When you are new to coding and just began learning Python, there are a few questions that you might ask yourself: What is the best IDE for Python development? How to create your first application in Python? What is the best way to learn and understand this new language and what makes it different from all other languages? You can always learn new techniques, but if you pick the wrong tool for the job initially, you might be lost.
That is why we created on this article with our recommendations of some of the best Python IDEs for programming on a Mac.
IDLE
Idle is one of the best IDE for Linux as it is the standard Python development environment. IDLE stands for the integrated development environment, and it is the cross-platform that is best to use for both Windows and LINUX operating systems.
It is the best IDE that contains all the necessary functions and features you need to have python on your system. it is highly recommended for the Python beginner developers
Pros
- Best for beginners
- Written in Python/Tkinter
- Integrated debugger
- Easy to use
- Autocomplete feature
- Automatic identification for your code
Cons
- No tabbing for files.
- No shell instances.
PyDev For Eclipse
It is the feature-rich, and open-source Python IDE for the eclipse. It supports code completion, Django integration, code completion with auto-import, code analysis, and type hinting.
Pydev comes with a debugger, token browser, refactoring, code coverage, unit test integration, and Pylint integration. You can also find references using shortcut keys. Moreover, it can be great to use for Jython, Python, and IronPython development.
Pros
- Maven Integration and Support
- Subversion/Git integration
- Simplified IDE makes it easy to write efficient code.
- Debugging is very easy in Eclipse.
Cons
- Eclipse has a large footprint
- Updated versions require to build plugins and migrate projects
- Sometimes crashes on loading big projects.
VS Code
Visual studio is the cross-platform editor for the different OS including Linux. It is Microsoft IDE that supports multiple programming languages. You just need to install the extension of the programming language.
The best thing about VS is that you can customize it, create your shortcut keys, change the theme, and other preferences. Install Python extension to activate support for python development and use it in your VS code.
Pros
- Very active development with Microsoft backing.
- Offers all the plugins you need
- Stellar VSCode’s speed, almost comparable to ST3
- Manages any npm-based application, made by “npm install”.
Cons
- Sometimes the side preview plug-in doesn’t work properly.
- There is no visibility into conflicting extensions.
Vim
Developers use vim as a command-line interface and a standalone application. It is best to use for college projects. It makes programming more fun, easy, and enjoyable.
Vim is loved by the Linux and Ubuntu-users. It is because it is highly customizable and fast. Vim makes debugging a lot easier, and it also helps to support many plug-ins and tools.
Pros
- Vim is lightweight and fast.
- It has a powerful plug-in model.
- Free and open-source.
- CL interface.
- Provides great productivity
Cons
- Somehow difficult to learn.
- Poor support for internal tooling.
- Feature discovery is difficult.
- It needs a high effort to customize.
Wing IDE
Wing IDE is a product of Wingware, and it is well-reputed when the main concern is a powerful debugger. It is a lightweight but full-featured IDE with editing, code inspection, and testing features.
It is available in different versions like free edition, personal edition, and professional edition. It is the perfect choice for professional developers because it provides auto-completion, refactoring, and auto-editing that speed up the process of development.
Pros
- Responsive support
- Very easy to learn
- Built-in debugger
- Check for errors in the source code
- Helps you to write readable and manageable code
- Customized plug-ins
Cons
- It provides less support to other programming languages.
- Its price is high for a single user.
- It has some kind of stability problems.
Atom
Atom is free and open-source with the same features as an integrated development environment. It supports almost all programming languages, including python. You can use the Atom editor on Ubuntu easily.
You can make Atom function like IDE by installing some plug-ins and extensions. It has a slick user interface. It provides many features like syntax highlighting in the code, diagnostics, auto-completion, etc.
Pros
- Git integration
- Plugin ecosystem
- C++ development
- Built-in package manager.
- Smart auto-completion
- Compatible and easy to use.
Cons
- No starter packages
- May need some improvements
- Performance needs some attention
- File extensions dictate editing functionality
Spyder
It is the dedicated IDE for beginners, and it incorporates some very useful features that make it popular.
It facilitates coders and programmers to do programming easily and accurately. It’s code editor, debugger, and compiler make it the best choice for new learners. Moreover, the user doesn’t have to provide a compiler or interpreter; this IDE creates the environment itself.
Pros
- Light-weight and fast.
- Great for beginners
- Provide online help
Cons
- It is not very customizable.
- Basic than counterparts like PyCharm.
Eric Python IDE
It is the open-source, and full-featured editor and IDE and it will work fine for you if you are a newbie.
The best thing about Eric python IDE is that everyone can use it, whether they are students, beginners, or pro. Many lecturers and professors use it for teaching purposes as well. Moreover, it works on the cross-platform, and it has extensions and plug-ins for different IDE functionalities.
Pros
- Integrated class browser.
- Best project management.
- Best to use for beginners.
Cons
- The interface is somehow complex.
- Auto-completion is not so advanced.
- No tabbing for files.
Sublime
Sublime is the light-weight editor with the API and package system. It provides powerful features like python scripting, multiple panes, plug-ins, and much more.
It can customize everything by itself. So users can code with efficiency, speed, and accuracy.
Pros
- Text highlights are great for debugging.
- Better find-replace feature than others.
- Easily work with multiple projects without confusion.
Cons
- Less and complicated plugins.
- No auto-saving of documents.
- Formatting a heavy file can be confusing.
Visual Studio
Visual studio is the best python IDE for machine learning. It is a Microsoft product, and it provides support for many programming languages. It is the heavy-weight IDE that offers code refactoring, debugging, profiling, and many other tools.
It provides full support for python language, including scientific computing, web development, and data science. It is the best choice if you want to debug python and C/C++ side by side.
Pros
- Very active development with Microsoft backing.
- Syntax highlighter for every programming language.
- VSCode’s speed is awesome, almost comparable to ST3 which is natively built.
- Manages any npm-based application
- Highly pluggable architecture.
Cons
- Sometimes the side preview plug-in doesn’t work properly.
- The source code is a bit clunky.
- There is no visibility into conflicting extensions.
Geany
It has been a Python machine learning IDE since 2005. It is quite a light-weight IDE that is written in C and C++. It might be tiny, but it provides the same functionality as other IDEs in the market.
Along with this, it provides support to the coder by highlighting syntax and line numbering as well. It has features like code completion, auto HTML, XML tags, braces closing, etc. it also provides code folding and support code navigation.
Pros
- Light-weight and fast.
- Built-in plugin manager.
- Available on cross-platform.
- Build-in terminal.
- Native and actively free.
- Syntax parsing and code line numbering.
Cons
- It’s not very advanced.
- Not enough third-party plug-ins.
Geany
Geany is a lightweight graphical user interface IDE. It uses a text editor that uses scintilla and GTK+ with IDE. It is independent of a special desktop environment, and it requires only a few dependencies on other packages. It supports tons of programming languages.
Along with this, it provides support to the coder by highlighting syntax and line numbering as well. It has features like code completion, auto HTML, XML tags, braces closing, etc. it also provides code folding and support code navigation.
Pros
- Light-weight and fast.
- Built-in plugin manager.
- Build-in terminal.
- Syntax parsing and code line numbering.
Cons
- Not enough third-party plug-ins.
Ninja
Ninja IDE is written purely in Python, and it supports multiple platforms like Linux, windows, mac for code execution. It is a cross-platform software that is exclusive to build Python applications and websites.
It is a very light-weight IDE that performs functionalities like file handling, code locating, going to lines and tabs, zoom editor, and automatic code identification. Moreover, it supports a few more languages other than python.
Pros
- Extensible and syntax highlighting
- Script runner
- Allows you to search one or more words
- Render HTML files
- Easily locate code
- Embedded Python console
Cons
- Sometimes bad performance.
- No new updations since 2013.
Code block
This IDE is also written in C++ using WX widgets as a graphical user interface in 2005. The code block is open-source, free and cross-platform IDE, and it supports multiple compilers like Visual C++, clang, and GCC.
This IDE is quite intelligent, and it also performs various functions like code folding, code completion, syntax highlighting, and much more. Code block also has several external plugins for different customizations. Moreover, it runs on various operating systems.
Pros
- It is open-source with many libraries.
- The debugger supports multi-threaded processes
- It let you choose the compiler
- You can use it on cross-platform
Cons
- Poor code completion
- Code is not easy to read
PyCharm
PyCharm is a well-reputed python IDE by the data science developers. It has excellent tools and plugins to work with.
It is best for those who have experience of using different Jetbrains IDE. It is because the features and the interface can be similar. It also allows data science developers to integrate its tools and libraries such as Matplotib.
Pros
- Data science scripting
- Excellent tools and plugins.
- Connectivity with several databases
- Quick and convenient to use and install
- Update and remove plugins
- Real-time verification of code
- Search files by code snippet or names
Cons
- The community edition is far behind the paid alternative.
- Process of upgrading IDEs can be better
- Full version is quite expensive
- Some new versions use a lot of machine memory like java.
Jupyter Notebook
Python notebooks have got a lot of attention in recent years as a tool showing code, and the results are amazing. It helps to lower the barrier to start with programming because the input is noticeable with output.
Jupyter lap is working to enable users to work with activities like Jupyter notebook and custom components in an interactive manner.
Pros
- Strong to visualization functionalities.
- Interaction with plots is convenient.
- Concise documentation with code
- The best tool for data science
Cons
- The variable inspector is missing
- No convenient file explorer view
- Opening and exploring file is bit clunky
- Absence of convenient visual debugging
Conclusion
If you are a beginner developer who wants to learn Python, you need the right tool for the job. So, if you are looking for the best Python IDEs for beginners, this is it.