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8 alternatives · updated Aug 2026

The best Visual Studio Code alternatives in 2026

8 tools that do the job Visual Studio Code does. Each one is measured against Visual Studio Code on price, free plan and our rating, so you can see what you gain by switching.

Shortlist by what you need

Start here if you know why you are leaving Visual Studio Code.

  1. Want the closest match?

    Cline

    Most similar to Visual Studio Code in what it does, its category and its price.

    Visit (opens Cline in a new tab)

  2. Need a free plan?

    Goose

    Has a free plan, rated 4.3 out of 5.

    Visit (opens Goose in a new tab)

  3. Want the lowest price?

    GitKraken

    From $4.95/mo, the lowest starting price here.

    Visit (opens GitKraken in a new tab)

  4. Want the best rated?

    JetBrains Junie

    Rated 4.3 out of 5 in our review, against 3.9 for Visual Studio Code.

    Visit (opens JetBrains Junie in a new tab)

At a glance

Green means better than Visual Studio Code, red means worse. Prices are starting prices per month.

ToolOur ratingStarts atFree planBest forCompare
Visual Studio CodeBaseline3.9FreeYes"The open source AI code editor" - hand off tasks to AI agents that autonomously plan, edit code, run commands, and iterate, across dozens of models.
Cline4.5+0.6FreeYesShows you the exact changes before it makes themvs Visual Studio Code
Goose4.3+0.4FreeYesOpen source under Block, now governed by the Linux Foundationvs Visual Studio Code
GitKraken4.2+0.3$4.95/moYesGit client and developer-experience platform with AI commit messages, merge conflict resolution and explanations, plus GitLens for IDEs, a CLI and an MCP server that gives AI assistants git context.vs Visual Studio Code
AskCodi3.5−0.4$5/moNoSwitch between GPT, Claude, Gemini and LLaMA instantly instead of locking into one vendor - AI code completion, debugging, and unit-test generation plugged into VS Code, Cursor, Continue and more.vs Visual Studio Code
Trae4.2+0.3$10/moYesByteDance's free VS Code fork, with real data-retention tradeoffs to weighvs Visual Studio Code
JetBrains Junie4.3+0.4$10/moYesJetBrains' autonomous agent, separate from its inline AI Assistantvs Visual Studio Code
Tabby4.3+0.4$19/moYesAn open-source, self-hostable alternative to Copilot's autocompletevs Visual Studio Code
Google Antigravity4.2+0.3FreeYesGoogle's agent-first IDE that can act inside the browser toovs Visual Studio Code

The alternatives in detail

In order of how closely each one matches Visual Studio Code.

  1. Cline

    4.5Free

    vs Visual Studio Code+0.6

    Shows you the exact changes before it makes them.

    • Shows planned file edits and commands before executing them
    • Model-agnostic, works with multiple LLM providers
    • Early adopter of the Model Context Protocol (MCP)

    Transparent, approve-before-acting workflow builds real trust in its actions

    Approval-based workflow can feel slower than fully autonomous competitors

    Visit Cline (opens Cline in a new tab)ReviewCompare with Visual Studio Code

  2. Goose

    4.3Free

    vs Visual Studio Code+0.4

    Open source under Block, now governed by the Linux Foundation.

    • Open-source CLI and desktop AI agent under Apache 2.0
    • Runs shell commands and executes multi-step workflows locally
    • 70+ documented Model Context Protocol extensions

    Genuinely open source with neutral, foundation-level governance

    Local-first design requires running and maintaining it on your own machine

    Visit Goose (opens Goose in a new tab)ReviewCompare with Visual Studio Code

  3. GitKraken

    4.2$4.95/mo

    vs Visual Studio Code+0.3

    Git client and developer-experience platform with AI commit messages, merge conflict resolution and explanations, plus GitLens for IDEs, a CLI and an MCP server that gives AI assistants git context.

    • AI commit messages, merge conflict resolution and change explanations
    • MCP server connecting AI assistants to git context
    • GitLens for VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf and other IDEs

    Free Community plan for public repositories

    Free plan is limited to public repositories

    Visit GitKraken (opens GitKraken in a new tab)ReviewCompare with Visual Studio Code

  4. AskCodi

    3.5$5/mo

    vs Visual Studio Code−0.4

    Switch between GPT, Claude, Gemini and LLaMA instantly instead of locking into one vendor - AI code completion, debugging, and unit-test generation plugged into VS Code, Cursor, Continue and more.

    • Multi-model switching (GPT, Claude, Gemini, LLaMA) in one workflow
    • AI code completion, debugging, and refactoring
    • Unit test generation

    Multi-model access avoids single-vendor lock-in and its tradeoffs

    Token-based pricing requires monitoring usage to avoid overage

    Visit AskCodi (opens AskCodi in a new tab)ReviewCompare with Visual Studio Code

  5. Trae

    4.2$10/mo

    vs Visual Studio Code+0.3

    ByteDance's free VS Code fork, with real data-retention tradeoffs to weigh.

    • VS Code fork with inline completion and chat
    • SOLO Mode for autonomous full-project scaffolding
    • Free access to premium models including GPT-4o and Claude

    Notably generous free access to premium underlying models

    Telemetry data sharing with ByteDance affiliates has no opt-out

    Visit Trae (opens Trae in a new tab)ReviewCompare with Visual Studio Code

  6. vs Visual Studio Code+0.4

    JetBrains' autonomous agent, separate from its inline AI Assistant.

    • Autonomous, multi-step task execution
    • Runs tests to verify its own changes
    • Built into JetBrains' existing IDE suite

    Genuine autonomous, multi-file task handling within a familiar IDE

    Overlaps with JetBrains' own AI Assistant, worth comparing both directly

    Visit JetBrains Junie (opens JetBrains Junie in a new tab)ReviewCompare with Visual Studio Code

  7. Tabby

    4.3$19/mo

    vs Visual Studio Code+0.4

    An open-source, self-hostable alternative to Copilot's autocomplete.

    • Open-source, self-hostable code completion
    • Focused specifically on inline autocomplete, not broader chat or agents
    • No code sent to external APIs when self-hosted

    Genuine self-hosting keeps code entirely off external servers

    Scoped to completion only, not chat, agents, or code review

    Visit Tabby (opens Tabby in a new tab)ReviewCompare with Visual Studio Code

  8. vs Visual Studio Code+0.3

    Google's agent-first IDE that can act inside the browser too.

    • Agents that act across editor, terminal, and browser
    • Built on a VS Code foundation
    • Support for Gemini 3 Pro, Claude Sonnet 4.5, and GPT-OSS models

    Cross-surface agent action, including the browser, is a genuine differentiator

    Very new product still in public preview, features may change

    Visit Google Antigravity (opens Google Antigravity in a new tab)ReviewCompare with Visual Studio Code

FAQ

Questions people ask

Is Visual Studio Code free?

Visual Studio Code has a free plan.

What is the best free alternative to Visual Studio Code?

Cline is the highest-rated alternative here with a free plan (4.5 out of 5). Other free options: Goose, JetBrains Junie, Tabby.

What is the cheapest alternative to Visual Studio Code?

Among paid plans, GitKraken has the lowest starting price (from $4.95/mo). If you need it free, start with Cline.

How did you pick these alternatives?

We match tools on what they do, their category and their price, using the details in our directory. Ratings come from our reviews and reader reviews.