Codepen vs. Codesandbox: The Ultimate Text Editor For Developers
Table of content
- Introduction
- Meaning of CodeSandbox
- Meaning of CodePen
- Features of CodePen
- Features of CodeSandbox
- Advantages of CodePen
- Disadvantages of CodePen
- Advantages of CodeSandbox
- Disadvantages of CodeSandbox
- Alternatives to CodePen and CodeSandbox
- Conclusion
- References
Introduction
Every career requires essential tools to get the job done easily and appropriately; web development isn’t an exception. In web development, various coding playgrounds are available for developers to create, experiment, prototype, and share their code. Two such playgrounds that have gained prominence for their ability to provide an interactive coding environment are Codesandbox and Codepen. However, choosing the best of the two can be quite daunting. This article entails a detailed comparison of both CodePen and CodeSandbox, helping you to make an informed decision about which of the two platforms best suits your coding needs. Let’s get right in!
Meaning of CodeSandbox.
CodeSandbox, the youngest of the two created in 2017, is a browser-based text editor that accelerates and improves web development for developers by automating, transpiring, packaging, and dependency management. It was invented to ease the process of coding for developers by removing all complexities associated with project setup, as with one click you can execute a sandbox and continue the development process if need be. These sandboxes are the foundation of CodeSandbox, as they contain the actual projects and their codes.
The file system in these sandboxes is accessible, offering you the ability to create new files, use modules including NPM packages, and interact with static projects. Codesandbox also offers easy and real-time collaborations. You can share your fascinating projects with friends and colleagues by simply sharing the link to the website.
Codesandbox Team Pro
Codesandbox not only gives developers the opportunity to create or build a web-based web development sandbox, but it also offers a team collaboration platform. This platform allows team members to collaborate in real-time on the cloud. According to the Codesandbox website, this Team Pro platform is purposely built for product teams of all sizes to prototype rapidly, share knowledge, and get better feedback so they can build faster together. This product team is not limited to developers; designers, product managers, QA, and other stakeholders in the development process can also be brought on board.
The projects are available in user-friendly formats, making them easy to understand for anyone who wants to implement some changes in them.
Meaning of CodePen.
CodePen is an online community that offers front-end developers the chance to code, test, and showcase HTML, CSS, and Javascript code snippets, offering them the opportunity to learn better ways to write front-end websites.
Introduced in 2012, this online code editor and open-source learning environment offers two modes. The first and most used is the pen mode. This mode is simple to operate and navigate. Just by clicking on the Start Coding button, you will be transported right to the editor page. From there, you can access basic HTML, CSS, and JS text editors. This mode doesn’t include any advanced panels such as File System or Intellisense, but it gives room for linking external sources to your code or the selection of preprocessors for all three languages, such as Typescript for JS, from a restricted range of them.
Premium mode.
The second mode is the premium version, which, if you subscribe to it, provides more alternatives for you to select from on Codepen. An annual subscription can get you one of three premium plans, costing $12, $19, or $39 monthly. This mode offers:
- the creation of unlimited pens, posts, and collections.
- the addition of a Pro badge to your name, which serves as a social boost.
- access to live collab mode.
- and the absence of ads, among others.
Comparison of CodePen and CodeSandbox
Features of CodePen
- The ability to construct your own templates.
- Easily generate commits and open PRs since it is integrated with Github.
- A browser-based code editor and prototype tool.
- The coding process is carried out in the sandboxes, which can be shared.
- Availability of real-time collaboration
Features of CodeSandbox
- It’s more playground-like, which makes it more viable for experimenting.
- Use small test cases to identify and fix issues.
- Showcase your impressive projects.
- Create and save your pens for future use.
- Explore and test other developers’ code.
- Real-time viewing of your code; compilation isn’t necessary.
Advantages of Codepen
- The user interface is easy to use and straightforward.
- It requires no cost to use.
- It comes with detailed, built-in learning resources.
- The live collaboration mode makes interacting with other developers viable.
- It’s the best choice for building a strong social media presence and personal portfolio.
Disadvantages of CodePen.
- The code library is unadvanced, and so it’s not suitable for complex projects.
- To create a private pen, you’ll need to upgrade to the premium plan for $9 per month.
- Besides Github, it doesn’t support any other Git server.
Advantages of CodeSandbox.
- Its combination of a good terminal, test viewer, and error viewer makes the debugging process easy.
- It is open-source.
- It is easy to share and display your project.
- Alert problems in code promptly, providing nice recommendations.
- It provides a super-fast development environment.
- It provides support for advanced NPM modules.
Disadvantages of CodesandBox.
- The drag-and-drop feature for local file uploads isn’t working properly.
- Users must follow a specific folder structure in CodeSandbox.
- Access to private sandboxes is exclusively available to patrons.
- Consumers encounter several personalization options.
Alternatives to Codepen and Codesandbox
Github.
GitHub is a platform for version control and collaborative software development. You can host your code repositories on GitHub, track changes, collaborate with other developers, and manage your projects using Git. But it’s not designed specifically for quick code experimentation or front-end development like CodePen and CodeSandbox.
Codeanywhere.
Codeanywhere is an online cloud-based integrated development environment (IDE) that allows developers to code, edit, collaborate, and deploy their projects from anywhere with internet access. It provides a web-based code editor with support for various programming languages, making it a versatile tool for developers and programmers.
JSFiddle.
JSFiddle is an online playground specifically designed for web developers and front-end designers to experiment with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code. It provides a simple and interactive environment where you can write, edit, and run code in real-time, making it a valuable tool for prototyping, testing, and sharing web-related code snippets and small projects.
Conclusion.
In conclusion, when it comes to choosing between CodeSandbox and CodePen, it largely depends on your specific needs and the nature of your web development projects. Both platforms offer unique features that cater to different aspects of web development.
