saasrankedSoftware, ranked on the facts

code editor · VSCodium project

VSCodium

Community binary build of VS Code, licensed MIT, with telemetry disabled and the Open VSX extension registry.

78/100

#4 of 12 code editors
Facts checked 8 Oct 2026

In short

VSCodium suits people who want the VS Code editor as an MIT-licensed build with telemetry off1,2. It ships a Windows zip3. The catch: Microsoft's Remote Development extensions do not run on it, and extensions come from Open VSX rather than Microsoft's Marketplace5.

Best for: People who want VS Code's editor as a fully open-source build without Microsoft telemetry.

Where the points come from

Systems11 of 22
Code tools34 of 37
Extending3 of 11
Licence and price18 of 18
Upkeep12 of 12

Systems 11 of 22 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
Systems besides WindowsmacOS, LinuxREADME lists macOS (zip, dmg) and Linux (deb, rpm, AppImage, snap, tar.gz) builds; no web version listed2.6 / 9
Portable Windows buildYesUsage docs point Windows users to portable mode; each release includes a Windows x64 .zip3,4.5 / 5
Remote editingNoDocs say Microsoft's Remote Development extensions only work with the official VS Code build5.0 / 8

Code tools 34 of 37 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
Language Server ProtocolYesBuilt from VS Code source2; VS Code docs describe language servers for completion and diagnostics12.10 / 10
DebuggerYesBuilt from VS Code source2; VS Code docs document breakpoints and stepping, built in7.9 / 9
Built-in terminalYesBuilt from VS Code source2; VS Code docs describe the integrated terminal8.6 / 6
Git in the editorYesBuilt from VS Code source2; VS Code has built-in Git support for reviewing changes and committing9.6 / 6
Multiple cursorsYesBuilt from VS Code source2; VS Code docs describe multiple cursors with Alt+Click and shortcuts10.3 / 3
Live collaborationNot publishedNot published on the vendor's docs index or extensions page5.0 / 3

Extending 3 of 11 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
Extension directoryNoVSCodium points to Open VSX, a registry run by the Eclipse Foundation, and does not run its own directory5.0 / 8
Custom key bindingsYesBuilt from VS Code source2; VS Code docs describe the Keyboard Shortcuts editor and keybindings.json11.3 / 3

Licence and price 18 of 18 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
Free for work useYesBinaries are licensed under MIT, at no cost2.6 / 6
Price$0Free open-source build; no paid licence2.6 / 6
Open sourceYesVSCodium binaries and repository are MIT-licensed2.6 / 6

Upkeep 12 of 12 points

RuleWhat is publishedPoints
Release in the past yearYesRelease 1.135.06055, not a pre-release, published September 9, 20263.8 / 8
Telemetry off or noneYesREADME says "Telemetry is disabled"; docs list telemetry and crash-reporter settings, with extensions possibly sending their own2,6.4 / 4

The rule behind each line: how we score code editors.

Plans and prices

As the vendor lists them, before tax. Prices are in US dollars unless the plan shows euros; the points use US dollars, with euros converted at the ECB rate.

PlanPrice as listedPer monthNotes
Free1 personFree2$0MIT-licensed binaries; no paid plan

Strengths

  • Binaries are MIT-licensed, built from Microsoft's open-source VS Code code2.
  • The README says telemetry is disabled2.
  • Windows x64 builds come as installer, .msi and .zip3.
  • Portable mode follows VS Code's instructions on Windows and Linux4.
  • Releases 1.112, 1.116, 1.121, 1.126 and 1.135 were published within about six months3.

Limits

  • Microsoft's Remote Development extensions only function with the official VS Code build5.
  • The C# extension's debugger is restricted to the official VS Code build5.
  • Some extensions still send their own telemetry, which VSCodium cannot control6.
  • The extension registry, Open VSX, is run by the Eclipse Foundation, not by VSCodium5.

Other code editors

  1. 1
    Visual Studio CodePeople who want one editor for many languages, with remote editing and an extension marketplace
    94/100
    $0price
  2. 2
    ZedPeople who want a free editor with debugging and collaboration built in
    92/100
    $0price
  3. 3
    GNU EmacsPeople who want a free editor they can reshape in Emacs Lisp, with many tools built in
    87/100
    $0price
  4. 5
    NeovimKeyboard-driven developers who want built-in language server support and are happy to configure their own setup
    73/100
    $0price

All 12 code editors

Sources

  1. VSCodium, VSCodium project. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  2. VSCodium/vscodium, GitHub. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  3. Releases, GitHub. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  4. Usage, VSCodium project. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  5. Extensions and Marketplace, VSCodium project. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  6. Getting all the telemetry out, VSCodium project. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  7. Debugging, Microsoft. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  8. Terminal basics, Microsoft. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  9. Source Control overview, Microsoft. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  10. Basic editing, Microsoft. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  11. Keyboard shortcuts, Microsoft. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  12. Language Server Extension Guide, Microsoft. Accessed 8 Oct 2026.

Website: vscodium.com · Markdown version · We are not affiliated with VSCodium project.