What is Visual Studio Code used for?

Visual Studio Code is the open-source Code - OSS repository from Microsoft that Visual Studio Code is built from, a cross-platform code editor with debugging and extensions. It is a good fit for everyday coding across many languages and forking the open codebase for custom editors.

Is Visual Studio Code open source?

Yes. Visual Studio Code is open source under the MIT licence. Its source code is on GitHub at microsoft/vscode and is written mainly in TypeScript.

Is Visual Studio Code free?

Yes. Visual Studio Code is open source, so the software itself is free to use.

What is Visual Studio Code an alternative to?

Visual Studio Code is an open-source alternative to Sublime Text, WebStorm, IntelliJ IDEA and Visual Studio. Other open-source alternatives to Sublime Text include VSCodium, Zed and Neovim.

Is Visual Studio Code actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to Visual Studio Code was on 2 October 2026, and the latest release is 1.140.0, published on 30 September 2026. The project has 193k stars on GitHub.

Visual Studio Code: open-source alternative to Sublime Text

About Visual Studio Code

This repository, known as Code - OSS, is where Microsoft develops Visual Studio Code together with the community. Visual Studio Code is a code editor that pairs the simplicity of a lightweight editor with the tools developers need to edit, build and debug, and it runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. Roadmap and iteration plans are published alongside the code.

Main capabilities include code editing, navigation and code understanding support, lightweight debugging and integration with existing tools. A rich extension model lets people add languages, themes and tooling. The editor is built with TypeScript on Electron and is updated monthly, with a daily Insiders build for those who want the newest changes.

The source code is available under the MIT license. The downloadable Visual Studio Code product is a distribution of this repository that adds Microsoft-specific customizations and ships under a traditional Microsoft product license. That distinction matters for anyone who wants to build a fully open-source editor straight from the repository.

Key features

Code editing with navigation and code understanding
Lightweight built-in debugging
Extension model for languages and tools
Integration with existing development tools
Runs on Windows, macOS and Linux
Monthly releases plus daily Insiders builds

Good fit for

→Everyday coding across many languages
→Forking the open codebase for custom editors

Built with: TypeScript; Electron
Tags: code-editor; ide; electron; typescript; microsoft; debugging; extensions; developer-tools

Visual Studio Code: questions and answers

What is Visual Studio Code used for?: Visual Studio Code is the open-source Code - OSS repository from Microsoft that Visual Studio Code is built from, a cross-platform code editor with debugging and extensions. It is a good fit for everyday coding across many languages and forking the open codebase for custom editors.
Is Visual Studio Code open source?: Yes. Visual Studio Code is open source under the MIT licence. Its source code is on GitHub at microsoft/vscode and is written mainly in TypeScript.
Is Visual Studio Code free?: Yes. Visual Studio Code is open source, so the software itself is free to use.
What is Visual Studio Code an alternative to?: Visual Studio Code is an open-source alternative to Sublime Text, WebStorm, IntelliJ IDEA and Visual Studio. Other open-source alternatives to Sublime Text include VSCodium, Zed and Neovim.
Is Visual Studio Code actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to Visual Studio Code was on 2 October 2026, and the latest release is 1.140.0, published on 30 September 2026. The project has 193k stars on GitHub.