Who doesn’t like free stuff? Oh sure, your friends might make fun of you for it. But there’s no better time to start installing all sorts of programs on your computer than when it doesn’t cost you a penny. The best python ide for beginners and intermediate programmers and the best python ide for advanced programmers (I’m not kidding, really) are all free – and they’re pretty awesome. So what’s the best free Python ide you should look into today?
These days learning to code can be very expensive, especially if you’re starting from scratch. Many colleges and universities offer a number of courses on programming, but can cost a little over a thousand a month. They also provide advisors and the opportunity to work with other fellow coders who share your passion. Although these may be incredibly valuable for people just starting out in the field, they don’t reach those outside of the educational system. Which is why I wanted to provide aspiring coders with the opportunity to learn about python idle, as well as which are some of the best IDE’s or IDEs for beginners.
Eclipse + PyDev
If you’ve spent any amount of time in the open-source community, you’ve heard about Eclipse. Available for Linux, Windows, and OS X at, Eclipse is the de-facto open-source IDE for Java development. It has a rich marketplace of extensions and add-ons, which makes Eclipse useful for a wide range of development activities.
One such extension is PyDev, which enables Python debugging, code completion, and an interactive Python console. Installing PyDev into Eclipse is easy: from Eclipse, select Help, Eclipse Marketplace, then search for PyDev. Click Install and restart Eclipse if necessary.
Pros: If you’ve already got Eclipse installed, adding PyDev will be quicker and easier. PyDev is very accessible for the experienced Eclipse developer.
Cons: If you’re just starting out with Python, or with software development in general, Eclipse can be a lot to handle. Remember when I said IDEs are larger and require more knowledge to use properly? Eclipse is all that and a bag of (micro)chips.
Atom
Available on all platforms, Atom is billed as the “hackable text editor for the 21st Century.” With a sleek interface, file system browser, and marketplace for extensions, open-source Atom is built using Electron, a framework for creating desktop applications using JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. Python language support is provided by an extension that can be installed when Atom is running.
Pros: It has broad support on all platforms, thanks to Electron. Atom is small, so it downloads and loads fast.
Cons: Build and debugging support aren’t built-in but are community provided add-ons. Because Atom is built on Electron, it’s always running in a JavaScript process and not as a native
PyCharm
Free or paid: PyCharm has a free community edition, but its full, professional version is paid. A free trial is available. For students, there is PyCharm Educational Edition.
System compatibility: Windows, macOS, Linux
Description and features: Developed by JetBrains, PyCharm is a comprehensive, Python-specific IDE.
PyCharm combines all the Python tools in one place. It offers:
- an intelligent code editor,
- navigation and refactoring tools,
- a debugger,
- a test runner.
It also allows code inspections and supports VCS. PyCharm’s code inspection is one of the most advanced among all Python IDEs, making it much harder to introduce preventable bugs through static and runtime code analysis.
The paid version additionally offers:
- a Python profiler;
- remote development;
- database tools;
- assistance in web development (by supporting frameworks like Pyramid, Flask or Django, as well as JavaScript, CoffeeScript, TypeScript, HTML/CSS, AngularJS, Node.js, and more);
- scientific tools (it integrates with IPython Notebook and supports packages like Matplotlib and NumPy).
Use it if: you’re looking for a comprehensive Python development tool that will not only make you more efficient, but also boost the quality of your code. Especially if you’re in the fields of ML/AI, data science, or web development!
Visual Studio Code
Free or paid: Visual Studio Code is free to download and open source with freeware binaries.
System compatibility: Windows, macOS, Linux
Description and features: Visual Studio Code is a complete code editor developed by Microsoft. While it has many premium features and is customizable, it has a clear and easy UX, and installing new extensions is beyond easy.
Visual Studio Code provides:
- syntax highlighting,
- bracket-matching,
- auto-indentation,
- box-selection,
- built-in support for IntelliSense code completion,
- rich semantic code understanding and navigation,
- code refactoring tools,
- a debugger.
It integrates with build and scripting tools and supports Git.
Visual Studio Code is known for its innovative features, like Live Share, which allows you to do real pair-programming remotely. Its unique architecture also made it possible for Microsoft to create a cloud-based service out of it, allowing you to leverage VS Code features wherever you are.
Visual Studio Code is extensible and customizable, letting you add more features and connect to additional services (one such extension is a Python package).
Use it if: you want a light, fast editor with an easy interface and customization options. VSC features some one-of-a-kind features like the Live Share mentioned above, which you might find useful!
Vim
Free or paid: Vim is completely free and open source.
System compatibility: macOS, Windows, Linux
Description and features: Vim is an extensible terminal-based editor.
Vim is all about configurability and, as its official website states, “it will not hold your hand.” While its entry threshold is not the lowest, your preparations will pay off. Vim is fast, effective, and 100% suited to your needs.
At its very core, Vim is a text editor equipped with all the basic features to facilitate writing code. It:
- highlights syntax,
- points out errors,
- looks for syntax matches,
- offers code completion,
- and more!
Vim is known for its simple commands, but to use this feature effectively, you have to “start Insert mode to enter text and return to Normal mode to execute commands.” This “split” model might take some time to get used to. But in the end, it makes your work faster, as you can keep both your hands on the keyboard!
The reason why Vim is so popular among Python developers is the fact that it’s highly customizable. It offers a plethora of different extensions and plugins.
Use it if: you are an experienced developer and you know what you want—or you have time to read quite a lot of guides. If your preferred way of working doesn’t include a mouse, or you do a lot of work on a remote server, Vim is the way to go.
Eclipse + PyDev + LiClipse
Free or paid: Eclipse, PyDev and LiClipse are free and open-source.
System compatibility: Windows, macOS, Linux
Description and features: Developed by the Eclipse Foundation, the Eclipse IDE is one of the most notable ones out there. While primarily used for Java, it is perfect for Python development when combined with PyDev. It is strongly recommended that users also install LiClipse for optimal performance.
PyDev can be used in Python, Jython, and IronPython development. It includes code editor, navigation and refactoring tools, as well as a debugger.
It also offers an interactive console and tools for code completion, code analysis, and code coverage.
With LiClipse, PyDev supports other programming and templating languages, like Django Templates, Mako, RST, C++, CoffeeScript, Dart, HTML, JavaScript, CSS, and more.
Use it if: you’re looking for an open-source, full-fledged IDE that will help improve the quality of your code, no matter the programming language used.
Conclusion
So, what are the best Python IDEs? You have to know, that the “best” is a relative term. One person may think that one specific Python IDE is great because it has everything they need for developing their Python scripts, while another person will think that the same IDE stinks because it lacks certain features essential to their workflow. There are many good Python IDEs for beginners and long-time programmers. But which ones are the best?