13 Best Web Development IDEs [CSS, HTML, JavaScript]

Imagine this: you’ve got an epic idea for a website—visuals, features, all that jazz. Now, all you need is the perfect workspace to bring it to life, right? That’s where web development IDEs come in, acting like a Swiss Army knife for coders.

Here’s the deal – choosing the right IDE, or Integrated Development Environment if you’re feeling fancy, can make or break your workflow. Think of it as setting up your garage with the best tools before restoring a classic car. It’s gotta have everything: a slick code editor, debugging tools that don’t make you pull your hair out, and a plugin ecosystem that’s more packed than a music festival.

By the end of this deep dive, you’ll untangle the web (pun intended) of IDE features, get why source code management is your new BFF, and see how syntax highlighting is more than just a pretty face. We’ll talk about big shots like GitHub and NetBeans, and why being buddies with agile software development can boost your projects from ‘meh’ to ‘wow’!

So, buckle up! We’re not just talking theory; you’ll get front-row insights on which tools crank up your coding speed and creativity.

My personal favorite is Notepad++. It’s the first one that I used when I first started coding and I got stuck with it.

The Best Web Development IDEs

Now let’s look at them in detail.

Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code is possibly the best JavaScript ide for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Not only does it support JavaScript, but it also supports Node.js, TypeScript, and it comes with a whole ecosystem of extensions for other languages including C++, C#, Python, PHP etc.

It provides great syntax highlighting and auto-complete with IntelliSense based on variable types, function definitions, and imported modules. It also allows you to debug code by launching or attaching to your running apps debug with breakpoints, call stacks, and an interactive console.

Similar to how you can use a drag-and-drop website builder to facilitate your site creation process, Visual Studio Code allows you to use the same functionality on the workbench or even to move tabs around.

You can effortlessly integrate a JavaScript UI library into Visual Studio Code. All in all, this IDE for JavaScript is definitely one to check out. An important note – it is free to use.

Microsoft Visual Studio also has an incredible library of variables and functions, where you can get and read the definition of a function, as well as Javascript help and other programming languages to understand the programming language itself.

Visual Studio Code reviews and testimonials from Capterra, G2, and TrustRadius:

• Ahmad A. (Information Technology Engineering) – Visual Studio Code provides benefits. Developers highly appreciate its range of plugins, code editing capabilities, user-friendly interface, and seamless integration, with version control systems. It stands out as an option for developers due, to these features.
• Tushar B. (Associate Software Engineer) – VScode is extremely fast on almost all platforms due to its lightweight installation. Still, it offers countless extensions that users can choose from & they are very helpful while writing code in your preferred language. Some extensions help manage the files & folder layout with best practices & some can directly be linked with external tools like git, Postman, Jenkins, AWS, etc.
• Tao Mihiranga (Graphic Designer and Web Developer) – Our company provides web-based applications, mobile applications, and graphic designs. Mostly we use Microsoft Visual Studio Code for day-to-day work life. It is a very comfortable IDE software for debugging, task running, and version control. We are working with Python, PHP, java, JavaScript, and many more languages. even, for mobile application development, we are using the Microsoft Visual Studio Code.

Sublime Text

Sublime is a top IDE and one of the best JavaScript editors available for free. It is currently available on Windows, Mac, and Linux. It is fast and flexible and it will do everything one should expect from the best IDE for website development.

Many users, even ones that work with Sublime for many years, do not realize that it can actually be configured as a fully-featured IDE, with features like code autocompletion, using snippets and macros, etc.

Sublime Text’s versatility and speed make it a preferred choice for any dedicated development team working on complex web development projects.

Sublime Text reviews and testimonials from Capterra, G2, and TrustRadius:

• Rishi G (Software Engineer) – I’ve been using Sublime Text for over six years, and it’s the only text editor that hasn’t disappointed me. The best part of using sublime is that it’s fast. I don’t have to wait for the editor to load. When you fire it up, it’s ready to work. Updation of packages and indexing of files on the initial load doesn’t slow down the editor or interfere with the functionality. Everything you need in an editor/IDE, sublime already has it. It’s been my favorite editor for a long time now.
• Michelle C. (Director at KPMG) – Sublime Text is one of the lightest and easy-to-use code and text editors. It is available for a variety of operating systems such as MacOS, Windows, Linux, and more. The installation process is super easy. The majority of users find it useful even with the non-license version although you can purchase the subscription which is not much costly.
• Leonardo Hernandez (SAP Technical Leader) – We use sublime text as a Non-IDE solution for development, is a powerful text editor worth the money. if you prefer the simplicity of text editors, Sublime Text must be on the top in the list. It’s a very very fast text editor without much heavy components or toolbars. Its loading time is less than 1 second. Its Auto-completion feature makes its best in its class, it helps us to write fast and simple scripts for automation

Light Table

Light Table is a reactive work surface for the creation and exploration of apps or programs. It’s a quite unique web development IDE based on a simple idea that people need a real work surface to code on rather than just using an editor.

With Light Table, you can move things around, keep clutter down, bring information to the places you need it most etc. In addition to that, Light Table is a standalone app and you can run it just like any other editor you have been using so far.

Here are the guiding principles of this cool web development IDE:

• You don’t have to look for documentation
• Files are not the best representation of code, just a convenient serialization
• Editors can be anywhere and show you anything – not just text
• Trying is encouraged – changes produce instantaneous results
• We can shine some light on related bits of code

Light Table reviews and testimonials from G2:

• Victor A. (Software Architect) – Light Table is compatible with many programming languages. It has a wide variety of packages that offer functions for organizing files and add-ons in several languages. On the other hand, it is a lightweight software that does not need much disk storage space.
• Ricardo Q. (Senior Software Architect) – I like it because it has a simple interface and allows to develop any kind of language. I like the highlighting of the text in the code which improves visibility by saving me time when reviewing any line. I also like that it allows to save the projects automatically. It can be executed with few system requirements. It comes with code autocompletion.

NetBeans

NetBeans is high on the list for the best web development IDE because it is easy to use and it lets you develop cool desktop, mobile, and web apps in no time. It works equally as good with JavaScript, HTML5, PHP, C/C++ etc. It is a free JavaScript IDE and a great HTML5 IDE for your day-to-day use.

This web development IDE comes with cool code analyzing and editing tools compatible with the latest Java 8 technologies. This makes NetBeans 8.1 one of the best if not the best JavaScript editor.

It is also a great AngularJS IDE as well as a fantastic tool for working with Node.js, Knockout.js etc. In addition to all that, it is available in a variety of languages including English, Brazilian Portuguese, Japanese, Russian, and Simplified Chinese.

As mentioned earlier, NetBeans supports a wide range of programming languages, but if you want the coolest web development IDE for your projects, we recommend downloading the HTML5/JavaScript built installation from the download page.

As NetBeans IDE is a massive package, configuring the environment, setting up the debugger, deploying and executing an app could be tricky when you’re just getting started.

Apache NetBeans reviews and testimonials from Capterra, G2, and TrustRadius:

• Alex M. (System Developer) – Apache NetBeans is the perfect IDE in the recent technology with multiple and flexible programming platforms.
• Ritika P. (Associate Software Engineer) – It is one of my first used IDE platforms because it has large plugin support, it is easy to install and run, and integrates with Git, Mercurial, and Subversion seamlessly. Collaboration is efficiently done and even helps in debugging and code optimization. The suggestion algorithm works like magic as well.
• Tharsanan Kurukulasingam (Senior Software Engineer) – I have been using NetBeans since my university. I use this IDE for Java-related project development for smaller pet projects. For smaller projects using NetBeans is really easy so whenever I need to create some pet projects I use NetBeans. Unlike Eclipse and IntelliJ NetBeans is lightweight so spinning up the application and starting the development is really easy.

Brackets

Brackets is the best web IDE if you are looking for an editor that understands web design. It comes with a great set of visual tools, such as website form creators or other, preprocessor supports and it has been created by web designers for web designers.

Another great thing about this web development IDE is the fact that it is open source and completely free of charge. In addition to that, it has a big and passionate community which is always there to help.

Here are some of the Bracket’s useful and unique features:

• Inline Editors: you can simply open a window into the code you care about most instead of jumping between file tabs.
• Live Preview: allows you to get a real-time connection to your browser; whenever you make changes to HTML and CSS, you immediately see the changes on the screen
• Preprocessor Support: allows you to use Quick Edit and Live Highlight with your LESS and SCSS files which will make working with them much easier than usually

Brackets reviews and testimonials from Capterra, G2, and TrustRadius:

• Fazal Rahman T. (Data collection officer) – Bracket is just awesome in its own kind however we have used so many platforms for communication but Brackets is a completely different and easy platform compared to similar products, it has made my experience easy.
• Vishal J. (Software Project Manager) – This is one of the best editors I have ever used. Easy to install. Easy to setup. Suitable for HTML, CSS, Javascript, PHP, Python as well as C,C++ and Java.
• James Pautz II (Senior Technical Consultant) – Brackets is used by me in my role managing my company website’s codebase as well as some other websites that I run. I also use it for the development of browser extensions for Firefox and Chrome. It is a very web-focused text editor that has a good number of useful plugins to extend functionality.

Komodo Edit

Komodo Edit is the free and Open-Source counterpart of Komodo IDE (paid software). It is a great JavaScript IDE free of charge with a bunch of new integrations that will allow you to get your favorite frameworks, languages, and tools in one cross-platform web development IDE.

While there is a paid version of this JS IDE, you will get a bunch of cool features with the JavaScript editor free version as well. Here are some of them:

• Customizable UI including split view and multi-window editing
• Version control integration for Bazaar, CVS, Git, Mercurial, Perforce and Subversion
• Python and PHP code profiling
• Convenient code collaboration for multi-user editing
• Deploy to the cloud thanks to Stackato PaaS
• Graphical debugging for NodeJS, Perl, PHP, Python, Ruby, and Tcl
• Autocomplete and refactoring
• Consistent performance across Mac, Linux and Windows platforms
• Many add-ons allow a high level of customization

However, we have to mention that there have been some complaints about the free version not enabling all of the features.

Komodo Edit reviews and testimonials from Capterra, and G2:

• Mario V. (Developer) – This IDE can handle all of my workflow in one simple program, I don’t need to open 10 different programs to do my daily task
• Ralf T. (Webdeveloper and Owner) – There are numerous things that I like best. But the most important thing that saves me the most time is the single step debugging and real time variable preview. I get hired to fix problems and errors in PHP and the debugger makes my live a lot easier.

Notepad++

So, Notepad++? It’s a super cool, totally free code editor. It’s like, ridiculously lightweight but still packs a punch. Great for whipping up or tweaking code.

• Syntax Highlighting? Yep.
• Code Folding? You bet.
• Autocomplete? Of course.

And it’s not just for the big-shot languages like JavaScript or Python. It’s a real Swiss Army knife for all sorts of code. Plus, it’s open-source. Meaning, it’s always getting better with help from folks like you and me.

Really, it’s a no-brainer for coding on the fly.

Notepad++ reviews and testimonials from Capterra, G2, and TrustPilot:

• Gordon S. (Software Developer) – Overall, Notepad++ is a great tool for text editing. If you are a Windows user and are looking for a fast and lightweight text editor to work with, then Notepad++ is what you are looking for.
• Hemant G. (Jr. Software Engineer) – Notepad++ is a better version of the old notepad, it provides you with multiple themes to customize, and for programmers, it provides a better way to organize and indent the code.
• Przemek Pater (Senior IT Specialist) – Notepad++ is a very good script editor suitable for all scripting languages and all kinds of codes from simple one-liners to complexed heavy codes. It is free for use with no restrictions so it can be used in small and big companies and also single users.

PyCharm

While PyCharm isn’t exactly the best free JavaScript IDE, the paid Professional Edition is definitely worth checking out if you are looking for a reliable web development IDE for Python programmers.

That being said, Python is not the only language PyCharm supports. In fact, it works great with pretty much all the popular languages and frameworks out there including AngularJS, Coffee Script, CSS, Python, HTML, JavaScript, Node.js, Python, TypeScript and template languages.

Here are the key features:

• Compatible with Windows, Linux, and Mac OS
• Comes with Django IDE
• Easy to integrate with Git, Mercurial, and SVN
• Customizable interface with VIM emulation
• JavaScript, Python and Django debuggers
• Supports Google App Engine

However, we have to mention that the users sometimes complain about PyCharm having certain bugs, such as the autocomplete feature occasionally not working.

PyCharm reviews and testimonials from Capterra, G2, and TrustPilot:

• Silvio B. (Software Developer) – I quite like the overall experience, I think is a very mature tool and I have suggested it to all my colleagues working with Python Django.
• K Madhusudan C. (Software Engineer) – The first thing is debugging in Pycharm with breakpoints, which helps us Visualize how memory is working internally. Also, Linting is good, and Integration with other plugins and tools like Git.
• Avinash Saklani (Frontend Developer) – Pycharm is used for Python Development. It was my first ever IDE that I started using for my Python, Machine Learning Projects and it’s been the easiest IDE I’ve found using till now.

IntelliJ IDEA

IntelliJ IDEA is a great web development IDE that offers several plans. There is a free community version but if you want to take advantage of all the Java Script development tools it has to offer, you should consider checking out the paid-for Ultimate Edition. It might actually be worth your while.

IntelliJ IDEA is a great CSS IDE, but it also supports a wide variety of programming languages such as AngularJS, CoffeeScript, HTML, JS, LESS, Node JS, PHP, Python, Ruby, Sass, TypeScript, and more.

The most important features include:

• Extensive database editor and UML designer
• Supports multiple build systems
• Test runner UI
• Code coverage
• Git integration
• Supports Google App Engine, Grails, GWT, Hibernate, Java EE, OSGi, Play, Spring, Struts, and more
• Deployment and debugging tools for most application servers
• Intelligent text editors for HTML, CSS, and Java
• Integrated version control
• AIR Mobile supports Android and iOS devices

However, keep in mind that while it might be the best JS editor, IntelliJ comes with a pretty steep learning curve so it is probably not the best option for absolute beginners.

PyCharm reviews and testimonials from Capterra, G2, and TrustPilot:

• Ravindu J. (Software Engineer) – I used this for more than 5 big projects in Spring boot framework. I never had any issues. Easy configuring maven dependencies and can run or debug the application with a small simple configuration. Also, it supports frontend frameworks without any issues.
• Ankshuk R. (Specialist Programmer) – The IDE has a great collection of plugins and great code formatting algorithms and visualizers bundled with it. I used IntelliJ-IDEA for creating backend APIs and microservices using spring-boot.
• Tung Vu (Senior Software Engineer) – Simply the trusted IDE for all your development needs. The core editor is just powerful, and intelligent. And there are tons of plugins to support all the languages, and formats you can think of.

RubyMine

RubyMine is a premium web development IDE and while you will be able to get a free trial, this IDE isn’t free of charge. However, if you are a Ruby enthusiast, it is definitely worth checking out.

That being said, Ruby isn’t the only programming language this IDE supports. It also supports CoffeeScript, CSS, HAML, HTML, JavaScript, LESS etc.

Notable features include:

• Code snippets, autocomplete and automatic refactoring
• Project tree allows for quick code analysis
• Rails Models Diagram
• Rails Project View
• RubyMotion allows for the iOS development
• Stack support includes Bundler, pik, rbenv, RVM and more
• JavaScript, CoffeeScript and Ruby debuggers
• Integration with CVS, Git, Mercurial, Perforce and Subversion
• Bundled keyboard schemes
• Code inspections for possible errors

Note: Keep in mind that you need at least 4GB of RAM for RubyMine to run smoothly.

PHPStorm

PHPStorm is another IDE developed by JetBrains. It is the best coding environment for web developers that work with PHP Frameworks like WordPress, Symfony, Laravel, Zend Framework, Drupal, Magento, Yii, and others.

It is renowned for its Visual Debugger that has zero-configuration and provides detailed insight into everything that happens in your code and application.

The user interface is very attractive and simple to use and it enables the use of cutting-edge front-end technologies like CSS, HTML5, JavaScript, Emmet, TypeScript, CoffeeScript, Sass, Less, Stylus, and others.

Among the features you can use for PHP coding are:

• Compatible with Windows, Linux, and Mac OS
• Automatic code completion
• Error highlighting
• Remote deployment
• Databases/SQL
• HTML and CSS Editor
• JavaScript Editor
• Command-line tools
• Smart code navigator
• Refactoring and debugging tools
• Docker
• REST Client
• Composer
• Unit testing

Thanks to the Version Control Systems integration, you can easily perform many routine tasks. It has intelligent coding assistance that will automatically take care of your code and check if it is okay while you type.

Additionally, you can refactor your code using reliable options for moving, renaming, deleting, extracting methods, manipulating variables, pushing members up, pulling members down and many other refactorings. With the language-specific refactorings, you can make project-wide changes safely undo them with just a few clicks.

Webstorm

The leading IDE development company, JetBrains, targeted JavaScript with the WebStorm IDE.

It is an extremely user-friendly and lightweight IDE that was designed with the aim of creating a state of the art web apps. For that reason, it supports technologies like JavaScript, HTML, and CSS, but also Angular JS, TypeScript, Node.js, Meteor, ECMAScript, React, Vue.js, Cordova, and others.

It is the best IDE for modern JavaScript development in terms of client-side, server-side and mobile. WebStorm offers a very modern and slick user interface with many features that will help you with your coding. Some of the features WebStorm can offer are:

• Compatible with Windows, Linux, and Mac OS
• Intelligent Code Completion
• Multi-line todos
• Automated refactoring of code
• Debugger
• Syntax error detection
• Unit testing
• Convert to variables with arrow functions
• Integration with VCS
• Cross-platform features
• Powerful navigation
• Parameter hints
• Seamless tool integration
• Git integration
• Refactoring for JavaScript, TypeScript, and stylesheet languages

WebStorm also gives you one place within the IDE where you can run Grunt, Gulp, and NPM tasks. It takes advantage of intelligent support and increases your productivity with its automation.

Additionally, it has a  cool feature called secret service or Spy.js, where you don’t have logs to trace, debug, and profile. The feature triggers a node.js server into running a proxy that will intercept all browser traffic and enable you to edit a JS file as you go.

RJ TextEd

RJ TextEd is high on our list fighting for the spot of the best IDE for JavaScript. It is a full-featured text and source editor with Unicode support and all in all, a great IDE for web development.

It supports not only JavaScript, but also PHP, ASP, HTML, and CSS. Some of the most important features of this web development IDE include but are not limited to:

• Auto-completion.
• Code folding
• Column mode
• Multi-edit and multi-select
• Document map
• Annotation bar
• Advanced sorting
• Handles both ASCII and binary files
• CSS and HTML wizards
• Highlighting of colors in CSS/SASS/LESS
• An advanced color hint that can convert between color formats
• Dockable panels
• FTP and SFTP client with synchronization
• File explorer, text clips, code explorer, project manager
• Convert between code pages, Unicode formats and text formats
• Unicode and ANSI code page detection
• Open/Save UTF-8 encoded files without a signature (BOM)
• Unicode file paths and file names
• HTML validation, format, and repair
• Tools available like syntax editor, color picker, charmap

What is the difference between IDE and Text Editor?

Web development IDE does all the things simple text editors do plus a number of more advanced stuff that you can’t do with text editors. For instance, while an editor such as Sublime can be used as an HTML CSS JavaScript editor, they only allow you to write code.

Of course, they come with a bunch of convenient features such as syntax highlighting, customizable interfaces, and extensive navigation tools, you will need additional features to make a functional app. For example, you will need a debugger and a compiler.

However, with the best IDEs, you won’t have to worry about that. They often come with additional tools for automating, testing, and visualizing the development process. Basically, they equip you with everything you need to turn code into a functioning app or program.

When it comes to web development, choosing the right development environment is crucial. However, what is equally important is selecting the appropriate technologies that match the project’s needs. For example, one such technology is embedded Linux development services, which offer a wide range of benefits for web developers.

So what is the best IDE for you? We will help you choose the best free IDE that will be your new favorite HTML CSS editor or free JavaScript editor.

FAQs about web development IDEs

What’s the Best Web Development IDE for Beginners?

Honestly, starting out can be daunting, right? But, JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA and Visual Studio Code are absolute lifesavers for newbies. They’re user-friendly, packed with helpful features like code completion, and have tons of online support. You won’t feel lost with these.

How Do I Choose Between Front-end and Back-end IDEs?

Here’s the deal: if you’re into front-end, go for something like Sublime Text or Atom, they’re great for HTML/CSS and JavaScript. Backend? JetBrains PhpStorm or Python-friendly PyCharm are your buddies. It’s all about what languages and frameworks you’re diving into.

Is an IDE Necessary for Web Development?

Absolutely, yes! An IDE, like Eclipse or Visual Studio Code, isn’t just a fancy text editor. It’s like your Swiss Army knife – debugging tools, source code management, build automation. It streamlines your workflow big time. You’ll wonder how you ever coded without it.

What Features Should I Look for in a Web Development IDE?

Look for a solid code editor, first and foremost. Then, a debugger that doesn’t make you pull your hair out. Version control integration is a must. If it’s got efficient build automation and syntax highlighting, you’re golden. Stuff like code autocomplete and refactoring tools? Cherries on top!

Can I Use the Same IDE for Different Programming Languages?

Sure, you can! Take Visual Studio Code, for instance. It’s like a chameleon, adapting to JavaScript, Python, PHP, you name it. The trick is in the extensions and plugins. They transform your IDE to suit whatever language you’re working with. Talk about flexibility!

How Important Are Extensions and Plugins in a Web Development IDE?

Think of them like upgrading your car with a turbo engine and better suspension. Extensions and plugins supercharge your IDE with extra functionalities. They can tailor your IDE for specific tasks, like Angular or React development, making your life a heck of a lot easier.

What’s the Difference Between an IDE and a Code Editor?

An integrated development environment (IDE) for web development is a piece of software that offers a wide range of capabilities and tools for creating and maintaining web applications.

A code editor, debugging tools, project management capabilities, and other tools are frequently included in an IDE, in contrast to a simple text editor, to aid developers in creating and testing web applications more quickly.

How Do I Integrate Version Control Like Git in an IDE?

Most modern IDEs like JetBrains IntelliJ IDEA come with Git integration built-in. It’s usually just a matter of setting up your repository within the IDE and voila! You can commit, push, pull, and manage branches right from your workspace. It’s a real game-changer for workflow efficiency.

Is There a Significant Difference Between Free and Paid IDEs?

Let’s break it down. Free IDEs, think Visual Studio Code or Atom, they’re fantastic and often enough for many developers. But, when you shell out cash for something like JetBrains PhpStorm, you get extra perks – advanced features, better support, and typically, a more robust toolset.

How Can an IDE Improve Collaboration in Web Development?

IDEs today, they’re not just for solo coding. They come with collaboration tools built in. Think real-time code editing, integrated communication features, streamlined project management. This makes working in a team, especially remotely, a whole lot smoother. It’s like having your whole team in one virtual room.

How do IDEs integrate with other web development tools, such as version control systems, build tools, and testing frameworks?

IDEs can interface with a variety of additional web development tools, such as testing frameworks like Mocha or Jasmine, build tools like Grunt or Gulp, and version control systems like Git.

The development workflow may be streamlined and complicated web applications can be managed and maintained more easily with integration with these tools. If any of the tools are unavailable to you due to geo-restrictions, you can use VPN website unblocker to get the access.

Ending thoughts on web development IDEs

Choosing the right web development IDE comes with a lot of different factors and is crucial for efficient and reliable web application testing services. The bottom line is that if you find the one that works best with the programming language you are the most comfortable using, you will never go back to plain text editors.

There are many great options out there when it comes to IDEs so you should probably test as many of the free ones as you can and take it from there. Hopefully, you will find just the right one for your next web development project.

If you enjoyed reading this article on the best IDE for web development, you should check out this one on software development methodologies.

We also wrote about a few related subjects like the best IDE for Java, C++, Javascript, and for Mac.

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Bogdan Sandu

Bogdan is a seasoned web designer and tech strategist, with a keen eye on emerging industry trends.

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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