BBEdit vs Visual Studio Code
BBEdit
barebones.com
Visual Studio Code
code.visualstudio.comSide by side
| Figure | BBEdit | Visual Studio Code |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $59.99/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 5 | 1 |
| Spec score · Editor Software | 8.7 (#3) | 8.1 (#17) |
| Spec score · Text Editors | 8.6 (#11) | 9.0 (#3) |
| Spec score · Code editors | 8.4 (#13) | 9.0 (#2) |
| Column editing | Yes | Yes |
| Extension support | Yes | Yes |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Large-file handling | Yes | Yes |
| Privacy | Bare Bones says BBEdit worksheet queries and responses go directly to the ChatGPT API over HTTPS and are not received or retained by Bare Bones. | VS Code collects telemetry, which users can disable with the telemetry.telemetryLevel setting; extensions may collect separate telemetry. |
| Product | BBEdit is a professional HTML and text editor for macOS aimed at writers, web authors, and software developers. | Visual Studio Code is a code editor with AI assisted development features. |
| Supported platforms | macOS | web,windows,macos,linux |
Plans
BBEdit
- Free ModeFree
- BBEdit license$59.99 a month
- Mac App Store subscriptionPrice not published
- BBEdit Free ModeFree
- BBEdit 16 Individual$59.99, paid once
In their own words
BBEdit
BBEdit is a text and HTML editor for writers, web authors, and software developers using macOS. Its tools include grep pattern matching, multi-file search and replace, syntax coloring, function navigation, code folding, and text completion. For web authoring, it provides HTML markup tools, standards-based syntax checking, and live previews of HTML and Markdown documents. A license adds Git and Subversion support, and licensed users can create in-app worksheets to converse with ChatGPT, Claude, and Ollama. Workflow options include AppleScript, macOS Unix scripting, Automator, Xcode as an external editor, and the Language Server Protocol. BBEdit can open and save text files on FTP and SFTP servers. Free Mode continues after the 30-day evaluation period, though some advanced features require a paid license. The listed BBEdit 16 Individual plan costs $59.99 as a one-time purchase. BBEdit 16 requires macOS 14.0 or later and supports Intel and Apple silicon Macs; Bare Bones says there are no Windows or Linux versions.
Visual Studio Code
Visual Studio Code is an open-source code editor with AI-assisted development features for macOS, Linux, Windows, and the web. It offers inline AI suggestions and intelligent completions, and its agent workflows can plan tasks, change code, run commands, and iterate. Users can switch between agent work and direct coding in the same editor. Agent workflows work with Copilot and third-party providers, and users can supply their own model key. The editor includes JavaScript, TypeScript, CSS, and HTML support; extensions add support for other languages. Its Marketplace lists more than 80,000 extensions. Built-in tools include Git source control, an integrated terminal, code running and debugging, build tasks, and local history. It connects to GitHub Codespaces and remote development environments, while Settings Sync and profiles help carry and organize customizations. The browser version has a limited execution environment. VS Code is free for private or commercial use at free. A GitHub account is required to start building with AI agents.