacy, open-source freedom, and full control over their software, VSCodium is the clear winner. You get all of the things you love about VS Code, with none of the things you don’t.
Once it’s up and running, here are some of the extensions you can use to boost your productivity.
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Summary
Title: VSCodium - Open-source Visual Studio Code alternative focusing on privacy and freedom
Content: VSCodium is a community-driven, open-source version of Visual Studio Code that offers the same user experience while prioritizing privacy and freedom. It's an alternative for developers uneasy
Content: VSCodium is a community-driven, open-source version of Visual Studio Code that offers the same user experience while prioritizing privacy and freedom. It's an alternative for developers uneasy