15+ BEST JavaScript IDE and Online Code Editors in 2024

Review and compare the top JavaScript IDE and Online Code Editors to select the best JavaScript Code Editor as per requirement:

In this tutorial, we will learn more about some of the most popular IDEs for the JavaScript environment.

JavaScript is the most popular programming language for web development along with other related technologies like CSS and HTML for developing good-looking front-end applications as well as highly interactive applications.

With the introduction of frameworks like NodeJS and ReactJS, which are built on top of JavaScript, it has become even more powerful and has built its place in backend development as well.

Hence its imperative to have a great coding environment which overall can help to enhance developer productivity.

An IDE (Integrated Development Environment), helps programmers to be more productive by focusing on the core logic of the application rather than language syntax, auto importing libraries and modules, etc.

JavaScript IDE and Online Code Editors

Any IDE has common features, like:

1. Text editor for writing source code.
2. Debugging – stepping through source code for identifying errors and bugs.
3. Provide shortcuts for easy access.
4. Auto code completion and auto imports.
5. Integration with other plugins. Examples: plugins for Docker, plugins for static code analysis, etc.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q #1) What IDE should I use for JavaScript?

Answer: There are a lot of different IDEs as well as online code editors available for JavaScript. Some of the popular ones (as well as open-sourced) are Visual Studio Code and Eclipse.

Online JavaScript code editors are more suitable for creating quick prototypes and sharing them with your product managers, or, for example: collaborating with other developers.

Q #2) What are the tools for JavaScript?

Answer: JavaScript is a scripting language to create powerful and interactive web pages. It is executed on a browser when you load a web page or perform some interaction with the web elements, like an input text box or clicking a button, etc.

The tools required for creating JavaScript files at the basic level are nothing but a text editor.

Q #3) How do I run JavaScript?

Answer: JavaScript is a programming language for the Web and is used to create good-looking front ends for web-based applications. Nowadays, it is also finding its application for backend development with the help of useful libraries like NodeJS.

JavaScript is executed when it’s loaded on a browser and an element is interacted with, which is having its functionality scripted like onClick, onMouseOver, etc.

Q #4) Is VSCode an IDE?

Answer: Yes VS Code is an IDE that is one of the most popular among the developer community. Being open-source is one of the biggest advantages, in addition to all features that an IDE must support.

Q #5) What is the best online JavaScript editor?

Answer: Per a survey from stateofjs – the most popular used JavaScript editor among developers is Visual Studio Code.  It provides all the benefits of using an IDE like – syntax highlighting, code completion, debugging and troubleshooting, etc.

Q #6) What is the difference between JavaScript editor and JavaScript IDE?

Answer: One of the most important differences between an IDE and an editor is that IDE supports additional features like debugging and compiling the code in addition to the usual things like Syntax highlighting, code completion, etc.

IDEs are generally suited for a streamlined development process to enhance productivity and provide all features under one roof. Some of the widely used IDEs are – Visual Studio Code, Eclipse, WebStorm, etc.

List of the Best Javascript IDE and Online Code Editors

Here is the list of popular Javascript online code editors:

1. WebStorm
2. Playcode
3. Visual Studio Code
4. Codepen.io
5. Komodo Edit
6. Brackets
7. Atom IDE
8. Visual Studio
9. Eclipse
10. Apache Netbeans
11. JS Fiddle
12. Textmate
13. Codesandbox
14. StackBlitz
15. JSBin

Comparison of Top JavaScript Online Editors

Detailed review:

#1) Webstorm

Best for powerful enterprise-level IDE for Javascript development with built-in support for multiple developer tools.

Webstorm is a powerful IDE specialized for JavaScript development that has built-in integrations with tools like Github for version control as well as debugging support, static code analysis, etc.

Features:

• Code auto-completion, useful suggestions, syntax highlighting.
• Integrations with multiple developer tools like Github, lint tools, and command-line terminal.
• Real-time code collaboration with multiple team members.
• Easily and quickly navigate through various code files, classes, configuration files, etc.

Pros:

• All in one web development IDE.
• Faster code completion and quick navigation capabilities.
• Good support is available since it’s a paid tool.
• Supports multiple JavaScript frameworks like React, Node, Angular, TypeScript, etc.

Cons:

• Licensing is expensive.
• Consumes a lot of resources like system RAM – hence requires developer machines with better configuration.
• The conflict between OS updates and the running version of Webstorm.

Pricing:

• Offers free 30-day trial
• Comes with annual and monthly pricing for enterprise users
  • Annual – $152 (with taxes) for WebStorm and $766 (with taxes) with all other JetBrain tools
  • Monthly – $15
• For individuals – $70 and $6 for annual and monthly plans respectively.

=> Visit Webstorm Website

#2) Playcode

Best for quick prototyping over a web-based editor, without downloading any software. Supports all web-based technologies – like JavaScript, CSS, HTML

Play code is an online editor for front end application development having support for most Front end technologies like JavaScript (and related frameworks), HTML & CSS

Features:

• Fast and simple.
• Learn and test and create quick working prototypes.
• Share with the team and get reviews/feedback.

Pros:

• Offers real-time results for the scripts written.
• Offers easy debugging.
• Offers pre-created templates with a built-in console.

Cons:

• Dependent on an internet connection.
• Good for prototyping, but less secure if you want to validate some business logic by uploading, copy/pasting your code on the web.

Pricing:

• Offers free starter pack.
• Paid versions –
  • Personal license at $4/month and,
  • Team license at $14/month with additional features like workspaces, multiple people collaboration, etc.

=> Visit Playcode Website

#3) Visual Studio Code

Best for open source, powerful code editing software available for almost all platforms. Teams looking for a free yet very versatile editor can consider using this.

VS Code is an open-source IDE built by Microsoft. It not only supports JavaScript, but most of the top scripting languages, including and not limited to Java, C++, Python, etc.

Features:

• Lightweight and customizable.
• First-class debugger which works great for JavaScript-based applications.
• Customizable UI

Pros:

• Available for almost all platforms – i.e. Windows, macOS, and Linux.
• Open-sourced hence no licensing is required.
• Good community support.
• Extensive debugging support with features like setting breakpoints, adding variables to watch list, etc.

Cons:

• Lacks professional support and guidance being open source.
• At times, updates are buggy.

Pricing:

• Free and open-sourced.

=> Visit Visual Studio Code Website

#4) Codepen.io

Best for online editor supporting JavaScript and related technologies for quick prototyping.

Codepen is an online code editor used by web-based front-end developers.

Features:

• Support for hosting assets like CSS, Images, JSON files, etc.
• Autocomplete and syntax highlighting.

Pros:

• Customized profiles and themes are available in the pro version.
• Offers Profession mode in pro version to conduct interactive teaching sessions.

Cons:

• Limited features in the free version as well as insecure if you want to share proprietary code.

Pricing:

• Offers free account without signing up.
• PRO version is paid –
  • ranging from $8 to $26/month with discounted annual billing options.
  • Plans differ in features ranging from collaboration options to storage space and number of projects.

=> Visit Codepen Website

#5) Komodo Edit

Best for free and open-sourced powerful IDE tool supporting multiple languages with most fully-featured IDE functionalities.

It’s a free and open-source version of the licensed IDE – Komodo IDE.

Features:

• Supports split view and multiple window view.
• Syntax highlighting, code completion, and variable highlighting.
• Code folding and code blocks are fully supported.

Pros:

• Minimalist interfaces.
• Cross-platform support.
• Auto-completion works great.
• Support for multiple languages like JavaScript, Python, PHP, etc.

Cons:

• Looks a little overwhelming and has some learning curve before you start fully using it.

Pricing:

• Komodo Edit is free to use.

=> Visit Komodo Edit Website

#6) Brackets

Best for teams looking for a lightweight editor having visual tools supporting the usage of web-based tools and a live preview for the same.

Brackets is a modern, lightweight, and free-to-use text editor for coding front-end applications using web-based technologies like JS, CSS, and HTML. It’s built by Adobe.

Features:

• The editor has an intuitive and easy-to-use interface.
• Support for a Live preview of the changes done in the code.

Pros:

• Support syntax highlighting for multiple languages.
• Suitable for beginners – very minimal learning curve.
• Support for extensions or plugins like Git, Emmet, Markdown preview.

Cons:

• It’s just an editor and not a full-fledged IDE
• Does Not have capabilities for building as well as debugging code.

Pricing:

• Open sourced and free to use.

=> Visit Brackets Website

#7) Atom IDE

Best for modern JavaScript editor built on Electron supporting cross-platform desktop applications.

Atom is a very popular open-source text editor used by developers across the globe. It’s highly customizable and flexible. It’s built by Github.

Features:

• Supports collaboration cross-platform by using Teletype.
• Smart auto-completion and syntax highlighting.
• Great themes and customization options.

Pros:

• Supports a lot of packages that can be installed to enhance functionality – for example, GitHub Integration.
• Cross-platform edition.
• Browse single file or whole project as well as multiple projects at once.
• Powerful – Find and Replace operations at a time across multiple projects.

Cons:

• Plugins crash at times, causing the editor to shut down.
• Consumes a lot of memory with plugins – keep only the plugins that are used frequently.

Pricing:

• Open Sourced and free to use.

=> Visit Atom Website

#8) Visual Studio

Best for teams already using Visual Studio for their other needs like backend programming using C# etc, can use the same license for JavaScript development as well and have the developers use their familiarity and expertise with the IDE.

Visual Studio is built by Microsoft and is one of the best IDEs for front-end development.

Features:

• Enterprise-grade IDE.
• Support for multiple programming languages like C#, C++, JavaScript, etc.

Pros:

• Code completion and Syntax highlighting.
• Integration with a lot of useful plugins like Github, Azure, etc.
• Great debugging features.

Cons:

• Memory and CPU Intensive.
• Less popular for pure JavaScript and Web development.

Pricing:

• Professional edition comes for $45/month
• Enterprise edition is priced at $250/month

=> Visit Visual Studio Website

#9) Eclipse

Best for teams or backend developers already using Eclipse can use it for minimal JavaScript development to have the same experience as backend programming.

Eclipse is more prominently used for Java-based applications and mostly backend programming, but it has good support for JavaScript as well, which could be added by installing JavaScript plugins.

Features:

• One of the most popular IDEs, especially for Java developers across the world.
• Highly customizable.

Pros:

• Cross-platform and multiple language support.
• Strong developer community.
• Powerful debugging options.

Cons:

• Eclipse is not a preferred choice for JavaScript development.
• Very memory and CPU intensive owing to the myriad of features Eclipse offers.

Pricing:

• Open sourced and free to use.

=> Visit Eclipse Website

#10) Apache NetBeans

Best for teams looking for a multiprogramming IDE that supports all web technologies as well as another backend scripting like Java, PHP, etc.

Netbeans IDE is built by Apache Software Foundation and is open-sourced and free to use. It helps to create desktop, mobile, and web applications with support for multiple languages like Java, PHP, C, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, etc.

Features:

• Versatile with support for web, mobile, and desktop development.
• Supports both front-end and back-end development.
• Functionalities like code editing, debugging, syntax highlighting, and auto-completion.

Pros:

• Provides a lot of customization and user settings options.
• Useful utilities for quick refactoring.
• Available for multiple platforms / OS like Mac, Windows, and Linux.

Cons:

• CPU and Memory Intensive.
• Limited support from online communities.
• Configuring plugins is not straightforward.

Pricing:

• Open sourced and free to use.

=> Visit Apache Netbeans Website

#11) JSFiddle

Best for teams looking to create quick prototypes and share the application code for collaboration or gathering feedback.

JS Fiddle is an online code editor or, more commonly, termed as a code playground for quick prototyping with web-based technologies like JavaScript, HTML, and CSS.

Features:

• Color-coded editors for HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
• Code completion.
• Hot reloading – refresh the app UI as you write the code.
• Share the code snippets as a URL.

Pros:

• Great for quick and easy prototyping or showcasing a basic version of the app.
• Since it’s web-based, it’s platform-independent.
• Simple and intuitive interface which is easy to learn.
• Support for 30+ Javascript-based frameworks.

Cons:

• HTML Preprocessor is not available.
• The shared code link might not be secure.

Pricing:

• Most of the features are available for free – but the apps, code snippets are public and hence less secure.
• Paid versions start at $8 for a monthly subscription and $90 for the annual plan.

=> Visit JSFiddle Website

#12) TextMate

Best for teams looking for a general-purpose text editor for simple & small code updates.

Textmate is a general-purpose and powerful text editor for macOS and supports multiple programming languages.

Features:

• Syntax highlighting.
• Powerful file search and support for version control systems.

Pros:

• Lightweight and consumes very few resources.
• For advanced users, Textmate offers WebKit or API to develop useful commands for complex operations.
• Support macros to eliminate repetitive work.

Cons:

• Limited support for just MacOS – Isn’t available for other platforms.

Pricing:

• Open sourced and free to use.

=> Visit Textmate Website

#13) Codesandbox

Best for online JavaScript code editor with support for all Web-based technologies and is useful for quick prototyping.

It’s an instant sandbox environment for rapid prototyping and development as well as great collaboration features. It supports all major front-end programming languages and frameworks.

Features:

• Needs minimal setup.
• Superfast development.

Pros:

• Online JavaScript code editor, which supports quick prototyping.
• Sandbox can be downloaded and shared for collaboration.
• Support for all modern JavaScript frameworks like React, Angular, Node, etc.

Cons:

• At times hot reload doesn’t work which requires refreshing the page.
• Licensing is expensive.

Pricing:

• Pricing ranges from $24 to $45 /month for Pro and Organization plans.

=> Visit Codesandbox Website

#14) StackBlitz

Best for teams looking for a secure online development environment that is as good as a hosted IDE over the web.

StackBlitz is one of the fastest and most secure development environments for full-stack web development as well as support for backend development through Node JS frameworks like NEXT.J, GraphQL, etc.

Features:

• Hot reloading.
• Intellisense with auto code completion.
• Hosted URL for easy prototyping.

Pros:

• Supports signing in with third-party accounts like GitHub.
• Has in-built support for both front-end and back-end development.

Cons:

• Hot reloading lags sometimes, which requires a refresh.

Pricing:

• The platform is available in different plans depending on the chosen features like private projects, support, etc.
• Free to use for public projects and the paid plans start from $8 per month/user.

=> Visit StackBlitz Website

#15) JSBin

Best for teams looking for a collaborative JavaScript online code editor, which can help in rapid prototyping on the web as well as collaborate across the teams.

JSBin can help in quick prototyping for a web-based application using technologies like JavaScript, CSS & HTML

Features:

• Code cast, which allows sharing the editor window in real-time.
• Premium or Paid version offers features like Private / Vanity URLs, Sync with Dropbox.
• Support for CoffeeScript and TypeScript along with JavaScript.
• Support for creating dummy Ajax requests.

Pros:

• Write and view code preview in real-time.
• Good debugging support, including remote Ajax calls.

Cons:

• Saving the original bin is difficult, as the libraries are included as part of the source code.
• Public bins are difficult to delete.

Pricing:

• Offers free trial.
• The paid version starts at around $135 /year.
• It also offers a PRO version which provides features like uploading assets, private URLs for sharing the prototypes, etc.

=> Visit JSBin Website

Other Noteworthy IDEs

#16) Vim

Vim is an open-source and highly configurable text editor. It’s mostly used by developers coming in or are working on Unix platforms. It’s extremely lightweight and supports great and very efficient searching capabilities with other useful features like Syntax highlighting.

Pricing:

• Vim is open-sourced and free to use across different platforms.

=> Visit Vim Website

#17) Sublime Text

Sublime is a multi-platform powerful text editor. It’s extremely lightweight and highly responsive. It can be used not only as a JavaScript code editor but also for various other programming languages like Python, PHP, etc.

Sublime offers a lot of plugins that could be installed for additional functionality – for example, plugins like pretty print offers syntax highlighting capabilities for multiple languages.

Pricing:

• Offers a free trial version.
• Individual licenses can be purchased for $99, which is valid for 3 years.

=> Visit Sublime Website

#18) Notepad++

It’s a completely free source code editor supporting multiple programming languages. Notepad++ is extremely lightweight and consumes very little CPU and memory.

It isn’t widely used for JavaScript development though as it lacks a lot of features that other powerful IDEs provide, like syntax highlighting, auto code completion, etc.

Pricing:

• Notepad++ is free to download and use.

=> Visit Notepad++ Website

#19) Intellij IDEA

Full-fledged IDE supported on multiple platforms. Usually used for backend programming with Java and Python, we can also use it as a JavaScript editor. The community edition is available which can be used for open source projects.

Pricing:

• Community version available for free download for noncommercial use.
• The paid version ranges from $150 – $499/year.

=> Visit IntellijIdea Website

#20) CodeLite

Another open-sourced IDE that supports JavaScript as well as other languages like PHP, C++, C, etc. CodeLite provides all major IDE functionalities like Syntax highlight, auto code completion, additional functionalities through plugins or extensions.

It also provides out-of-the-box support with version control tools like Subversion and Git.

Pricing:

• CodeLite is open-sourced and free to use.

=> Visit Codelite Website

Conclusion

In this tutorial, we learned about some of the best JavaScript IDE as well as JavaScript online editors, which could be directly used on the web and shared across as a URL for easy collaboration.

Coming to Javascript editor, you must consider the factors below before choosing one:

• Flexibility
• Support for libraries: You might be working on modern JavaScript libraries like React or NodeJS – so ensure whether the online JavaScript editor or JavaScript IDE that you are choosing supports the same or not.
• Secure: The application code should be secure.
• Ease of debugging and troubleshooting: Any JavaScript IDE or online editor that’s chosen should have good tools or integration for supporting easy debugging to ensure faster resolution of issues.

One of the best JavaScript IDEs that has most of the above features and functionalities and is trusted by thousands of developers worldwide is VS Code, which is free and open-source and supports multiple platforms and multiple programming languages.

When it comes to Online JavaScript editor, though there are tens of such tools available, the most widely used are Codepen and JSFiddle. These support quick and easy prototyping with a lot of built-in support for all the modern JavaScript libraries as well as support for all related Web technologies.