VSCodium is a free, community-driven desktop distribution of Microsoft's VS Code editor for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Its binaries use the MIT license, and telemetry is disabled. The project aims to make the latest MIT-licensed VS Code version easier to obtain; users can also build from Microsoft's vscode repository. Special scripts clone that repository, build binaries, and upload them to GitHub releases. VSCodium supports extensions, a built-in debugger, remote development, and language servers. Installation routes differ by platform. macOS users can use the Homebrew cask, while Windows options include Windows Package Manager, Chocolatey, and Scoop. Linux packages or repositories are documented for Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora, RHEL, Arch, Gentoo, and other distributions. It is also available through Snap as Codium, Flatpak via Flathub, and Nixpkgs, and comes pre-installed in Parrot OS. The project notes that issues with package managers should be reported to the relevant repository.
Who it is for
VSCodium suits desktop users on Windows, macOS, or Linux who want a community-driven VS Code distribution with extensions, debugging, and remote development support.
What is good
- Free binaries are licensed under the MIT license.
- Telemetry is disabled.
- Supports extensions, a built-in debugger, and remote development.
- Available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
- Offers several package-manager installation routes.
What to know first
- Package-manager issues should go to the related repository.
- The project aims to provide the latest MIT-licensed VS Code version.
Verdict
VSCodium provides a free desktop editor distribution with telemetry disabled and support for extensions, debugging, and remote development. Installation choices span the three listed operating systems, though package-manager troubleshooting belongs with the relevant repository.
VSCodium plans and pricing
All plansCompared on code editors
- Free plan
- Yes
- Supported platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux
- Extension support
- Yes
- Built-in debugger
- Yes
- Remote development
- Yes
- Language server support
- Yes
- Editor type
- desktop
