GNU Emacs vs Visual Studio Code
GNU Emacs
gnu.org
Visual Studio Code
code.visualstudio.comSide by side
| Figure | GNU Emacs | Visual Studio Code |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Text Editors | 9.0 (#4) | 9.0 (#3) |
| Spec score · Go IDEs | 8.8 (#2) | 8.2 (#14) |
| Spec score · Code editors | 8.9 (#4) | 9.0 (#2) |
| Spec score · Editor Software | 8.7 (#4) | 8.1 (#17) |
| Column editing | Yes | Yes |
| Customization options | Users can customize it with Emacs Lisp code or a graphical interface. | Settings Sync shares user settings across VS Code instances, and profiles let users create and switch between sets of customizations. |
| Extensions | It includes a packaging system for downloading and installing extensions. | The Visual Studio Marketplace lists more than 80,000 extensions. |
| Extension support | Yes | Yes |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Large-file handling | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-cursor editing | Yes | Yes |
| Supported platforms | GNU/Linux, BSDs, Haiku, Windows, macOS, and Android. | web,windows,macos,linux |
Plans
In their own words
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.