Visual Studio Code vs VSCodium
Visual Studio Code
code.visualstudio.comVSCodium
vscodium.comSide by side
| Figure | Visual Studio Code | VSCodium |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Code editors | 9.0 (#2) | 8.8 (#5) |
| Spec score · Editor Software | 8.1 (#17) | 8.0 (#21) |
| Spec score · Go IDEs | 8.2 (#14) | 8.0 (#16) |
| Extension support | Yes | Yes |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Remote Development | Remote Development supports opening folders in a container on a remote machine. | Yes |
| Supported platforms | web,windows,macos,linux | Available for Windows, Mac OS, and 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.
VSCodium
VSCodium is a community-built distribution of Microsoft's VS Code editor for Windows, macOS, and Linux desktop computers. Its binaries are licensed under MIT, and telemetry is disabled. The project aims to make the latest MIT-licensed VS Code version easier to obtain; users can also build from Microsoft's vscode repository. Project scripts clone the repository, create binaries, and upload them to GitHub releases. The editor supports extensions, a built-in debugger, remote development, and language servers. Installation routes vary by system: macOS has a Homebrew cask, while Windows supports Windows Package Manager, Chocolatey, and Scoop. Documented Linux packages or repositories cover Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, RHEL, Arch, Gentoo, and others. VSCodium is also available through Snap as Codium, Flathub as a Flatpak, and Nixpkgs, and it is pre-installed in Parrot OS. Windows code signing is provided free by SignPath.io with a SignPath Foundation certificate; a macOS certificate was provided by @daiyam. The project directs package-manager issues to the related repository.