To stay afloat and keep up with the latest trends, many software development firms are in a constant search for the best IDE apps. Integrated Development Environment apps can greatly speed up the development process. Nowadays, all of the basic features needed for quality software development comprise modern IDEs. Thus, the demand for the best IDE for Mac is constantly spiraling.
Many experienced programmers and even beginners spend most of their days working with IDEs. Due to their feature-rich nature, IDEs lessen the workload and assist developers in more than one aspect.
If you are a programmer who works on Mac OS, you need to check out these several choices for IDE. Here’s what sets them apart.
The 10 Most Popular IDEs for Mac OS
The Mac Operating System is very reliable when it comes to writing and developing code. Plus, there are many IDE apps further flesh out those qualities.
Here, we have gathered the best IDEs available today Thus, you can compare them and find the best IDE for Mac for your project.
PyCharm
PyCharm is a great tool for Python development, whether you are a beginner or an experienced programmer. It helps you write, organize, and debug your code more quickly and effectively.
Additionally, it provides a debugger and code refactoring tools. In fact, PyCharm for Mac braces various structures like Django and Flask. On another note, PyCharm has free and paid versions. The free one, in particular, acts as an excellent stepping stone. It offers various attributes like syntax highlighting, auto-completion, etc.
In addition to the basic features, the paid version offers a lot of extra stuff. For example, it offers full database management, specific frameworks, web development tools, etc.
Characteristics:
- Has a smart Python editor, clever code navigation, etc.
- Has built-in features such as syntax highlighting and autocompletion
- Offers support for Python web development, JavaScript, CSS, and so on
- Has a robust interconnection with the IPython Notebook
CLion
Built by JetBrains, CLion is a powerful IDE for developing C and C++ apps on various platforms. Hence, it is also available on Mac OS machines. CLion also integrates with CMake, a cross-platform build system, to make it easier to build and debug applications.
If you prefer to develop in C/C++, then this IDE is the best solution for your project. In fact, this IDE’s specialty is only in these two programming languages. Thus, it has features that are not available on other IDEs.
Its only fault is that requires you to have a big budget. The fee is $89 per year. However, they also offer free Education and Open Source plans that you can access.
Characteristics:
- Clever code completion
- Effortless debugging
- Advanced code analysis
- Robust personalization tools
- An extensive network of built-in features
- Starting a new project is a simple affair
Xcode
Designed by Apple, XCode is iOS’ and macOS’ formal IDE. Xcode has a built-in code editor, a graphical user interface editor, and a debugging tool. In addition, it supports source control, which allows multiple developers to work on the same project. Therefore, it offers remote functionality as well.
Xcode includes a variety of libraries and frameworks, as well as support for testing and analyzing your code. As such, this IDE may be the top choice for developers focusing on Apple devices.
Characteristics:
- Quick access to any file type
- An intuitive method of comparing graphics within the files
- With the Xcode debugger, you can effortlessly debug programs
- It offers a powerful assistant editor
PhpStorm
PhpStorm provides an easy-to-use and highly efficient platform for developing web apps in PHP. Furthermore, both experienced and novice web developers alike can utilize it fully.
PhpStorm comes stacked with a great number of features. Those include code completion, refactoring, etc. Also, it supports the Symfony and Laravel methods. Further, PhpStorm’s integrated tools, such as the database tools, help make development easier.
The cost for this IDE is $89 per year or $19.90 per month. However, you can check out the 30 days free period trial and decide if it is the right fit for you.
Characteristics:
- You can experiment with files without creating a project
- Alerts you of the latest mistakes you’ve made
- Solid ranking of code issues
- Supports zero-config Visual Debugger
- Interconnection with version control systems
- Improved refactoring
- Provides support for PHP Unit and Behat
- You can alter between several PHP versions
Visual Studio Code
Visual Studio Code is one of the most favored code editors among developers. It is an open-source IDE, compatible with Windows, Linux, and Mac. Besides being free to use, this IDE comes with a wide range of development tools and plugins.
Furthermore, in the extensions section, Microsoft offers the “Microsoft C/C++” plugin. Hence, you can work with C++ after installing it. Similarly, there is another interesting extension that allows code snippets as output.
Characteristics:
- Visual Studio Code provides a lot of free extensions
- Has a large community and offers guidelines and tutorials on the API and FAQs page
- It supports several popular programming languages
- Has built-in GIT tools
- This IDE has an integrated terminal which is a great time-saving feature
- The IntelliSense feature updates the autocomplete and syntax highlighting attributes
- The shortcut Alt + Left Click allows you to use multiple cursors
- You may debug the code while still working in the editor
AppCode
AppCode is an IDE that comes for a fair price. The fee is $89 yearly, although, there are discounts for clients that can bring the price down to just $54 for 12 months.
It provides developers with a powerful set of tools for creating high-quality apps for the Apple ecosystem. Furthermore, it includes a code editor, debugger, compiler, profiler, and other tools. Also, AppCode provides integration with Apple’s Cocoa and Cocoa Touch frameworks.
It supports many languages, such as Objective-C, Swift, C++, JavaScript, etc. Plus, it allows for the development of both native and hybrid apps.
Interestingly, AppCode provides a feature that inspects errors in an actual-time framework. Mostly, it is used for developing Apple, macOS, and iOS apps.
Characteristics:
- Apple’s native language extensions
- Wide range of code analysis tools
- Incorporated debugger which is easy to use.
Thonny
Thonny is open-source and features an intuitive user interface. Created by Tartu University, it was meant for beginners to quickly bring themselves to speed.
Hence, it simplifies the process of learning to program. To that end, it provides a comfortable environment for learning and debugging. It includes an editor and access to the Python interpreter. It also offers support for the most common Python packages. Finally, it is compatible with Windows, Linux, and Mac.
Characteristics:
- Thonny provides debugging capabilities that allow users to identify, analyze, and fix errors in their code
- It provides a code completion feature that enables users to quickly write code with fewer errors
- Thonny also provides a visual debugger. With it, you can step through the code and inspect all values
- It provides an integrated helping system that allows users to search for data
Eclipse
Eclipse is the most popular IDE for Java developers and is widely used in open-source projects. It is a free IDE that tops the list in terms of visual and aesthetic aspects. Nonetheless, the richness of features is what makes it so popular and utilized.
Eclipse has a wide range of features, including a visual editor, debugger, compiler, and project manager. Additionally, it is highly customizable, with a large selection of plugins and themes. Plus, it has an intuitive user interface where anyone can find their bearings.
It is written in Java and supports many other languages, such as C++ and Python. In addition, it is cross-platform, which means that is compatible with Windows, Linux, and macOS.
Characteristics:
- The code template is already created
- It has automated validation of syntax
- Offers code refactoring
- You can authorize the project remotely
- Supports plugins for a wide range of extra features
NetBeans
Written in C++, this IDE is available for Mac, Linux, and Windows. Like all other code editors, this IDE possesses all the basic features for proper app development.
For instance, it includes code completion, refactoring, debugging, etc. Also, it contains version control and integrations with web services. Then, you can inspect its wide variety of plugins and customizing options. In the end, NetBeans is an excellent choice for all types of development including web, mobile, desktop, and enterprise.
Characteristics:
- Wide range of plugins
- Sets the indent and format of the code automatically
- Qt Toolkit support
- Even remote teams can connect via this app
Spyder
Spyder is popular among data scientists and developers alike. It provides a comprehensive DE for a wide range of applications.
To get started with this IDE, download and install Anaconda from their website. Then, you can open Spyder from the Anaconda Navigator or from the Start menu. Once installed, you can open the app and adjust its features. So, it is highly configurable and provides a wide range of tools and features.
Also, Spyder includes an integrated Python development environment. The same offers advanced editing, interactive testing, debugging, and other similar features. In short, Spyder has a powerful interactive Python console. Plus, it grants access to underlying Cython and IPython backends.
Similarly to scientific software packages, Spyder offers special combinations of modern features. This alone makes Spyder one of the top IDEs for Python and Mac.
Characteristics:
- Offers syntax highlighting and auto code completion features
- It is competent to explore and edit straight from GUI
- It offers multi-language editing
Wing
Wing is a popular IDE among Python developers. It has a powerful debugger and supports major Python frameworks (Flask, Django, etc.). Also, it supports version control tools like Git and Mercurial. In addition, it has a number of plugins with which you can update the UI. Finally, Wing has a built-in terminal from where you can access Python commands and scripts.
Wing is not free, though it comes with a 30-day trial program. It can be used on Windows, Mac, Linux, etc.
Jupyter Notebook
This platform is extremely useful for data exploration and data cleaning. Plus, it is interactive and allows for quick experimentation. It also has great features such as inline plotting, rich text formatting, and version control. Furthermore, it provides the basis where users can create, share, and collaborate on documents.
You can run Jupyter Notebook on any Linux, Windows, or Mac device.
CodeRunner
CodeRunner has a clean UI with a built-in syntax checker. It also offers many customization options, like themes, fonts, and keyboard shortcuts. Additionally, it supports AppleScript, enabling users to expand its capabilities. Lastly, it has broad language support which includes writing code in 25 languages.
IDLE
IDLE offers a comprehensive set of tools for Python development. The list includes an interactive shell, a code editor, and a debugger. It also has an integrated graphical front, making it suitable for demanding applications. IDLE is a great choice for beginners, as it offers an intuitive interface and helpful hints along the way.
Additionally, many Python libraries have been pre-installed as part of the IDLE package. You can freely access them from your Mac, Linux, or Windows OS.
Visual Studio
This IDE was created especially for Mac and Windows. Visual Studio is often compared to Eclipse, due to their feature similarities. Furthermore, it has two versions, a free and a paid one. Either way, it is fully featured and rich with extensions for cross-platform development.
Rider
Rider provides debugging, unit testing, and code analysis tools. Also, it supports multiple frameworks and languages, as well as various version control systems. Additionally, it offers a wide range of refactoring and code-generation options. Plus, there’s the built-in NuGet package manager.
On top of that, Rider offers a wide range of plugins, and you can pair them with other JetBrains products. Hence, this IDE provides a whole set of tools for developing .NET applications quickly and easily.
Komodo IDE
Komodo is a lightweight editor that is available for Mac, Windows, and Linux OS. It provides features such as intelligent code completion, debugging, and refactoring. The IDE also features easy integration with popular version control systems like Git and SVN.
Komodo IDE supports over 20 different languages. Those include HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Python.
Conclusion On The Best IDE for Mac
This selected collection of IDEs can help you decide on the best IDE for Mac. They all have advantages and disadvantages that you should compare. At the very least, your chosen IDE must provide support for various programming languages. Also, it should offer solid debugging tools and modern code analysis utilities.
According to recent reviews, all of the above-mentioned IDEs are effective and reliable. So, if you are planning to try out something new, inspect this list for the perfect place to start.
If you enjoyed reading this article on the best IDE for Mac, you should check out this one about the best IDE for web development or this one with open-source mobile app development software.
We also wrote about a few related subjects like the best IDE for Java, C++, Javascript, and for Flutter.
And we managed to create comparative articles like Sublime vs Notepad++, Sublime vs PyCharm, and VScode vs Sublime.
With over a decade in the tech field, Bogdan blends technical expertise with insights on business innovation in technology.
A regular contributor to TMS Outsource's blog, where you'll find sharp analyses on software development, tech business strategies, and global tech dynamics.
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