Best free IDE for JavaScript works best with the simplest features, and still offer you what you need to be productive. That’s why we’ve collected some of the best IDEs which will help you work on any project, whether that is NodeJS or just plain js. Try these IDEs out and check which fits the most with your needs.
Are you a JavaScript developer looking for the best IDE for your programming needs? If so, look no further! I have compiled a list of some of the best IDEs currently on the market.
CodeLite
Platforms: Windows, Ubuntu, macOS
Price: free and open source
CodeLite is an open source development environment with full support for C, C ++, Node.js, and PHP. There are versions for Linux, Mac, as well as for Windows 32 and 64-bit operating systems.
Because CodeLite is an IDE, it provides a more sophisticated built-in development environment for the languages it supports, flexibly expanding its scope with custom plugins. Despite its complexity, it is lightweight and easy to use.
The IDE also has general compiler support, interactive debuggers, integrators, and code completion. While CodeLite has advanced features that can be a bit overwhelming for beginners, getting started with its superficial functionality is easy.
Pros:
- Many useful plugins;
- 50 mb memory footprint;
- Cross-platform;
- Still developing actively on Github;
- Free open-source.
Cons:
- Boring UI
Codeply
Platforms: Online editor in web browser
Price: free
Codeply is another tool JavaScript IDE for quickly editing online. This product was launched back in 2014, and the 2nd version was released in 2019.
The team behind Codeply claims that their product is suitable for rapid prototyping, mock-up, learning, and exploring popular new libraries, APIs, plugins, and frameworks.
The standard set of functionality includes layout settings, a preview of results, ready-made templates, and social network elements. Compared to other tools, Codeply is fast.
Pros:
- Works with many frameworks such as Bootstrap, Pure CSS, etc.
- Responsive preview.
- Snippets for UI editor.
- Compared to other tools, Codeply is fast.
Cons:
- Only after donation, you can receive upgrades.
Visual Studio
Platforms:Windows, Linux, macOS
Price: from $45/month
Microsoft Visual Studio is an IDE from Microsoft. It is used to develop computer programs for Microsoft Windows and websites, web applications, and web services. Visual Studio uses Microsoft software development platforms such as Windows API, Windows Forms, Windows Presentation Foundation, Windows Store, and Microsoft Silverlight. It can create both native codes and managed code. Visual Studio includes a code editor that supports IntelliSense as well as code refactoring. The integrated debugger works as a source-level debugger and a machine-level debugger. Other built-in tools include a form designer for building GUI applications, a web designer, a class designer, and a database schema designer. It accepts plugins that extend functionality at almost every level, including adding support for version control systems (such as Subversion) and adding new toolkits editors and visual designers for domain-specific languages or toolkits for others.
Visual Studio supports various programming languages and allows the code editor and debugger to support virtually any programming language as long as a dedicated language service exists. Embedded languages include XML / XSLT, HTML / XHTML, JavaScript and CSS, C, C ++ and C ++ / CLI, VB.NET, C #, and F #. Support for other languages such as M, Python and Ruby, and others is available through language services installed separately.
Pros:
- Many tools in the environment work very well in JS and C#.
- There is a free version called Community Edition.
- The community is full of everything an independent developer needs.
- The best software for development on any platform, let alone .Net and C #.
- There is cloud storage.
Cons:
- Resource intensity.
- If you switch to the paid version, the settings and the corporate server may go wrong.
- The program is difficult to master on your own due to the abundance of functions and menus.
WebStorm
Platforms: Windows, Linux, macOS
Price: $0-$129/year
WebStorm stands out because it is a fully-featured JavaScript IDE. The developer of this IDE is JetBrains.
This JS editor is great for various platforms such as React, Angular, Vue.js, and more. It can be used to debug node scripts and run tests on an embedded server. You can also run and debug npm scripts (using the tree-like interface). And you don’t need any plugins for all this.
However, plugins are available for some more specific functionality not built into the IDE itself. But in most cases, everything you might need is already in the IDE. The best part about this is that you can discover new features you never knew before and appreciate how great they are.
By default, WebStorm is configured to autosave files as you work on them. When you switch to some other Javascript editor without such functionality, you begin to feel how much it lacks after this IDE. However, this is not a unique feature of WebStorm. It’s just that the implementation here is a little nicer.
Some people don’t always trust ctrl-z to undo, but WebStorm has a built-in version control system that commits every time a file is saved. It’s purely internal, completely separate from your Git commits. So if you haven’t made a commit in Git in a while, and you need to go back and see the previous state after the last commit, you can do it without any problems.
Despite some disadvantages, the project is constantly evolving and improving.
Pros:
- Convenient auto-completion for both HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
- Error checking and easy code debugging is provided through integration with a number of bug tracking systems.
- Native integration with source control systems such as GitHub, Git, as well as Subversion, Perforce, and Mercurial.
- Flexibility of settings.
- Quite a large number of plugins.
- Lots of features.
- No need to search for packages and configure it.
- Excellent indentation, tips on how to simplify the code and basic code validation for errors.
- Great merge tool.
- Smart code completion, on-the-fly error checking, fast code navigation and refactorings for JavaScript.
Cons:
- Due to its extensive functionality, WebStorm is heavy and resource-intensive;
- Sometimes, when working on very large projects, it eats up memory;
- Inherent to all IDEs, it is slow and resource-intensive.
- Relatively complex settings.
- Paid IDE, distributed by subscription.
- Slow working with lots of projects.
IntelliJ IDEA
Platforms: Windows / Linux / macOS
Price: from $15/month, $150 -$499/year.
The free version only works with Java and Android.IntelliJ IDEA is the next premium IDE developed by JetBrains on our list. You can also use the free Community Edition, and the paid version has a 30-day trial period. IntelliJ IDEA was created as a development environment for Java. Still, now the developers define this IDE as “the smartest and most user-friendly development environment for Java, including support for all the latest technologies and frameworks.” Using plugins, this IDE can be used to work with other languages.
Pros:
- Code quality analysis tools, easy navigation, advanced refactorings, formatting and code injection for Java, Groovy, Scala, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, CoffeeScript, ActionScript, LESS, XML, and many other languages.
- Integration with application servers, including Tomcat, TomEE, GlassFish, JBoss, WebLogic, WebSphere, Geronimo, Resin, Jetty, and Virgo.
- Tools for working with databases and SQL files.
- Integration with commercial version control systems Perforce, Team Foundation Server, ClearCase, Visual SourceSafe.
- Tools for running tests and analyzing code coverage, including support for all popular testing frameworks.
Cons:
- You will have to take time to understand this IDE, so it may seem daunting to novice programmers.
PyCharm
Platforms:Windows / Linux / macOS
Price:from $9/month and $90/year.
If you are doing Python development too, take a look at PyCharm, another IDE from JetBrains. Also, it supports CoffeeScript in the free version. Like IntelliJ, it is supported by all three major operating systems. The professional license includes support for HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. Besides, you can always extend the functionality with plugins.With PyCharm, you will have access to:
- Code completion and automatic error search;
- Intelligent navigation through the project;
- Built-in debugger, Python profiler, and terminal;
- Integration with popular version control systems, as well as Jupyter Notebook, Anaconda, and other libraries.
Like IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm has an open-source Community version, but with limited functionality. It lacks many web development tools, no Python profiler, and no database support.
The Professional license costs $ 89 per year for individuals and $ 199 per year for organizations (per user).Pros:
- excellent code completion (including Django templates, an order of magnitude better than analogs, also good autocompletion for JS, CSS, HTML, etc.);
- good debugging capabilities;
- convenient work with version control servers (VCS);
- the ability to work with databases (also good SQL auto-completion and much more);
- the ability to work with code located on a remote machine (also debugging it);
- automatic dependency fix;
- built-in shell.
Cons:
- paid (it is free, but it is cut off);
- the IDE is written in java, and the main problem is java? – That’s right, there are tons of resources. If you leave the IDE for a long time in debug mode, everything may freeze, which is very stupid;
- sometimes weird when debugging (there are various small bugs).
Rider
 | Developed by JetBrains |
Another JetBrains application, Rider is built specifically for C# and .NET, based on the IntelliJ platform. As they are also the developers of ReSharper — one of the most popular extensions for Visual Studio — it comes included in Rider which is a major plus, making it a good alternative to Visual Studio.
Features
- Great support for C# and .NET
- Support for front-end languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript and TypeScript
- Support for mono-based frameworks like Unity and Xamarin
- ReSharper coding assistance built-in
- Built-in decompiler to inspect code from libraries you’ve pulled in
- Database tools
- Support for plugins
Pros
- ReSharper
- Lots of tools that make development easier
- Customizable
- Similar to other JetBrains IDEs, common experience
- Cross-platform
Cons
- Subscription needed for most use cases
Cost
- Free for students and open-source projects
- Monthly subscription (price varies between individuals and teams)
Eclipse
 | Developed by the Eclipse Foundation |
Eclipse has been around since 2001 and is another IDE primarily aimed at Java development and is free and open-source. This means you can contribute to the codebase and improve it yourself. It is often noted that it’s on the slower side. However, it’s a great alternative if you prefer a Java-specific IDE that’s free and open-source.
Features
- Great support for Java
- Also supports other programming languages
- Plug-ins available
- Debugging support
- Integrated unit testing tools
- User interfaces for common command-line tools
- Built-in version control
Pros
- Free
- Open-source
- Cross-platform
- Been around for a long time
Cons
- Need to install plug-ins to get the most out of it
- On the slow side
Cost
Free
NetBeans
 | Apache Software Foundation |
Another open-source Java IDE, NetBeans was first created in 1997 so has been around for a long time, though it only became open-source in 2000. In 2016 it got donated to the Apache Software Foundation as it was competing with another Java IDE owned by the same company.
Features
- Great support for Java
- Plug-ins available
- Debugging support
- Integrated unit testing tools
- Tools for refactoring code
- Built-in version control
Pros
- Free
- Open-source
- Cross-platform
- Been around for a long time
Cons
- Not as great for big projects
Cost
Free
PyCharm
 | Built by JetBrains |
PyCharm is JetBrains’ Python IDE boasting their usual array of coding assistance along the lines of ReSharper for Visual Studio. Python’s popularity has been rising the last few years due to its many applications so this is a great option to look at.
Features
- Great support for Python and virtual environments
- Support for data science tools like Anaconda, IPython Notebook, NumPy, etc.
- Debugging support
- Integrated unit testing tools
- User interfaces for common command-line tools
- Database tools
- Support for plugins
Pros
- Lots of tools that make development easier
- Customizable
- Similar to other JetBrains IDEs, common experience
- Cross-platform
Cons
- Subscription needed for most use cases
Cost
- Free for students and open-source projects
- Monthly subscription (price varies between individuals and teams)
GoLand
 | Developed by JetBrains |
This is one of the only IDEs targeted specifically at the Go programming language. JetBrains’ GoLand is another IDE developed on the IntelliJ platform and comes with the coding assistance we’ve come to know and love (even throughout this article).
However, if you already have a subscription for IntelliJ IDEA, you can probably get away with using that instead with their official Go plugin.
Features
- Advanced coding assistance
- Debugging support
- Integrated unit testing tools
- User interfaces for common command-line tools
- Database tools
- Support for plugins
Pros
- Lots of tools that make development easier
- Customizable
- Similar to other JetBrains IDEs, common experience
- Cross-platform
Cons
- Subscription needed for most use cases
Cost
- Free for students and open-source projects
- Monthly subscription (price varies between individuals and teams)
Glitch
 | Developed by Glitch |
Glitch is a little different from the other apps in this section. While it’s an IDE, it’s also a platform for creating simple web apps and prototypes and for being creative with code. If you’re looking to teach someone how to code (or learn yourself) or looking to setup a hackathon for your team, Glitch is the way to go.
Every project on Glitch is open by default and can be “remixed”, meaning a copy is made of that project in your account and you can start hacking away at it without affecting the original.
When you create a new project, Glitch gives you the option of creating a static website (static HTML, CSS, and JS files). Or a full-stack JavaScript application built on Express, with the option of adding a database, meaning you can control the back-end code too.
Features
- Browser-based code editor
- Easy collaboration, allows multiple people to edit the same file at the same time
- Host your projects online
- Static websites
- Node.js applications with Express
- Supports JavaScript, HTML and CSS
- Terminal available for command-line tools
Pros
- Free
- Easy to host a website
- Great for simple web apps and prototypes
- Scratches that creative itch
- Everything is in the browser
- Great for team collaboration
Cons
- Node.js is your only option for the back-end
- Not very customizable
- Not great for big projects
- There are some technical restrictions on the free version (e.g. apps sleep after a few minutes if not used, turned off after a few hours, limited disk space and memory, etc.)
Cost
Free or paid for extra quality-of-life features
CodeSandbox
 | Developed by CodeSandbox |
CodeSandbox is one of the best IDEs to choose if you want to work on a front-end project — especially React — as it comes with official templates for a lot of the major front-end frameworks and libraries (such as React, Vue, and Angular). So you can skip the setup and start hacking.
It also comes with some excellent integrations that improve the developer experience, like inline unit test results and built-in DevTools.
Features
- Powered by Visual Studio Code in the browser
- NPM support
- Hot module reloading
- Integrates with GitHub
- Deploy directly to Netlify or Vercel
- Easy collaboration, allows multiple people to edit the same file at the same time
- Inline chat and classroom mode
- Terminal access for command-line tools
- Integrated DevTools (including React DevTools)
- Integrated with Jest for unit tests, shows results next to your code
Pros
- Feels like a desktop IDE as it uses Visual Studio Code in the browser
- Great for front-end projects, especially React
- Good for team collaboration
Cons
- JavaScript and TypeScript only
- Not great for back-end development
Cost
Free or paid for extra features
Rider
| Developed by JetBrains |
Another JetBrains application, Rider is built specifically for C# and .NET, based on the IntelliJ platform. As they are also the developers of ReSharper — one of the most popular extensions for Visual Studio — it comes included in Rider which is a major plus, making it a good alternative to Visual Studio.
Features
- Great support for C# and .NET
- Support for front-end languages like HTML, CSS, JavaScript and TypeScript
- Support for mono-based frameworks like Unity and Xamarin
- ReSharper coding assistance built-in
- Built-in decompiler to inspect code from libraries you’ve pulled in
- Database tools
- Support for plugins
Pros
- ReSharper
- Lots of tools that make development easier
- Customizable
- Similar to other JetBrains IDEs, common experience
- Cross-platform
Cons
- Subscription needed for most use cases
Cost
- Free for students and open-source projects
- Monthly subscription (price varies between individuals and teams)
IntelliJ IDEA
 | Developed by JetBrains |
The platform that the other JetBrains (which used to be called IntelliJ) solutions are built on top of, IntelliJ IDEA was one of the first available IDEs for Java with code refactoring and navigation built-in.
As with the other platforms, IntelliJ IDEA comes with a large amount of coding assistance to help you be more productive, as well as tools that you might need when working on web or software development. Like SQL, Git, and build tool support.
The IntelliJ Platform is what IntelliJ IDEA is built on, along with Android Studio and JetBrains’ other IDEs. It is open-source, available under the Apache 2.0 license which lets you build royalty-free commercial and non-commercial products on it.
Features
- Debugging support
- Integrated unit testing tools
- User interfaces for common command-line tools
- Database tools
- Support for plugins
- Built-in version control
Pros
- Lots of tools that make development easier
- Customizable
- Similar to other JetBrains IDEs, common experience
- Cross-platform
- Built on open-source platform
Cons
- Subscription needed for most use cases
Cost
- Free for students and open source projects
- Monthly subscription (price varies between individuals and teams)
Conclusion
It’s not easy to decide which IDE to choose. I’m here to help. Whether you want an online one or a downloadable one, web based or Windows application… This article has given you some basic explanations on how these IDEs work and what is the difference between them.