Best Code Editors for New Programmers in 2021

So, you’ve decided to learn to code but what’s the first thing that you’d need the most? The answer is a Code Editor. Now, there are tons of code editor applications for both mobile and desktops. However, picking the right one can leave a huge positive impact on your overall productivity and workflow.

Through this article, I’ve covered some of my most favourite code editors that can fulfil all your expectations or needs. Why not talk about only one best code editor? Well, everyone loves to code in their own style and hence picking only one editor as “the best” is pretty impossible.

Here’s a quick review of code editors that are included in this article:

• Atom
• Notepad++
• Visual
• Sublime Text 3

Atom

Before we start talking about Atom, here’s the fun fact; this article is also written on Atom editor while using Markdown.

Developed by GitHub, Atom is an open-source code editor that’s one of the most reliable and quick code editors in 2021. Because of its out of the box integration with GitHub, Atom is the number one choice of many programmers. Despite some performance issues in the past, it has maintained its reputation in the market for quite a few years now.

With its tons of packages and customizable options, you can make coding fun on Atom. However, most of its plugins are for more advanced users rather than beginners. In case, you’re not sure of how to use this application, then this article “how to set up Atom as Markdown editor” will surely help you a lot.

Notepad++

Due to its excellent working with JSON or XML files, it’s quite hard to not include Notepad++ in this list.

A free source code editor, Notepad++ is quite a user-friendly and lightweight code editor. I started using this editor almost a decade ago and surprisingly, it can still fulfil the basic functionalities. Here’s what I wrote on Notepad++ while using it for the very first time:

#include <stdio.h>
int main() {
  // printf("Hello World!");
  return 0;
}

Unluckily, there’s no T24 integration for Notepad++. Hence, there’s no option to compile your code on this editor. But, its compatibility with more than 50 languages and autosave features indeed make it one of the best code editors in 2021.

Visual Studio Code

Meet Visual Studio Code, the best friend of every modern programmer!

Visual Studio Code or VS Code by Microsoft is another well-rounded code editor that you can access for free in 2021. As an early programmer, you might not have to deal with some long or complex codes. However, if you’re still working on a much larger project, then Visual Studio Code is the ideal editor. With its robust performance and built-in Git support, it’s pretty impossible to find anything wrong with this application.

Still, if I’ve to pick one downside, then its slow startup speed might make the list first. But, overall the editor works like a fine wine and its features like “IntelliSense” makes it one of the most popular choices in 2021.

So, if you’re also going to write your first code in Visual Studio, then you should definitely check out this article on how to set up VS Code for the first time.

Sublime Text 3

Last but not least, Sublime Text 3 is another simple and no-nonsense code editor.

A free to download code editor, Sublime Text 3 works like magic for many modern programmers. With its quick responsiveness and plethora of plugins available, this editor is surely a great deal. Moreover, the editor can also automatically detect errors in your code which is massively important for beginners.

So, why it’s not the best code editor? The answer is its fee of $80 for the license key to use the software unlimited. Many other competitive editors such as Visual Studio Code, Atom, etc., are available for free in the market. Hence, its paid license for extended use is indeed its biggest downside.

For now, these are the four best code editors that every new programmer should try once. If there’s any other code editor which you believe is the right choice for beginners, then feel free to comment about it.

Until then, keep exploring!