No. 22 of 62 ·Integrated Development Environments

Thonny

Windows · Mac · Linux

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Freedom report

Two barsScore 5.5

Free tierNo free tier on record
Open codeNo open-source code on record
Runs widely3 of 6 device platforms
DocumentedPlans, terms and facts published

Thonny is ranked #22 of 62 in integrated development environments on Freedom251. It runs on Linux, macOS, Windows.

Compared on integrated development environments

Free plan: Yes

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The record

Product: Thonny describes itself as a Python IDE for beginners.
Bundled Python: The official downloads page says Thonny comes with Python 3.14 in its bundled installers.
Debugger: Its debugger runs programs step by step without requiring breakpoints and can show expression evaluation.
Learning tools: The IDE can display variables, function call frames, variable scopes, and syntax errors to help explain Python code.
Package management: Thonny includes a package manager GUI and a system shell prepared for Python commands.
Extensions: Thonny supports plug-ins, including listed extensions for Git, Black formatting, EV3 code uploads, and Flake8 warnings; its developers say they do not endorse or take responsibility for them.
Supported systems: The official site provides downloads or installation instructions for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Windows requirements: The Thonny 5.0 release notes say the main Windows installer includes Python 3.14 and supports 64-bit Windows 10 and 11; a separate installer is available for Windows on Arm.
macOS requirements: The Thonny 5.0 release notes say its Intel and Apple silicon installers require macOS 10.15 or later.
Linux installation: Since version 5.0, Thonny no longer publishes Linux binary bundles; its installation script uses system Python and creates a virtual environment for Thonny and its dependencies.
Notable limits: The version 5.0 release notes say 32-bit Windows installers and the XXL bundle are no longer published.
Support channels: The official site links users to a forum or mailing list, issue tracker, and GitHub Discussions.
Security detail: The Windows installation guide says the default installer does not request administrator privileges and installs under the current user's home folder.
Author: The official site identifies Aivar Annamaa as Thonny's main author.

Where it ranks on Freedom251

Best Integrated Development Environments in 2026#22 of 62
Best IDE Software in 2026#30 of 51
Best Python IDEs in 2026#9 of 26

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Sources

thonny.org· checked 3 Oct 2026
github.com/thonny/thonny/releases· checked 3 Oct 2026
github.com/thonny/thonny/wiki/Windows· checked 3 Oct 2026