Eric vs PyScripter

Eric is a Python editor and IDE based on Qt and Scintilla, intended for quick edits as well as project management. Its current stable version, eric7, is based on PyQt6, Qt6 and Python 3. Editing tools include syntax highlighting, autocompletion, calltips, source folding, brace matching, error highlighting and project-wide search and replace. For development, it includes a Python debugger with multi-thread and multiprocessing support, profiling, code coverage, code checking, task management and unittest support. Core plugins provide interfaces for Mercurial, Subversion and Git repositories, and users can load further extensions from its Plugin Repository. Python tools include pip and virtual environment management and an interactive shell; rope refactoring is available as an optional plugin. Eric also lists chat and a shared editor as cooperation functions. It runs on Linux, macOS and Windows, and can be installed through PyPI or a distribution archive. The maker recommends installation in a Python virtual environment, and directs Windows users to a ZIP archive. It is free, with no price or usage limits stated.

PyScripter is a free, open-source Python IDE for Windows, with an editor, interpreter, debugger, testing tools, and refactoring features. The editor provides syntax highlighting, code folding, completion, call tips, and syntax checks while code is being written. Its integrated debugger supports remote sessions, conditional breakpoints, call stacks, variables, watches, thread debugging, and post-mortem analysis. A unit-testing interface, automatic test generation, and tools to organize imports, rename items, or extract functions support code maintenance. The file explorer integrates version control through Tortoise Git, Tortoise SVN, or Tortoise CVS, and external tools can include PyLint, TabNanny, and Profile. Built-in LLM assistance includes editor help and chat, with OpenAI, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, and local models supported. OpenAI use requires a paid plan or pay-as-you-go credit; light Gemini use is free, and Ollama runs local models. Python 3.8 or later must be installed. The 64-bit build requires 64-bit Windows and Python; the 32-bit build requires 32-bit Python. Portable zip packages need no installation, and the project is MIT-licensed.