To build some live websites that perform great by being interactive, dynamic, and user-responding, you need a platform wherein developers code and work on web development. Those platforms are none other than IDEs and Code Editors. And when it comes to building a web application, JavaScript is the most preferred programming language.

Using JavaScript to build some amazing and feature-rich web applications has become a trend and we need IDEs and code editors for that. In this blog, we’ll be talking about some of the best JavaScript IDEs and Code Editors which could be used to develop some amazing websites. Let’s read about them but before we read about IDEs, it’s important for you to know what is an IDE actually.

What is an IDE/Code Editor?

IDEs (Integrated Development Environment) is a platform that provides immense features to developers while coding and making the web application run on a server. It integrates several tools used for software development.

Features of an IDE –

1. Collection of tools for software development
2. Supports various languages
3. Syntax highlighting
4. Auto-completion
5. Build automation

Code Editors are platforms that come with advanced built-in features used to speed up the code editing process. It allows you to increase productivity by easing the process of software editing, building, testing, and packaging.

Features of Code Editors –

1. Advanced built-in features to speed up the code editing process
2. Supports only specific languages
3. Compiling and debugging
4. Text editing
5. Indentation

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Top 10 JavaScript IDEs and Code Editors

IDEs and code editors play a major role in web development, hence, let’s read about some of the top JavaScript IDEs and Code Editors that you should definitely know to build a great website.

1. Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code is one of the best and most preferred IDE JavaScript developers used for developing web applications. You can also use this IDE for languages like C++, C#, Python, and over 30 programming languages. It has integrated Git support, therefore you can quickly run pull, push, and commit operations. It has a large community and comes with an IntelliSense feature. The feature which makes it the best is that it is very powerful and free to use.

Features of VS Code-

1. Syntax highlighting
2. Auto-complete with IntelliSense
3. Version controlling
4. Includes libraries that could be used during development
5. Includes extensions to support functionalities
6. Quick Navigation
7. Cross-platform support

Source Link: Visual Studio Code

2. WebStorm

Another top JavaScript IDE for developers is WebStorm which is the most intelligent editor for developing mobile, web, and desktop applications. It is built on top of IntelliJ and is not free (59 euros per year for individuals and 129 euros for companies) which is quite worth using. Also, it has functional integration with VCSs and GitHub. It supports front-end and back-end development, and technologies like React, Angular, Nodejs. and Vuejs.

Features of WebStorm-

1. Refactoring and easy navigation
2. Code completion
3. Version Controlling
4. Built-in terminal
5. Wide range of plugins and templates

Source Link: WebStorm

3. Atom

The next best JavaScript code editor is Atom which is a GitHub-developed platform. It is an open-source, free, and Git-integrated code editor that allows quick project browsing and editing in a single window. You also get the privilege to download packages and templates and make your own. It is widely used for the development of JavaScript projects with its user-friendly nature. You can add tools, themes, and features with the built-in package manager.

Features of Atom-

1. You can search, preview, and replace text across the entire project
2. You can browse and open a file
3. Has multiple panes
4. Real-time debugging
5. Supports the command palette

Source Link: Atom

4. IntelliJ IDEA

IntelliJ IDEA is yet another best JavaScript IDE by JetBrains. You can use the community edition for free whereas the ultimate editions require a licensed purchase. Its main objective is to increase the developer’s productivity. The best thing about this IDE is that it is free to use and it also has the ability to automatically add the tools required for the project. It can also perform data flow analysis and supports intelligent coding.

Features of IntelliJ IDEA –

1. Integrated version control
2. Built-in static code analyzer
3. Extensive database editor and UML designer
4. Deployment and debugging tools
5. Git-integrated

Source Link: IntelliJ IDEA

5. Eclipse

One of the greatest IDEs for JavaScript development is Eclipse which developers use to develop web applications. It is a free and open-source platform that includes an extensible plugin system. It also has automated error reporting which allows you to report bugs. The syntax is auto-validated with this program. You can also integrate it with JUnit.

Features of Eclipse –

1. Supports a number of libraries
2. Code refactoring
3. Readmade code template
4. Manage the project remotely
5. Supports an easy version

Source Link: Eclipse

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6. Brackets

Brackets is a free, open-source editor specifically designed for web developers. It is a lightweight and powerful IDE with visual tools, an elegant interface, and intuitive navigation. The bracket is a browser-based design tool for web designers. The preprocessor makes it easy to edit LESS and SCSS files. Apart from JavaScript, Brackets also supports other programming languages like Python, Java, Perl, etc.

Features of Brackets –

1. Live preview
2. Code-folding, autoprefixer
3. Preprocessor support
4. Inline editors

Source Link: Brackets

7. Sublime Text

The next best and top JavaScript IDE and code editor is Sublime Text. It is a JavaScript text editor where you can work for a smaller work environment. Sublime Text is free, cross-platform, and also provides extensive customization. Its multi-cursor and multi-select features help you to increase productivity. Not only for programming languages, can also use it for markup languages.

Features of Sublime Text –

1. Command palette
2. API (to augment the features)
3. Highlights the syntax
4. Shortcuts for ease of access
5. Installing packages and package management

Source Link: Sublime Text

8. NetBeans IDE

NetBeans IDE is the best JavaScript IDE which provides excellent support for JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. Using this versatile IDE, you can build web, mobile, and desktop applications. It is the best powerful platform for code monitoring and editing features. You can drag and rearrange tabs in the application and change the settings as per your requirement. It is a free, and open-source IDE that has the FindBugs tool to write bug-free code.

Features of NetBeans IDE –

1. Integrates with Jira for issue tracking
2. Code editor, debugger, and project management tool
3. Team server integration
4. In-built JQuery support
5. Storage Monitoring

Source Link: NetBeans IDE

9. Komodo IDE

Komodo IDE is a good option for JavaScript IDE to build web and mobile-based apps. It is an open-source text editor used to work with dynamic programming languages. It supports more than 100 languages which include Go, Perl, HTML, CSS, Python, and many others. It ranges from $7/month for personal use and $490/month for an enterprise. It is powerful, full-featured, and supports multilingual use.

Features of Komodo IDE –

1. Effective management of files
2. Collaborative
3. Error markup and an advanced editor
4. Real-time visual debugging
5. Flexible licensing

Source Link: Komodo IDE

10. Light Table

Light Table is a free source code editor which is again a perfect fit for JavaScript projects. It comes with customizable keymaps and behavior object tags. Light Table allows multi-user editing i.e., multiple users can edit the same code in real time. It connects you to your creation and gives instant feedback. You can also improve the functionalities according to the requirements by using a built-in plugin manager.

Features of Light Table –

1. Inline evaluation
2. Malleable
3. Plugin manager
4. Powerful editing
5. Customizable with themes and plugins

Source Link: Light Table

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Conclusion

These were some of the top and best JavaScript IDEs and Code Editors that developers majorly use to build web applications. They have immense features that make the websites function properly and become user-friendly. There are numerous available in the market but you have to choose one as per the needs or requirements of the application.

Also Explore: JavaScript Tools Every Developer Should Know

FAQs on JavaScript IDEs and Code Editors

Q1. Which IDE is best for JavaScript beginners?

Ans. All of the above-mentioned JavaScript IDEs are best for beginners, it’s only that you need to choose one as per your requirements and needs. Every IDE serves the best purposes on its own.

Q2. Which IDE should I use for JavaScript?

Ans. Visual Studio Code is one of the best JavaScript IDE for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Not only does it support JavaScript, but it also supports many other languages like TypeScript, Node. js, and it comes with a lot of extensions for other languages including C++, C#, Python, PHP, etc.

Q3. Are IDEs better than code editors?

Ans. Both IDEs and code editors serve the best when it comes to coding or editing it, the only difference is code editors lack the ability to build or develop a web application.

Q4. What are the main features of IDE?

Ans. The main features of an IDE are –
Availability of tools
Supports various languages
Build automation