Top 10 IDEs for Web Development: Top Picks for 2025

In modern software engineering, an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is crucial for workflow, code quality, and project success, especially for web development. Unlike a simple text editor where you might just type out a function like function add(a, b) { return a + b; }, an IDE integrates a powerful source code editor (which could suggest corrections), build automation tools (to run the code), and a debugger (to step through the function and inspect the values of a and b) into one graphical user interface. This combination maximizes programmer productivity

Choosing an IDE is a strategic business decision that boosts developer productivity, reduces setup time, and enables quick deployment, impacting project timelines, code maintainability, and competitive advantage. 

This article analyzes current web development IDEs, detailing essential features, comparing the top 10, and offering a framework for selecting the best tool for specific projects.

What Makes an IDE Great for Web Development?

To assess the available options, it's helpful to view a modern Integrated Development Environment (IDE) not as a simple toolbox, but as a complete workshop for a web developer. A basic text editor is like having just a hammer and saw; you can build something, but the process is manual and slow. A modern IDE, in contrast, is a state-of-the-art workshop where every tool is designed to work together, improving efficiency and preventing mistakes. The focus has shifted from merely constructing the product (writing code) to managing the entire production line, including quality control, project history, and teamwork.

Think of an effective IDE as the workshop's foreman, not just a power tool. It gives a developer the ability to oversee a complex project, much like a foreman manages a large construction site. It has built-in inspection tools to check the integrity of the work as it happens and provides a direct communication system to coordinate with the rest of the crew. This viewpoint is essential for judging these tools on how well they support the entire process of creating software, not just on their text-editing capabilities alone..

1. User-Friendly Code Editor Base

The foundation of any Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is its source code editor. This is the primary interface where developers spend the majority of their time, so its performance is non-negotiable. The dominance of tools like VS Code, used by over 75% of developers according to the Stack Overflow 2025 survey, shows how much a great editor matters. A high-quality editor must be lightweight, fast, and responsive. A practical starting point is to build upon a proven open-source editor core, such as Monaco (the engine for VS Code) or CodeMirror. Using such a foundation provides a frictionless experience that permits developers to stay organized while writing clean, efficient code.

2. Syntax Highlighting

Syntax highlighting is a feature that displays source code in different colors and fonts according to the category of terms, such as keywords, variables, strings, and comments. This is a form of secondary notation that reinforces the meaning and structure of the code without being part of the code itself.

This feature is critical for readability. It makes code easier to parse visually and helps developers spot syntax errors, like a missing quote or parenthesis, almost instantly. Research confirms its value; a study published in the PPIG conference proceedings found that syntax highlighting significantly reduces the time a programmer needs to comprehend a program's semantics. By color-coding distinct elements, it allows developers to focus on application logic rather than parsing basic syntax.

3. Auto-Completion (IntelliSense & AI-Driven)

Auto-completion, often marketed as IntelliSense, is a feature that suggests code completions as a developer types. This functionality goes beyond simple text prediction by providing context-aware suggestions based on variable types, function definitions, and imported modules.

Its importance lies in its ability to accelerate development by reducing keystrokes, minimizing typographical errors, and acting as a form of interactive documentation. A July 2024 study published in Proc. ACM Softw. Eng. revealed a key benefit: while auto-completion did not necessarily reduce the total number of keystrokes, it significantly cut down task completion time by reducing how often developers needed to consult external documentation. The emergence of AI-powered tools like GitHub Copilot is advancing this capability, suggesting entire blocks of code and further shifting the developer's role toward code review and orchestration.

4. Live Preview

Live Preview allows developers to see the real-time impact of their HTML and CSS changes in a web browser without needing to perform a manual refresh. This creates an immediate visual feedback loop between the code and its output.

This feature is indispensable for modern frontend development. It streamlines the process of fine-tuning user interfaces, debugging complex layout issues, and validating responsive designs across various screen sizes. For developers new to web technologies, it provides an intuitive and tangible connection between the code they write and the visual result, accelerating the learning process.

5. Emmet Support

Emmet is a powerful plugin that uses short, CSS-selector-like abbreviations to expand into complex HTML and CSS code structures. It is an essential toolkit for any web developer looking to improve workflow efficiency.

Emmet dramatically accelerates the creation of boilerplate HTML and repetitive CSS patterns, which are common in frontend development. For instance, typing the simple expression

nav>ul>li.item*5>a{Item $} and expanding it can generate a complete navigation structure with an unordered list containing five list items, each with a link, in a fraction of a second. This capability saves significant time and drastically reduces the potential for typing errors.

6. Integrated Debugging Tools

Debugging is the process of identifying and resolving errors, or bugs, in source code. Integrated debugging tools allow developers to do this systematically by setting breakpoints to pause execution, stepping through code line-by-line, and inspecting the state of variables in real-time.

These tools are fundamental to professional development. They offer a far more efficient and insightful process than rudimentary methods like scattering print statements throughout the code. An integrated debugger is essential for diagnosing complex logical flaws, understanding program flow, and resolving runtime errors that only appear under specific conditions.

7. Version Control Integration (Git)

Version control integration provides a seamless connection to systems like Git directly within the IDE. This allows developers to perform common version control tasks without leaving their primary coding environment.

This integration is critical for modern collaborative workflows. Developers can commit changes, view differences between file versions (diffs), manage branches, and resolve merge conflicts from a unified interface. This not only streamlines individual productivity but also enhances team collaboration and provides a crucial safety net by creating a complete history of every modification made to the codebase.

8. Rich Plugin Ecosystem

A rich plugin ecosystem refers to the ability to extend an IDE's core functionality through a marketplace of third-party extensions. These plugins can add new features or improve existing ones without altering the core application.

No single IDE can cater to every developer's needs out of the box. A vibrant plugin ecosystem is therefore essential for customization and adaptability. It allows development teams to tailor the environment to their specific tech stack and workflow, adding specialized tools for linting, code formatting, security scanning, framework support, and more.

9. Customizable Interface

Interface customization allows users to modify the IDE's appearance (themes, fonts, color schemes) and behavior (keyboard shortcuts, window layouts) to match their personal preferences.

Developer comfort and ergonomics are vital for sustained productivity and focus during long coding sessions. A customizable interface reduces cognitive load and allows developers to create a workspace that minimizes distractions and aligns perfectly with their mental model and muscle memory. This seemingly aesthetic feature has a direct impact on efficiency and developer satisfaction.

10. Multi-Language Support

Modern web applications are rarely built with a single technology. Multi-language support is the capacity for an IDE to effectively handle not just foundational web languages (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) but also the entire ecosystem of a modern tech stack. This includes frameworks like React and Vue, backend languages like Node.js and Python, and related technologies such as TypeScript and SQL.

This capability is crucial for full-stack development. A developer may need to work on a JavaScript frontend, a Node.js backend API, and a SQL database all within the same project. An IDE with robust multi-language support prevents disruptive context switching and ensures that powerful features like code completion and debugging are available across the entire codebase, not just one part of it.

A critical metric for evaluating these tools can be conceptualized as "Feedback Loop Velocity." Features like instant syntax highlighting, real-time live previews, and on-the-fly error detection are all designed to shorten the time between a developer's action and their understanding of its consequence. An IDE with a high feedback loop velocity enables more rapid iteration, faster bug fixes, and a more intuitive learning process, making it a key performance indicator for team productivity. A superior IDE for web development is one that maximizes this velocity.

Which are the Top 10 IDEs for Web Development?

The market for web development tools is crowded, but a clear set of leaders has emerged. Each tool offers a unique balance of features, performance, and philosophy. This section provides a detailed comparative analysis of the top 10 contenders, designed to help teams select the best IDE for web development based on their specific needs and priorities.

1. Visual Studio Code (VS Code)

• Core Strengths: The defining characteristic of VS Code is its unparalleled extensibility. Its massive marketplace of extensions allows developers to transform the lightweight core editor into a specialized tool for virtually any language or workflow. It features best-in-class IntelliSense for intelligent, context-aware code completion, particularly for JavaScript and TypeScript. Furthermore, it comes with essential tools like an integrated terminal, a powerful step-through debugger, and seamless Git integration built directly into the UI, offering a remarkably complete package for a free tool. Its cross-platform consistency across Windows, macOS, and Linux makes it a reliable choice for diverse teams.

• Cons / When It's Not Ideal: The reliance on extensions is also its primary weakness. As more plugins are installed, VS Code can become resource-intensive, leading to slower performance, especially on machines with limited memory. This can lead to a state of "extension hell," where managing dependencies, resolving conflicts, and dealing with inconsistent quality across third-party plugins becomes a significant time sink. While highly capable, it is not a "full IDE" out of the box and requires manual configuration to match the depth of specialized tools like WebStorm for complex, project-wide refactoring or analysis.

• Pricing/Licensing: VS Code is free for both private and commercial use under the Microsoft Software License.

• Quick Verdict: Best for the versatile developer or team that works across a diverse tech stack and values ultimate customization. Its flexibility and massive community support make it the default choice for a large segment of the web development world.

2. WebStorm

• Core Strengths: WebStorm's power comes from its deep, semantic understanding of JavaScript, TypeScript, and popular frontend frameworks. This enables superior code analysis, navigation, and refactoring capabilities that are project-aware, not just file-aware. Unlike VS Code, WebStorm is "ready to work" out of the box, with a powerful debugger, test runner, and advanced version control system integrated from the start, requiring no plugin hunting for core functionality. Its refactoring tools are a major productivity driver, allowing developers to safely rename files, extract components, or move symbols across an entire project with confidence. Its visual Git merge tool is widely praised for simplifying the process of resolving complex merge conflicts.

• Cons / When It's Not Ideal: The primary drawback is performance. As a full-featured Java-based IDE, it can feel slow to start up and is significantly more resource-intensive than lightweight editors. The other major barrier is cost; it is a premium, subscription-based product, which may not be feasible for individual developers, freelancers, or small teams on a tight budget. While it excels at web technologies, it is less suited for developers who frequently need to work in non-web languages like C++ or Go, where another JetBrains IDE would be a better fit.

• Pricing/Licensing: WebStorm operates on a paid subscription model. For individual users, the price is approximately $69 for the first year, with discounts for subsequent years. For businesses, it is around $159 per user for the first year. It is free for students, teachers, and non-commercial open-source projects.

• Quick Verdict: Best for professional frontend development teams working on large, complex, and long-lived JavaScript or TypeScript applications. The productivity gains from its intelligent, out-of-the-box tooling can easily justify the subscription cost in a commercial setting.

3. IntelliJ IDEA

• Core Strengths: IntelliJ IDEA is the flagship IDE from JetBrains and is considered a polyglot powerhouse, with its primary strength in the Java and Kotlin ecosystems. However, its Ultimate Edition includes all the web development capabilities of WebStorm, making it an exceptional tool for full-stack developers working with a Java backend and a JavaScript frontend. It offers the same powerful code analysis, refactoring, and debugging tools as other JetBrains products, providing a consistent and highly productive environment for developers working across the full stack.

• Cons / When It's Not Ideal: For a developer working exclusively on frontend projects, IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate is overkill. It is more resource-heavy and expensive than WebStorm, with many of its features being irrelevant to pure web development. The free Community Edition lacks the advanced web development tools, making it unsuitable for professional frontend work.

• Pricing/Licensing: The Community Edition is free and open-source. The Ultimate Edition, which contains the web development features, is available via a paid subscription, costing approximately $16.90 per month for individuals.

• Quick Verdict: Best for full-stack developers or teams whose primary backend is Java or another JVM language. It provides a single, unified environment to work on both the server-side and client-side codebases.

4. Sublime Text

• Core Strengths: Sublime Text's reputation is built on two pillars: speed and simplicity. It is exceptionally fast, responsive, and lightweight, capable of handling very large files without breaking a sweat. Developers who prefer to focus solely on their code highly value its minimalist, distraction-free user interface. Features like "Goto Anything" for quick file navigation and multiple-cursor support for simultaneous editing are powerful productivity enhancers. While its plugin ecosystem is smaller than VS Code's, it is mature and offers solid general-purpose extensions via its Package Control manager.

• Cons / When It's Not Ideal: Sublime Text is fundamentally a text editor, not a full IDE. It lacks built-in debugging, integrated terminals, and other advanced IDE features out of the box; these must be added and configured via third-party packages, which can be a cumbersome process. This makes it less beginner-friendly, as it requires a significant investment of time to configure it into a powerful development environment.

• Pricing/Licensing: Sublime Text uses a licensed model. It can be downloaded and evaluated for free with no time limit, but a personal license must be purchased for continued use, costing a one-time fee of approximately $80.

• Quick Verdict: Best for experienced developers who prioritize performance and a minimalist aesthetic above all else. It is an excellent choice for those who are comfortable manually configuring their tools and prefer a lightweight, keyboard-centric workflow.

5. Atom

• Core Strengths: Atom, developed by GitHub, was a pioneering editor branded as the "hackable text editor for the 21st century". Its greatest strengths were its open-source nature, deep customizability, and excellent Git and GitHub integration, which allowed for collaborative workflows directly within the editor. It offered a clean, user-friendly interface that was approachable for beginners while being powerful enough for experts through its extensive package ecosystem.

• Cons / When It's Not Ideal: The most significant con is that Atom has been officially sunsetted by GitHub as of December 2022. While the editor still functions, it is no longer receiving feature updates or security patches, making it an unwise choice for new projects. Even during its prime, it was known for performance issues, often feeling slow and resource-heavy, particularly when handling large files or loaded with many packages.

• Pricing/Licensing: Atom is free and open-source under the MIT License.

• Quick Verdict: Atom is now primarily of historical interest. It is not recommended for any professional or ongoing development work due to its sunsetted status.

6. Brackets

• Core Strengths: Brackets, an open-source project from Adobe, was designed specifically for web designers and frontend developers. Its standout feature is Live Preview, which provides a real-time connection to a web browser, instantly reflecting HTML and CSS changes on screen. It also introduced innovative features like Quick Edit, which allows developers to edit related CSS rules directly within an HTML file, reducing the need to jump between files. Its interface is clean, modern, and beginner-friendly.

• Cons / When It's Not Ideal: Similar to Atom, the development of Brackets has largely stalled. Adobe ended its official support in September 2021, and while the project continues in the community, its future is uncertain. The editor can suffer from performance issues with large files due to its JavaScript-based architecture. Its extension ecosystem is also smaller and less robust than that of VS Code.

• Pricing/Licensing: Brackets is free and open-source software.

• Quick Verdict: While its Live Preview feature was revolutionary, Brackets is no longer a recommended choice for professional development due to its stalled development and the superiority of alternatives like VS Code, which now offer similar functionality through extensions.

7. Eclipse

• Core Strengths: Eclipse is a veteran IDE with a long and storied history, particularly in the Java development community. Its primary strength lies in its powerful and mature tooling for Java and its massive, rich plugin ecosystem, which allows it to be extended to support a wide variety of languages and workflows, including web development (PHP, JavaScript). It offers robust project management, debugging, and integration capabilities, making it a staple in many enterprise environments.

• Cons / When It's Not Ideal: Eclipse is often criticized for being slow, resource-intensive, and having a high memory consumption. Its user interface is considered dated and complex by many, presenting a steep learning curve for beginners. While it supports web languages via plugins, the experience is often less seamless and intuitive compared to dedicated web IDEs like WebStorm or a well-configured VS Code.

• Pricing/Licensing: The Eclipse IDE is free and open-source.

• Quick Verdict: Best for enterprise teams deeply invested in the Java ecosystem who may also need to work on web components. It is generally not a first choice for modern, JavaScript-centric web development.

8. NetBeans

• Core Strengths: NetBeans is another long-standing, free, and open-source IDE, now managed by the Apache Software Foundation. It provides robust, out-of-the-box support for Java, PHP, and HTML5 development. It is particularly praised for its user-friendly interface, easy setup, and excellent project management and refactoring tools. A standout feature is its drag-and-drop GUI builder, which is especially useful for developing Java-based desktop applications.

• Cons / When It's Not Ideal: Like Eclipse, NetBeans can be resource-intensive and suffer from slow startup times, especially with large projects. While its plugin ecosystem is extensive, it is not as large or as modern as that of VS Code or the JetBrains marketplace. Its primary focus remains on Java, and the tooling for modern JavaScript frameworks may not be as sophisticated as dedicated web IDEs.

• Pricing/Licensing: NetBeans is free and open-source.

• Quick Verdict: A solid, free choice for students, educators, and developers working primarily with Java or PHP. It is a capable tool for web development but may lack the cutting-edge features required for complex, modern JavaScript applications.

9. PyCharm

• Core Strengths: PyCharm is the premier IDE for Python development, created by JetBrains. Its Professional Edition provides outstanding support for web development with popular Python frameworks like Django and Flask. It also includes all the necessary tooling for frontend development, with intelligent coding assistance for JavaScript, HTML, and CSS, essentially bundling many of WebStorm's features. It offers a powerful debugger, integrated test runner, and seamless version control integration.

• Cons / When It's Not Ideal: The primary drawback is its Python-centric nature. If a project does not involve a Python backend, using PyCharm makes little sense. The free Community Edition does not include the web development tools, making the paid Professional Edition a necessity for this use case. Like other JetBrains IDEs, it can be resource-heavy.

• Pricing/Licensing: PyCharm has a free Community Edition for pure Python development. The Professional Edition, required for web development, is subscription-based, costing approximately $99 per year for individual users.

• Quick Verdict: The undisputed best choice for teams building web applications with a Python backend. It provides a world-class, integrated experience for both the Python and JavaScript portions of the stack.

10. Notepad++

• Core Strengths: Notepad++ is a free, open-source text editor for Windows that is celebrated for its extreme speed and lightweight footprint. It launches instantly and can handle massive text files with ease. It supports syntax highlighting for a vast number of languages and has a useful tabbed interface for working with multiple files. Its plugin system allows for added functionality, and features like auto-save are highly appreciated by its users.

• Cons / When It's Not Ideal: Notepad++ is a text editor, not an IDE. It lacks fundamental IDE features like a built-in debugger, intelligent code completion, project management tools, and version control integration. Its user interface, while functional, is considered dated, and it is only available on Windows.

• Pricing/Licensing: Notepad++ is free and open-source under the GPL License.

• Quick Verdict: Best for Windows users who need a fast, reliable, and no-frills tool for quick edits, log file analysis, or simple scripting. It is not suitable for complex, project-based web development.

A concerning trend for tech leads to consider is the "sunsetting" of innovative, community-driven tools. Both Atom and Brackets introduced novel features and gained significant followings, but their development was ultimately stalled or discontinued by their corporate backers in favor of larger, better-resourced projects. This suggests that while smaller tools can be attractive, betting on them for long-term projects carries a significant risk. The market appears to be consolidating around the major, well-supported ecosystems of Microsoft (VS Code) and JetBrains, making them the strategically safer choice for most organizations seeking a reliable IDE for web development.

Top 10 IDEs Compared Side-by-Side

The following table distills the detailed analysis into a high-level summary, allowing for rapid initial filtering based on key characteristics.

Voices from the Field—What Developers Say

Quantitative analysis and feature lists are crucial, but the qualitative experiences of developers in the trenches provide invaluable context. Community discussions reveal the practical trade-offs and real-world value propositions of these tools.

The central debate in the community often boils down to a trade-off between configuration time and subscription cost. Proponents of free tools like VS Code accept an initial investment of developer time to configure the perfect environment, while proponents of paid tools like WebStorm invest money to save that time with powerful, out-of-the-box features. For a tech lead, this trade-off can be quantified: the cost of developer hours spent on tool setup and maintenance can be weighed against the annual subscription fee of a commercial IDE. For larger teams, the "cost" of a free tool can quickly surpass the price of a paid license.

The VS Code Consensus

There is a strong consensus in the development community that VS Code has achieved a dominant position due to its flexibility and powerful ecosystem. One developer on Reddit succinctly captures this sentiment: “Visual Studio Code and the JavaScript ecosystem is a match made in Heaven.”. This highlights how well the tool's philosophy aligns with the modular and fast-moving nature of modern web development.

Another user clarifies its position in the market: “...VS Code is technically a text editor but with the right plugins, it can be a really great IDE. Also, it’s free…”. This quote encapsulates the core value proposition: it starts as a simple editor but can be molded into a full-fledged IDE at no financial cost. The LambdaTest community further specifies the features that make it so compelling, noting its “syntax highlighting, powerful debugging…builtin IntelliSense (auto‑completion)…live preview, Emmet integration…”.

The WebStorm Value Proposition

Developers who choose WebStorm, despite its cost, do so for its intelligent, project-aware features that boost productivity on complex applications. A Reddit user describes it as their “daily driver…project‑focused…indexed search…context previews”. This points to the IDE's deep understanding of the entire codebase, which enables more powerful navigation and analysis than file-based editors.

The refactoring capabilities are frequently cited as a key differentiator. 

One developer marvels at its power: “Move files around, and marvel at how all of your imports get automatically adjusted”. This single feature can save hours of tedious, error-prone work on large projects, providing a clear return on investment. However, users are also quick to point out the downsides: its resource consumption and subscription cost are the most common complaints.

How to Pick the Right IDE for You

Selecting the right IDE for web development is a critical decision that should be approached systematically. The ideal tool is not universal; it depends on a careful alignment of its features with the specific needs of the project, the team, and the existing tech stack. The IDE should be considered a formal component of a project's architecture, just like the choice of a framework or database. 

Standardizing on an IDE (or a set of approved, pre-configured options) during project kickoff ensures consistency, reduces configuration drift between developers, and streamlines the onboarding process for new team members.

1. Match Features to Your Primary Workflow

The first step is to identify the most critical tasks in your team's daily workflow and prioritize IDEs that excel at them.

• For teams with a strong visual design focus, a robust Live Preview is essential. While Brackets was a pioneer, VS Code with the Live Server extension now provides excellent real-time feedback.

• When working on large, evolving codebases, powerful, project-wide Refactoring tools are paramount. This is a key strength of JetBrains IDEs like WebStorm and IntelliJ IDEA.

• For projects built with TypeScript, intelligent Auto-completion and deep type-awareness are non-negotiable. Both WebStorm and a well-configured VS Code offer excellent support in this area.

• Full-stack teams that need to manage a complex backend and frontend simultaneously should prioritize strong Multi-language support. IntelliJ IDEA and VS Code are top contenders here.

• Teams looking to leverage AI should evaluate the integrated AI assistants in JetBrains IDEs or the GitHub Copilot extension for VS Code. However, the 2025 Stack Overflow survey indicates that while 84% of developers use AI tools, 46% distrust their accuracy, highlighting the need for careful human verification.

2. Assess System Performance and Learning Curve

The practical constraints of hardware and team experience must be considered.

• For developers on lower-powered machines or those who value instantaneous startup times, a lightweight option like Sublime Text or a minimally extended VS Code is preferable.

• If a team is willing to allocate more system resources in exchange for greater out-of-the-box power, a full-featured IDE like WebStorm or IntelliJ IDEA is a valid choice.

• The learning curve is also a factor. A tool requiring extensive manual configuration, like a heavily customized VS Code or Eclipse, can slow down the onboarding of new team members compared to an IDE that is powerful from the start.

3. Try Before You Commit

No amount of research can replace hands-on experience.

• Nearly all premium IDEs offer free trial periods. WebStorm, for example, provides a full-featured 30-day trial that is ample time for a thorough evaluation.

• The majority of the top contenders have excellent free versions, including VS Code, Eclipse, NetBeans, and the Community Editions of IntelliJ IDEA and PyCharm.

• A highly effective evaluation strategy is to have the team use a new IDE for a full development sprint or a small, self-contained project. This provides a realistic assessment of how the tool performs under real-world conditions and fits into the team's established workflow.

Conclusion

The choice of an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for web development hinges on project requirements, team workflow, and personal preference.

Visual Studio Code provides a free, highly extensible platform, while JetBrains offers powerful, integrated paid tools like WebStorm. Data from the 2025 Stack Overflow Developer Survey shows Visual Studio Code's continued widespread use, though many professional teams invest in paid options for their immediate productivity advantages.

Looking ahead, the industry trend points toward two major shifts: the deeper integration of intelligent coding assistants and the consolidation of development ecosystems. This suggests that editors will become smarter and more connected to the entire software lifecycle.

The most effective method is to test the leading contenders to discover the optimal balance of capability and simplicity for your specific needs.

FAQ Section

1) Which IDE is used for web development?

The most popular choices for an IDE for web development include Visual Studio Code, WebStorm, IntelliJ IDEA, Sublime Text, and Atom. Other widely used options are Brackets, Eclipse, NetBeans, PyCharm, and Notepad++. The specific choice depends on the project's requirements and the developer's preferences.

2) Is VS Code an IDE?

Technically, Visual Studio Code is a source code editor. However, its capabilities are vastly expanded through a rich ecosystem of extensions. With features like an integrated debugger, built-in Git support, and intelligent code completion (IntelliSense), it functions as a full-featured IDE for web development for the vast majority of its users.

3) What IDE is used for HTML?

Any modern web development IDE on this list can handle HTML effectively. Brackets is particularly well-regarded for beginners because of its real-time Live Preview feature, which instantly shows how code changes affect the browser view. Visual Studio Code is also an excellent choice, offering built-in Emmet support for rapid code generation, powerful syntax highlighting, and live server extensions.

4) What IDE do most developers use?

According to the 2025 Stack Overflow Developer Survey, Visual Studio Code is the most-used IDE by a significant margin, holding the top position for the fifth consecutive year. Its combination of being free, highly extensible, and cross-platform has made it the tool of choice for a large portion of the global developer community. WebStorm is also extremely popular, especially within professional frontend teams who require specialized JavaScript tooling.