Python is a famous programming language and it’s the most popular language on GitHub. Also, it’s open-source and free. It’s easy to learn and there’re plenty of free Python IDE for Windows, Linux & Mac out there which can be used for any beginner.
What is the best Python IDE for beginners? How do I learn how to use Python IDE? We will help you setup and Install Python IDEs and setup your Python Workspace and show you how to start with programming. I found my python notebook very useful when working with my python code. You can also use my workspace to get started with Python.
Wing
Wing is a lightweight Python environment which is designed to give you productive development experience.
Price: Wing Pro trial is free. Wind Personal and Wing 101 are paid versions.
Features:
- Immediate feedback by writing your Python code.
- Helps you to remove common errors and write better Python code.
- You can check for debug data and try out bug fixes interactively without restarting your app.
- Wing supports test-driven development with various frameworks like the unittest, pytest, nose, doctest, and Django testing.
Download Link: https://wingware.com/
ActivePython
Increase software development data science with a secure and supported Python distribution. ActivePython is software consisting of the Python implementation CPython and a set of various extensions to facilitate installation.
Price: Free for community, however, coder, team, business. Enterprise versions are paid.
Features:
- It is one of the best IDE for Python which allows you to connect to your big data and databases, including Redis, MySQL, Hadoop, and MongoDB.
- Helps you to manage your data using, SciPy, Pandas, NumPy, and MatPlotLib.
- Supports machine learning models like TensorFlow, Keras, and Theano.
- Compatible with open-source Python so that you can avoid vendor lock-in.
- Uses OpenSSL patch for security.
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.
Download Link: https://www.activestate.com/products/python/
Eclipse plus PyDev
Among the most used IDEs for development, Eclipse Plus PyDev provides several features like interactive console, refactoring, debugger, token browser, etc.
- It has smart code analysis tools as well. Eclipse Plus PyDev provides support for IronPython, Python, Jython, and Django, thereby serving as a multi-operational IDE.
- Eclipse Plus PyDev is available for OS X at, Linux, Windows and is the de-facto IDE for open-source Java development.
- With numerous extensions and add-ons to its credit, Eclipse can be used for several development activities.
- Its advanced inference techniques offer better code analysis and completion features.
- It can also be used for debugging codes in quick and efficient ways.
Pros: If you have already installed Eclipse, then adding PyDev will be a quicker and easier process. It is accessible to experienced Eclipse developers.
Cons: In case you are a Python novice or a general software developer, then Eclipse is more massive and requires more knowledge for proper use.
Pydev
Pydev is the feature-rich, and open-source Python IDE that is best to use for mac. 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. It can also be best 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 Pydev.
Cons
- Eclipse has a large footprint
- Updated versions require to build plugins and migrate projects
- Sometimes crashes on loading big projects.
GNU Emacs
GNU Emacs is one of the best Python editors since always. It is compatible with many operating systems, including mac. GNU is an extendable and self-documenting editor with an on to go display. The developers of GNU are always upgrading it for better results.
Furthermore, GNU Emacs adopts the lisp coding language and syntax coloring. It offers Unicode support as well.
Pros
- Enable developers to perform better.
- Compatible with many platforms.
- Enables customization of a variety of skills.
Cons
- Somehow complex than other IDEs
- Takes time to learn in the initial stages.
SciTE
It is the SCIntilla based text editor, and you can use it for mac. It is quite a useful editor for running and building different applications and programs. It is a powerful, flexible, and portable editor.
It is the free source code editor that comes with the source code and license that allows use in any free project or commercial project. Its features are useful for debugging and editing code.
Pros
- Flexible and light-weight.
- Built-in shell and powerful editor.
- Simple graphical user interface
- Syntax highlighting for many languages.
Cons
- Pretty hard to configure
- Missing file browser
- No extensions or themes.
Eric Python IDE
It is the open-source, and full-featured editor and IDE. It is the best IDE for windows platform.
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 everyone.
Cons
- The interface is somehow complex.
- Auto-completion is not so advanced.
- No tabbing for files.
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.
PyCharm
It has handy tools and plugins to work. You can also use its advanced commercial edition with hundreds of professional features. It also serves as a reliable support tool to develop any kind of python application from backend applications to web apps.
PyCharm is one of the most loved Python IDEs. PyCharm is JetBrains IDE, who is well known for making developers stuff. For IntelliJ products, it is one of the most comfortable IDEs.
It has excellent tools and plugins to work with. Its advanced commercial edition owns thousands of professional features. Moreover, it serves as a reliable support tool to develop any kind of python application from backend applications to web apps.
Pros
- Data science scripting
- 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.
Conclusion
The right Python IDE can be the difference between spending hours before debugging your code and debugging your code within minutes, and that’s what we have talked about today is the best Python IDE for beginners. Are you a beginner? it is never too late to get started!