Top 19+ Best IDEs for Web Development as of 2020

If you are new to web development, you may think that the basic notepad is the best tool for creating websites of any complexity. Many pros, however, would call that a big mistake. While you might be able to make it work, it would require a lot of unnecessary coding and time that could be used for other more important tasks. There are a lot of different types of IDE available online that can help you with this process, but it may be quite hard to choose one from such an extensive variety. So, that brings us to the question … what is the best IDE for web development that you could choose?

If you are struggling with choosing the right development software for your project, then we have some solutions for you right here. We recommend that you go for an IDE that will save you from having to manually eliminate typos and errors, increasing your productivity and saving time for developing your idea further.

We have prepared a comprehensive comparison of 19 different integrated development environments for you to consider their pros and cons and choose the one that will serve you best.

The Question Every Young Programming Enthusiast Has: What is IDE?

An integrated development environment, or IDE, is an application that makes coding easier. An IDE can combine various tools that help developers to write and edit code, build executables, and even debug and test the result. The functionality may vary for different types of IDE out there, (for example, there are JavaScript IDE, other more multipurpose solutions, etc.) but there are some common features that most IDEs share.

Every good web development IDE has the following functionality:

• Syntax highlighting
• Autocomplete
• Debugging
• Compiler
• Interpreter

To create a list of IDEs that are best for web development, we have compared different software so you can choose the one that best suits your needs, including some prominent JavaScript IDE.

Best IDE for JavaScript: Some Quality Options

1. RJ TextEd

Released as freeware, RJ TextEd is a full-featured text and source editor with Unicode support. It supports JavaScript, PHP, ASP, HTML, and CSS.

Features include:

• Auto-completion
• Code-folding
• Column mode
• Multi-edit and multi-select
• Document map
• Annotation bar
• Advanced sorting
• ASCII and binary files
• CSS and HTML wizards
• Highlighting colors in CSS/SASS/LESS.
• Advanced color hint that can convert between color formats.
• Dockable panels.
• FTP and SFTP client with synchronization.
• File explorer, text clips, code explorer, project manager.
• Convert between code pages, Unicode formats and text formats.
• Unicode and ANSI code page detection.
• Open/Save UTF-8 encoded files without a signature (BOM).
• Unicode file paths and file names.
• HTML validation, format, and repair.
• Tools available like syntax editor, color picker, charmap

2.Visual Studio Code

Deemed the best JavaScript IDE for Windows, Mac, and Linux by TMS Outsource and voted the most popular in a 2018 survey by the State of JS, Visual Studio Code is a powerful source code editor that comes with a range of tools for JavaScript development. The IDE comes with built-in support for JavaScript, TypeScript, and Node.js. It also has plenty of extensions for other languages (such as C++, C#, Python, and PHP). Developed by Windows, Visual Studio Code is great for new programmers as it explains everything from HTML tags to syntax and error handling.

Features include:

• Syntax highlighting
• Autocomplete with IntelliSense based on variable types
• Function definitions
• Imported modules
• The ability to debug code from the
• Custom hotkeys
• Templates and boilerplates
• Integrating with GitHub
• Intellisense, which provides smart completions based on variable types
• Customizable themes

3. Brackets

Created for web designers by web designers (FWDBWD?), Brackets is a powerful, but lightweight editor that comes with a set of great visual tools and preprocessor supports that allow for easy designing in the browser. The open-source project is free of charge and has a thriving community that is always there to lend a hand. The iDE offers live HTML, CSS, and JavaScript coding and supports programming in Perl, Ruby, Java, Python, and many other languages.

Features include:

• Inline editors
• Live preview
• Split view
• Preprocessor Support
• Quick edit and Live Highlight with LESS and SCSS files
• Easy to use UI
• Integration with Theseus (an open-source JavaScript debugger)
• Fast automatic code completion feature
• Plenty of useful extensions available (e.g Autoprefixer, code-folding, markdown preview, smart highlighting, and snippets)

4. AWS Cloud9

Released in 2010, AWS Cloud9 is a proprietary IDE only available to those with an AWS account. AWS Cloud is great for developing JavaScript programs – it also supports development for C, C++, Go, Node.js, Perl, PHP, Python, and Ruby projects.

Features include:

• An inbuilt terminal that supports npm and basic Unix commands
• Code completion
• Real-time language analysis
• Simultaneous editing
• Variable/function name refactoring
• Syntax highlighting
• Functionality can be extended by using plugins
• Variety of themes to customize the look of the IDE
• Tabbed file management
• Debugger

5. Bluefish

Bluefish is a cross-platform, lightweight IDE that can be used with Windows, macOS, Solaris, and many Linux distros. It supports a variety of different programming languages, including HTML, CSS, Perl, SQL, Ruby, PHP, Python, and more.

Features include:

• Syntax highlighting
• Code auto-completion
• Auto-recovery
• Code folding

6. Code::Blocks

Code::Blocks is a lightweight, yet powerful cross-platform IDE which can be used in Windows, Solaris, and various Linux distros. It supports programming in C, C++, PHP, HTML, and JavaScript. The open-source IDE ships with multiple compilers, including GCC, Microsoft Visual C++, Digital Mars, amongst others.

Features include:

• Code refactoring
• Syntax highlighting
• Code folding
• Auto code completion
• Customizable – plugins and extension support available

7. Light Table

Light table is a “new” IDE. It has a reactive work surface which enables the creation and exploration of apps and programs. With Light Table, you can move things around, delete clutter, and move information to places you need it the most. The unique IDE runs on Linux, Mac, and Windows.

Features include:

• Embedding anything
• Customizable
• PrintIn Watches
• Inline evaluation
• Plugin manager
• Language documentation pane
• Autocomplete

8. NetBeans

NetBeans is a free, easy-to-use IDE that works well with JavaScript, HTML, PHP, C, and C++. As well as supporting a number of different programming languages, it also is available in English, Brazillian Portuguese, Japanese, Russian, and Simplified Chinese. NetBeans isn’t ideal for those just starting programming, as the package can be tricky to set up.

Features include:

• Line indentation
• Word and bracket matching
• Source code highlighting
• Code refactoring
• Coding tips, templates, and generators available
• Modifiable workspace

9. Komodo Edit

Komodo Edit is a free and open-source counterpart to the paid Komodo IDE. It is a great programming environment for JavaScript which allows you to work with different frameworks and languages. The IDE works well across Mac, Windows, and Linux and is a great way to test the Komodo platform before committing to Komodo IDE.

Features include:

• Customizable UI (split view and multi-window editing)
• Python and PHP code profiling
• Code collaboration for multi-user editing
• Autocomplete
• Refactoring
• Many available add ons

10. Atom by GitHub

Atom is a fantastic IDE for JavaScript programming. Because it’s created by GitHub, it means that there is a thriving community to turn to if you run into any issues. It works with Mac, Windows, and Linux and ships with a package manager for installing new packages. The app is highly customizable, but can also be used well without configuring or customizing anything.

Features include:

• Find, preview, and replace text as you type in a file across all projects
• Easily browse and open files and projects in one window
• Teletype tool - enables collaboration with other developers from within the editor
• Very customizable/hackable
• Package manager

11. Sublime Text 3

Sublime Text 3 is a flexible, free IDE for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It supports a number of different programming and markup languages, including Python, C, HTML, JavaScript, and CSS. The interface is known to be clutter-free and fast.

Features include:

• Code autocompletion - snippets and macros
• Can be tweaked to boost productivity
• Enhanced pane management
• Go to definition
• Go to symbol
• Multiple selections
• Command palette
• Split editing
• Instant project switch
• Customizable key bindings, menus, snippets, and more

12.PyCharm

PyCharm is a decent free IDE for web development in a number of languages, including Python, CSS, HTML, JavaScript, Node.js, and more. The IDE is compatible with Mac, Windows, and Linux and has a paid sister software you can purchase if you’d like something more reliable. According to some users, the free version of PyCharm can be buggy, especially the autocomplete feature.

Features include:

• Easy integration with Git, Mercurial, and SVN
• Customizable interface with VIM emulation
• JavaScript, Python, and Django debuggers,
• Supports Google App Engine

13.** IntelliJ IDEA**

IntelliJ IDEA is a Java-centric IDE that is designed to maximize productivity. One of the best features of this IDE is its ability to automatically add handy tools that are relevant to the context. As well as supporting Java languages, it supports HTML, PHP, Python, Ruby, and more. It’s free but has a paid counterpart with a fuller suite of development tools.

Features include:

• Test runner UI
• Code coverage
• Git integration
• Supports multiple build systems
• Extensive database editor and UML designer
• Supports Google App Engine, Grails, GWT
• Deployment and debugging tools for most application servers
• Intelligent text editors for HTML, CSS, and Java
• Integrated version control
• Automates repetitive programming tasks
• Advanced code completion
• Built-in static code analyzers

14. PHPStorm

PHPStorm is a great coding environment for those who work with PHP frameworks like WordPress, Drupal, Magento, and others. It has an interface that is both great to look at and easy-to-use. It’s compatible with Mac, Windows, and Linux and supports a number of different front-end programming languages like HTML5, CSS, JavaScript and more. The IDE can be customized with themes and extensions to enhance your programming experience.

Features include

• Visual debugger
• Automatic code completion
• Error highlighting
• Remote deployment
• Databases/SQL
• HTML, CSS, and JavaScript editor
• Command-line tools
• Smart code navigator
• Refactoring and debugging tools
• Docker
• REST Client
• Composer
• Unit testing

15. Webstorm

Webstorm is a slick IDE that’s feature-rich and user-friendly. It’s designed to produce state-of-the-art web apps and supports languages like HTML, JavaScript, CSS, React, and more. The IDE is compatible with Mac, Windows, and Linux.

Features include:

• Intelligent code completion
• Multi-line todos
• Automatic refactoring
• Debugger
• Syntax error detection
• Unit testing
• Integration with VCS
• Cross-platform features
• Powerful navigation
• Parameter hints
• Seamless tool integration
• Git integration

There are plenty of great IDEs out there for web development. Picking the right one for you comes down to selecting a program that works best with the programming languages you’re most comfortable with.

16. Eclipse

Eclipse is a flexible open source free editor which is recommended for beginners, but professionals can use it as well. Initially, a constructed in a Java environment, the Eclipse has now been packed with several plug-ins and extensions. There are several debugging tools available with the Eclipse IDE, and it also supports Git/CVS integration. Even though it is not the most popular IDE available, the.

There are several packages which the company offers to help the people. Hence it has made a way to our list of Best IDE. It contains various packages like modelling, reporting, charting and testing. The Eclipse IDE is however really rich in tools that are used for charting, modelling, reporting and testing.

Languages Supported: C++, C, Perl, PHP, Java, Python, Ruby etc.

Features:

• Tooling for JEE projects
• Multi-language support
• Error reporting is automatic
• Enhancement for Java IDE
• The interface is task specific
• JUnit integration is available

Drawbacks: Eclipse does not have the same features as that of the IntelliJ Idea; however it is an open source for all the parties who are interested in using this IDE.

17. Aptana Studio 3

One of the most powerful and Best IDE in 2020 the Aptana Studio 3 which is available at a premium price. The Aptana 3 offers awesome support to devs. You can use it to check, develop, test and deploy of web apps.

Languages Supported: HTML5, JavaScript, jQuery, CSS3, Ruby, PHP, Rails, and Python

Features:

• Assistance for CSS, HTML, JavaScript.
• Deployment wizard comes with a user-friendly and straightforward setup and installation
• Supports Capistrano, FTP, FTPS and SFTP.
• Ruby and Rails are sent automatically.
• GIT Integration is available.

Drawbacks: It is only convenient for students who are not engaged in any intensive tasks. However, professional users can face stutter and can have a good setup.

18. RubyMine

RubyMine is a premium IDE that has been developed by the Jet Brains development team. It comes with a 30 days trial and can cost from $210 – $670. It is favourite among the enthusiasts who are interested in Ruby. It supports various other languages for programming as well. Due to the smooth navigation and slick workflow organisation, it is considered as one of the top contenders for the Best IDE.

Languages Supported: HTML5, CSS3, CoffeeScript, HAML, jQuery, JavaScript, LESS, Ruby & Rails, LESS, and SASS.

Features:

• Snippets of coding, autocomplete and various other automatic refactorings
• Project tree provides quick code analysis
• Uses models diagram and project view
• Bundler, pick, rbenv, RVM is the stacks which it supports
• Debuggers include JavaScript, CoffeeScript and Ruby
• Keyboard schemes have been bundled

Drawbacks: you system will require to have at least a minimum of 4GB of RAM to make sure the application runs smoothly without any lag or stutter. Anything less than that will be of great inconvenience.

19. Xcode

An open source and free IDE, which is the last product on our list of Best IDE in 2020, is the Xcode IDE. It is a part of the Xcode that is a set of versatile tools which have been used to make applications and software tweaks for Apple Inc and their devices like iPad, iPhone and MacBook.

The Cocoa Touch integration makes it an excellent IDE for Apple environment. There is also a built-in communication system that provides much better convenience in contacting the other users.

Languages Supported: Java, C, C++, Objective-C, AppleScript,

Features:

• Split screen workspace
• Easy and smooth UI controls
• Quick navigation via Jump Bar
• Tabs easily support workspace.
• Builds prototypes using the Interface Builder
• UI and the source code are capable of being connected in minutes
• Contains the Apple LLVM compiler that helps to scan code and other offers

Drawbacks: To run Xcode IDE, you will need to have an Apple device which has the MacOs. It does not support any other operating systems.

Conclusion

There are plenty of great IDEs out there for web development. Picking the right one for you comes down to selecting a program that works best with the programming languages you’re most comfortable with.

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