If you’ve tried online code editors for python, you know they can be kind of…lame. My editor of choice is Coder’s Heaven, but it’s not free.
This list covers free options for you, ranging from ones that are ok for short codes to one-off trivial things, all the way up to editors that let you write real applications. I’m not looking at GUI stuff for this—we’ll save that for another day.
Rodeo
Type: IDE.
Price: Open Source.
Platform Support: WINDOWS, LINUX, Mac OS etc.
Screenshots For Reference:
Rodeo is one of the best IDE for python that was developed for data science-related tasks like taking data and information from different resources and also plotting for issues.
It supports cross-platform functionality. It can also be used as an IDE for experimenting in an interactive manner.
Best Features:
- It supports all the functions which are required for data science or machine learning tasks like loading data and experimenting in some manner.
- It allows the developers to interact, compare data, inspect and plot.
- Rodeo provides a clean code, auto-completion of code, syntax high lighting, and IPython support to write the code faster.
- It also has visual file navigator, clicks and point the directories, package search makes it easier for a developer to get what they want.
Pros:
- It is a lightweight, highly customizable and intuitive development environment which makes it unique.
- It has both text editor and me Python console.
- It includes all the supporting documentation at the last tab for better understanding.
- It has Vim, Emacs mode and allows single or block execution of code.
- Rodeo can also auto-update its latest version.
Cons:
- It is not maintained properly.
- No extended support facilities from the company staff in case of issues.
Official URL: Rodeo
Pycharm
Platform: Linux/macOS/Windows
Official website: https://www.jetbrains.com/pycharm/
Type: IDE
Pycharm is an integrated development environment developed by JetBrains. It stands out from the competition because of its productivity tools, such as quick fixes. Available in three versions, the Apache-licensed Community version, the Educational (Edu) version, and the proprietary Professional version. The first two versions are open source and therefore free of charge, while the Professional version is paid
The Community version is very interesting because it has different features such as syntax highlighting, auto-completion, and live code verification. The paid version has more advanced features such as full database management and a multitude of more important Frameworks than the community version such as Django, Flask, Google App, Engine, Pyramid, and web2py.
Advantage:
- Active community support
- Live code verification and syntax highlighting
- Executes edits and debugs Python code without any external requirements
Disadvantage:
- Slow loading time
- The default setting may require adjustment before existing projects can be used.
Sublime Text
Platform: Linux/macOS/Windows
Official website: http://www.sublimetext.com/
Type: Python Text editor
First conceived as an extension for Vim, Sublime Text is a generic text editor coded in C++ and Python. Since version 2.0, this software supports 44 major programming languages, including Python. It was first published in 2007, and Jon Skinner developed it. To create this software, Jon Skinner has adopted three principles:
- Discreet, minimal interface: we must be able to focus on the text and not a myriad of toolbars;
- The text is not hidden by the windows;
- Use as much space as possible: full screen, multi-screen, side-by-side file editing should be possible.
Once you have installed Sublime Text as a Python IDE thanks to the different plugins and packages, you get high quality and powerful IDE that allows you to develop very easily in Python. It incorporates most of the features of a basic Python text editor, including customizable syntax highlighting.
Advantage:
- Fast with very few bugs (big advantage)
- Opens large files
- Supports many languages
Disadvantage:
- Difficult to modify, everything goes through JSON.
- License required
- Learning the shortcuts
Visual Studio Code
Platform: Linux/macOS/Windows
Official website: https://code.visualstudio.com
Type: IDE
Developed by Microsoft for Windows Linux and OS, VS Code is an extensible code editor not to be confused with Visual Studio. Indeed VS Code is small but complete, and the software is open source under MIT license; this is what characterizes the difference between Visual Studio and VS Code. The first version of the VS Code was published on April 29, 2015. VS Code is comparable to Atom in terms of functionality. Indeed, just like Atom, VS Code is built on Electron, which means that these two programs have almost the same advantages and disadvantages.
VS Code is Microsoft’s project, with the highest number of contributors on GitHub. This initiative has boosted Microsoft’s notoriety and positioned it as one of the major players in community software. You can add a new language to the environment, such as Python, in this case. Simply download and install the corresponding plugin to adapt it to the environment. Vs. Code is enhanced with features such as the integration of a powerful code auto-completion engine (IntelliSense), a debugging console, and a terminal to launch server commands.
VS Code is very well designed overall, and its main advantage is that it offers an extension-based architecture. Because the IDE is lightweight, it can be extended by adding successive components as needed.
Advantage
- More than 4700 extensions
- A powerful code management engine
- On-demand import of keyboard shortcuts from other Python editors such as Sublime Text or Atom
Disadvantage:
- Difficulty to find the extension that best suits your needs due to the thousands of extensions available
Spyder
Type: IDE.
Price: Open Source
Platform Support: QT, WINDOWS, LINUX, MAC OS etc.
Screenshots For Reference:
SPYDER is another big name in the IDE market. It is a good python compiler.
It is famous for python development. It was mainly developed for scientists and engineers to provide a powerful scientific environment for Python. It offers an advanced level of edit, debug, and data exploration feature. It is very extensible and has a good plugin system and API.
As SPYDER uses PYQT, a developer can also use it as an extension. It is a powerful IDE.
Best Features:
- It is a good IDE with syntax highlighting, auto code completion feature.
- SPYDER is capable of exploring and editing variables from GUI itself.
- It works perfectly fine in multi-language editor along functions and auto code completion etc.
- It has a powerful integration with ipython Console, interacts and modifies the variables on the go as well, hence a developer can execute the code line by line or by the cell.
Pros:
- It is very efficient in finding and eliminating the bottlenecks to unchain the code performance.
- It has a powerful debugger to trace each step of the script execution smoothly.
- It has a good support feature to instantly view any object documents and modify your own documents.
- It also supports extended plugins to improvise its functionality to the new level.
Cons:
- It is not capable of configuring which warning the developer wants to disable.
- Its performance reduces when too many plugins are invoked at the same time.
Official URL: SPYDER
Pydev
Type: IDE
Price: Open Source
Platform Support: QT, WINDOWS, LINUX, MAC OS etc.
Screenshots For Reference:
PyDev is an outside plugin for Eclipse.
It is basically an IDE that is used for Python development. It is linear in size. It mainly focuses on the refactoring of python code, debugging in the graphical pattern, analysis of code etc. It is a strong python interpreter.
As it’s a plugin for eclipse it becomes more flexible for the developers to use the IDE for development of an application with so many features. In open source IDE, it is one of the preferred IDE by the developers.
Best Features:
- It is a nice IDE with Django integration, auto code completion and code coverage feature.
- It supports some rich features like type hinting, refactoring, debugging, and code analysis.
- PyDev supports PyLint integration, tokens browser, interactive console, Unittest integration, and remote debugger etc.
- It also supports Mypy, black formatter, virtual environments, and analyzing f-strings.
Pros:
- PyDev provides a strong syntax high lighting, parser errors, code folding, and multi-language support.
- It has a good outline view, it marks occurrences as well and has an interactive console.
- It has good support for CPython, Jython, Iron Python, and Django and allows interactive probing in suspended mode.
- It provides tabs preferences, smart indent, Pylint integration, TODO tasks, auto-completion of keywords and content assistants.
Cons:
- Sometimes the plugins in PyDev become unstable by creating issues in the development of the application.
- Performance of PyDev IDE decreases if the application is too big with multiple plugins.
Official URL: PyDev
Idle
Type: IDE.
Price: Open Source.
Platform Support: WINDOWS, LINUX, MAC OS etc.
Screenshots For Reference:
IDLE is a popular Integrated Development Environment written in Python and it has been integrated with the default language. It is one of the best IDE for python.
IDLE is a very simple and basic IDE which is mainly used by the beginner level developers who want to practice on python development. It is also a cross-platform thus helping the trainee developers a lot but it also called as a disposable IDE as a developer moves to more advance IDE after learning the basics.
Best Features:
- IDLE is developed purely in Python with the usage of Tkinter GUI toolkit and is also a cross-platform thereby increasing the flexibility for developers.
- It has a good feature of multi-window text editor which has many features like call tips, smart indentation, undo and python colorizing.
- It has a powerful debugger with continuous breakpoints, global view, and local spaces.
- It also supports dialog boxes, browsers, and editable configurations.
Pros:
- IDLE also supports syntax highlighting, auto code completion and smart indentation like other IDE’s.
- It has a Python shell with a high lighter.
- Integrated debugger with call stack visibility which increases the performance of developers.
- In IDLE, a developer can search within any window, search through multiple files and replace within the windows editor.
Cons:
- It has some normal usage issues, sometimes it lacks focus, and the developer cannot directly copy to the dashboard.
- IDLE does not have the numbering of line option which is a very basic design of the interface.
Official URL: IDLE
Wing
Type: IDE
Price: US $ 95 to US $ 179 PER USER FOR COMMERCIAL USE.
Platform Support: WINDOWS, LINUX, MAC OS etc.
Screenshots For Reference:
Wing is also a popular and powerful IDE in today’s market with a lot of good features which the developers require for python development.
It comes with a strong debugger and smart editor that makes the interactive Python development speed, accurate and fun to perform. Wing also provides a 30-day trial version for the developers to have a taste on its features.
Best Features:
- Wing helps in moving around the code with go-to-definition, find the uses and symbol’s in the application, edit symbol index, source browser, and effective multiple-file search.
- It supports the test-driven development with unit test, pytest, and Django testing framework.
- It assists remote development and is customizable and extensible too.
- It also has auto code completion, the error is displayed in a feasible manner and line editing is also possible.
Pros:
- In case of expiration of trial version, Wing provides around 10 minutes to the developers to migrate their application.
- It has a source browser which helps to show all the variables which are used in the script.
- Wing IDE provides an additional exception handling tab which helps a developer to debug the code.
- It provides an extract function which is under the refactor panel and is also a good help for the developers for increasing performance.
Cons:
- It is not capable of supporting dark themes which many developers like to use.
- Wing interface can be intimidating at the starting and the commercial version is way too expensive.
Official URL: Wing
Conclusion
An editor is an important part of your Python development find one that works for your current project. We have listed out excellent HTML code editors for all things Python, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, SQL, PHP.