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Code editors and IDEs

A practical hub for Windows coding setups. Use it to compare mainstream editors, AI-first IDEs, and terminal-friendly tools you may want on a developer workstation.

12 apps Quick install this topic Explore comparisons

Quick install this topic

Three equivalent ways to set up this topic on a Windows machine. Pick one — or mix and match — based on whether you want a single command, a declarative DSC config, or per-app control.

Option 1

Batch install with `winget import`

One copy-paste, no manual download. The command below pulls topic-code-editors-ides.packages.json from winpkg.com and runs winget import on it. Best for moving an app set between machines.

$f = "$env:TEMP\topic-code-editors-ides.packages.json"; Invoke-WebRequest -UseBasicParsing -Uri "https://winpkg.com/topics/code-editors-ides/packages.json" -OutFile $f; winget import -i $f

Run in PowerShell. Saves to %TEMP% and runs winget on it.

Already downloaded the file? Use the short command

winget import -i topic-code-editors-ides.packages.json

Option 2

Declarative setup with `winget configure`

One copy-paste, no manual download. The command below pulls topic-code-editors-ides.winget from winpkg.com and applies it with winget configure. Best for repeatable dev-box bootstrap and onboarding scripts.

$f = "$env:TEMP\topic-code-editors-ides.winget"; Invoke-WebRequest -UseBasicParsing -Uri "https://winpkg.com/topics/code-editors-ides/topic.winget" -OutFile $f; winget configure $f

Tip: on Windows with App Installer, double-clicking a downloaded .winget file runs winget configure on it automatically — no terminal needed.

Already downloaded the file? Use the short command

winget configure topic-code-editors-ides.winget

Option 3

Per-app install commands

Run only the apps you actually want. Best when you already have most of these installed and only need to top up.

winget install --id=Microsoft.VisualStudioCode -e
winget install --id=Anysphere.Cursor -e
winget install --id=Codeium.Windsurf -e
winget install --id=JetBrains.IntelliJIDEA.Community -e
winget install --id=ZedIndustries.Zed -e
winget install --id=SublimeHQ.SublimeText.4 -e
winget install --id=Microsoft.VisualStudio.Community -e
winget install --id=JetBrains.PyCharm.Community -e
winget install --id=JetBrains.WebStorm -e
winget install --id=JetBrains.GoLand -e
winget install --id=Neovim.Neovim -e
winget install --id=Anthropic.ClaudeCode -e

Compare tools in this topic

All comparisons →

Use these comparison pages when you are deciding between closely related apps before you install.

Cursor vs Windsurf

Compare Cursor and Windsurf on Windows for AI coding workflows, editing feel, agent-style features, and who each IDE suits best.

Cursor vs Microsoft Visual Studio Code

Compare Cursor and Visual Studio Code on Windows for AI coding, extension familiarity, editor stability, and when the upgrade is worth it.

Focused install options in this topic

Smaller install flows, kept inside Topics

Developer quick setup

Developer Toolkit

A practical Windows developer starter bundle for rebuilding an editor, terminal, runtime, and tooling stack in one go.

Developer workstation setupTeam onboardingFresh coding machines

Bring your dev stack back with one install flow.

Microsoft Visual Studio Code Git Docker Desktop Python 3.12 Node.js Go Programming Language

Why this topic matters

•Covers mainstream editors, AI IDEs, and terminal-first coding tools
•Great companion page for a fresh developer workstation setup
•Useful internal hub for many high-intent app pages

Apps in this topic

Compare related apps →

Microsoft Visual Studio Code Microsoft Corporation

Microsoft Visual Studio Code is a code editor redefined and optimized for building and debugging modern web and cloud applications. Microsoft Visual Studio Code is free and available on your favorite platform - Linux, macOS, and Windows.

developer-toolseditor

v1.99.3 Free

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Cursor Anysphere

The AI Code Editor

aicodecoding

v3.5.33 Free

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Windsurf Codeium

The most powerful AI IDE

codecodingdevelop

v2.3.9 Free

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IntelliJ IDEA Community Edition JetBrains s.r.o.

The Leading Java and Kotlin IDE

codecodingdevelop

v2025.2.6.2 Free

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Zed Zed Industries

High-performance, multiplayer code editor from the creators of Atom and Tree-sitter.

code-editordeveloper-toolseditor

v1.3.6 Free

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Sublime Text 4 Sublime HQ Pty Ltd

Sublime is a sophisticated cross-platform text editor for code, markup and prose.

editortexttext-editor

v4.0.0.420000 Free

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Visual Studio Community 2026 Microsoft Corporation

Everything you need to build modern apps - free for you, built for impact.

c#c++vs

v18.6.1 Free

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PyCharm Community Edition JetBrains s.r.o.

The Python IDE for Professional Developers

codecodingdevelop

v2025.2.6.1 Free

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WebStorm JetBrains s.r.o.

The smartest JavaScript IDE

codecodingcss

v2026.1.2 Free

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GoLand JetBrains s.r.o.

The complete IDE crafted for Gophers

codecodingdevelop

v2026.1.2 Free

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Neovim neovim.io

Vim-fork focused on extensibility and usability

editornvim-qttext

v0.9.5 Free

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Claude Code Anthropic PBC

Unleash Claude’s raw power directly in your terminal. Search million-line codebases instantly. Turn hours-long workflows into a single command. Your tools. Your workflow. Your codebase, evolving at thought speed.

agentagenticai

v2.1.98 Free

Details →