In this article, you will learn about the Best Free IDEs for Python for beginners and Professionals.
Table Of Contents
- What Is An IDE?
- Features Of An IDE
- Best Free IDEs For Python
- Best Online Python IDE
What is an IDE?
IDE is also known as Integrated Development Environment, is a tool or software application that combines some common developer tools (such as source code editor, build automation tools, and a debugger) into a single GUI for software development. Many IDE applications are available on the internet but it is not efficient for one developer to use more than one or two IDEs as it may affect their productivity & disturb the workflow.
Few Examples of IDE are NetBeans, Eclipse, Dev-C++, etc.
Common features of integrated development environments
There many IDE applications that offer many advanced features but the common features of an IDE are a follows:
1.Editing Source Code
One of the most important parts of Programming is writing the code and source code can be easily formatted or edited by using an IDE.
2.Syntax Highlighting
One of the best features of IDE is Syntax Highlighting. It makes the coding process very easy and it can also boost one’s productivity and workflow. With Syntax Highlighting the code becomes very hard to read. It can also help you to write error-free code.
3.Autocomplete
Autocomplete is one of those IDE features that help you boost your workflow.
4.Debugging
Debugging is probably the most important part while writing any program. If one program doesn’t run properly, then the IDE will indicate or give hints to make the code bug and error-free.
Best Free IDEs for Python (Number 5 is amazing)
1.IDLE
Image Source : .pythonorg
Price: Free
Complexity Level: Very Easy
Suitable For: Beginners
IDLE is also known as Integrated Development and Learning Environment is the default editor / IDE that comes with Python.
This is Best Free IDE for beginners in Python. It can help beginners to get a grasp of Python very easily as it has a simple UI.
If you are a beginner-level developer then it is the most suitable IDE for you to learn Python. It can be used on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It can run on a low-end system without any lag. IDLE is the best IDE for practicing Python.
Notable Features ->
- Python colorizing, Autocomplete.
- Powerful and robust debugger.
- Python shell window
- Beginner Friendly UI
- Search Multiple Files
2.PyCharm
image Source – jetbrains
Price: Free / Paid
Complexity Level: Slightly Hard
Suitable For: Beginners, Professionals
PyCharm is very popular among Professional Python developers. PyCharm is widely used in the software development industry.
It is one of the best free IDEs for Python.
PyCharm Professional is quite suitable for web development therefore if you’re into web development this can a good choice.
There are two versions of PyCharm – 1.Community,2. Professional.
- Community: It is the open-source and free version of PyCharm. It is quite lightweight as well.
- Professional: Whereas the Professional version is the paid version and comes with Web development tools as well.
Both of the versions are resource-intensive. If you have a low-end PC (less than 4GB ram) then it might not work smoothly.
Notable Features ->
- Customizable UI.
- Comes with Plugins.
- Very Robust Debugger for Python and JavaScript.
- Smart code navigation.
- code refactoring, code inspections, error highlighting.
- version control system.
3. Sublime Text 3 OR 4
Image source : Sublime Text
Price: Free / Paid
Complexity Level: Medium
Suitable For: Beginners, Professionals
Sublime Text is one of the best IDEs / Text Editors which supports many languages such as (HTML, CSS, JS, TYPESCRIPT, JSX, etc) besides Python.
Sublime comes with a good user interface. Sublime Text Editor can be used to write Python code once you have installed Python on your system. You can customize Sublime Text to create a full-fledged Python development environment and, there are also many packages for python.
Although Sublime Text easy to use, beginners might find it hard to use. Sublime Text runs smoothly even on low-end PC.
Notable Features ->
- Interactive User Interface.
- Highly Customizable.
- Various Packages.
- Split Panes.
- Autocomplete.
- Support for various languages.
- Free if you don’t want to pay for it.
Also read : Best Programming Languages To Learn In 2021
4.Atom
Image Source: Atom
Price: Free
Complexity Level: Easy
Suitable For: Beginners, Professionals
Atom is also one of the best IDEs for various languages including Python. Atom is an open-source IDE Github. Atom is quite similar to Sublime text as it offers the same features & also the UI is also very similar.
Atom also a lot of plugins for Python and other supported languages. Atom is also customizable and easy to use.
Notable Features ->
- Autocomplete.
- Outline view.
- Syntax checking.
- Atom packages.
- Support multiple programming languages and file formats.
5.Visual Studio Code
Image Source : VS code
Price: Free
Complexity Level: Hard
Suitable For: Professionals
Visual Studio Code is the best free IDE for various languages including Python. Visual Studio Code is also an open-source IDE developed by Microsoft. It can be used for Python development. It is one of the most robust and powerful IDEs.
Visual Studio Code is a feature-rich IDE. It was developed using Electron, VS code is quite similar to Atom. VS Code has the highest number of contributors on GitHub.
To use Python with VS code, you need to download and install the required plugins/Extensions to create Python Environment. It has a powerful code auto-completion engine (IntelliSense).
Although if you have a Low-end system I think you should skip VS code as VS code is quite heavy and resource-intensive. Vs code is quite hard to use for beginners. It has a Steep learning curve.
Vs code is probably the most professional IDE as it is widely used in the software industry.
Personally, I use VS Code and, I love it :). (A little bit biased Opinion)
Notable Features ->
- Powerful features.
- 4k+ extensions.
- Powerful debugging console.
- Git integration.
- Advanced autocomplete (smart code completion).
- Keyboard shortcuts.
- Huge community.
Also Read:What Is A JSON File Or What Is JSON In Javascript?
6.Spyder
Image Source : spyder-ide
Price: Free
Complexity Level: Slightly Hard
Suitable For: Beginners, Professionals
Spyder is an open-source IDE for Python. It was created by Pierre Raybaut in 2008. Spyder is mainly used for scientific development.
Anaconda distribution which comes with Spyder is one of the most popular distributions for machine learning and data science. Anaconda distribution comes with hundreds of packages (e.g: Pandas, NumPy,matplotlib, Cython, IPython, etc.)
Overall, Spyder is a good IDE for scientific development.
Notable Features ->
- Autocomplete
- It is one of the best Python IDE for scientific development
- Community support
- Detailed documentation
- Various development tool features
7.Vim
Vim is an IDE/text editor for macOS, Linux, and Windows. If you’re using windows then you have to download Vim and install it whereas it comes with macOS, Linux preinstalled. In 1991, The source code for Vim was published by Bram Moolenaar.
Vim comes with three modes – 1.insert mode, 2.command mode, and 3.command-line mode. Vim offers many keyboard shortcuts and extendibility. Vim can be a great tool / IDE for Python development.
Vim is also a feature-rich IDE and it provides various extensions as well.
Notable Features ->
- Comes with many features
- Lightweight and fast
- syntax highlighting, good debugging
What is the best IDE for Python?
If you are a beginner in Python then I would recommend you to go for IDLE (Basic IDE for Python),
But if you are an intermediate in Python then you can go for the PyCharm Community version (one of the best free IDEs for Python) or Sublime Text or Atom,
If you are Advanced in Python then you can go for PyCharm Professional (One of the best IDEs for Professional Python Developers and web developers) or VS Studio Code ( the best free IDE for many languages including Python).
Best Online Python IDE
Now if you just want to try out python and don’t want to go through the hassle of installing Python on your System then an Online Python IDE would be the right choice for you.
Common Reasons to Use An Online IDE
- You can practice on the go.
- No need to install anything.
- Code from anywhere or anytime.
- Good choice for those who want to try a new language.
- can be accessed across many platforms or devices.
1.W3schools
W3schools is famous for its free tutorials on Web development, Python, Java, C++, C#, and many more. I bet you have used their online IDE at least once and If not then you should use their Online Python IDE. It is the best and simple Online Python IDE (easy to use).
2.onlinegdb
Onlinedb is one of the most popular online IDE (online compiler and debugger) for many languages including Python. It has a simple user interface therefore a beginner can use it with ease. It also has an interactive console. According to me, this is the Best Online Python IDE.
3.online python
Online Python is also a great online IDE for Python, One can open a .py file from their system and run it on online python IDE. You can also download the .py file from the ide to your system. It has a good user interface as well.
4.programiz
programiz mainly offers many free coding courses or tutorials such as Python, JS, C++, etc. The Online Python IDE/editor helps Programmers to run the code while learning Python from Programs. One can use it for free.
Conclusion:
It doesn’t matter that much which IDE you choose but the way you learn the language. Therefore you can go with any IDE on the list as most of them offer the common and basic features of an IDE. Although The best Free IDE for Python is The Visual Studio Code (personal opinion :)).