7 Best Python IDE & Code Editors in 2022

Python is a very popular programming language and to code in Python, we need a Python IDE and code editor.

A code editor is a tool that helps us in writing and editing our code. The code editors are good for beginners but once we advance to bigger programs we need IDEs that help us in testing, writing, and debugging our code.

IDE stands for an Integrated Development Environment. IDE has a lot of features that make our work easier and faster.

With the need of writing codes in Python there comes the need to have a good python code editor and IDE.

In this article, you will get an idea about the best Python IDE for Windows, Linux, and macOS with their pros and cons.

Best Python IDE & Code Editors

1. PyCharm

 PyCharm is a very good cross-platform integrated development environment use for Python programming.

It is very popular among python programmers and is considered one of the best IDE editor. It is compatible with platforms like Windows, Linux, and Mac OS. This python IDE software is available for free on the official website – www.jetbrains.com.

The key features that come with this include:-

  • It allows smart code navigation.
  • You can jump to any file, symbol, or class using the smart search.
  • You can access Oracle, SQL Server, MySQL PostgreSQL, and many more databases from PyCharm.

The only disadvantage with Python is that the installation process is a little difficult and takes more time.

2. Atom

Atom is a beginner as well as professional level source code editor for Python development.

The Atom software is free and is available on the official website atom.io. It is an open-source code editor that has been developed by GitHub. It has a wide range of features like built-in support, debugging, auto-completion, etc.

It allows cross-platform editing and has a very simple interface compared to any other editor.

It is compatible with Windows, Linux, and Mac OS. It also supports the Command Palette.

Apart from these, most of the teaching websites use Atom to deliver the concepts to the learners.

The only disadvantage that comes with Atom is that it reduces the performance at times and sometimes it is slow.

3. SPYDER

SPYDER is a very popular IDE and a very good Python compiler.

It is widely used for Python development and was developed to provide a scientific environment for Python development.

It has advanced editing debugging and other data exploration features.  It has a very good interface and a very good API. It is compatible with platforms like QT,  Windows, Linux, Mac OS, etc.

It is open-source software and can be downloaded for free from www.spyder-ide.org.

The powerful features that come with it include:-

  • Efficient elimination of bottlenecks to unchain code performance.
  • It offers powerful debugging and does step by step execution.
  • It supports extended plugins to improvise its functions.
  • It has features that enable us to modify our documents and view any object document instantly.

The disadvantage with SPYDER is that if too many plugins are invoked at a time the performance reduces and it cannot configure the developer given warning.

4. IDLE

It is again a very popular IDE that itself is written in Python and is integrated with the default language.

It is most suitable for beginner level Python developers who want to practice Python development. IDLE has a very simple interface and is easy to install.

This is also a cross-platform IDE. It is available for free on www.python.org.

The features are:-

  • It supports Syntax highlighting, Smart Indentation, and auto-completion.
  • It has an integrated debugger.
  • The developer can search between multiple files within any window.

Its disadvantage is that it does not number the lines of the code.

5. Sublime Text 3

Sublime test 3 is a very popular code editor for Python as well as many other languages.

The best part about it is its speed and that it is highly customizable.

It is free software that can be downloaded from www.sublimetest.com/3.

It is also open source and has great community support.

It is good for users who want to practice at the beginner level as well as for professionals who need to work on large codes.

It has a built-in package for Python support as well as packages like debugging, code linting and auto-completion can also be installed.

Packages for scientific development, Django, etc. are also present.

The only disadvantage is that after a while you will be asked to purchase the license to continue using Sublime. But to avoid this you can uninstall and then reinstall Sublime any number of times.

6. JUPYTER

It is one of the greatest Python IDE for writing, running, and executing Python codes. Also, it is great for data science using Python and many other programming languages.

Operations that require numerical simulation, data visualization, machine learning, data cleaning, or statistical modeling can also be done in JUPYTER.

It has integrated libraries like NumPy, Pandas, etc. for data science.

You can download it for free from http://jupyter.org/install.html.

7. Visual Studio Code

It is open-source and free software that was developed by Microsoft.

It is considered to be one of the best Integrated Development Environment for Python and it supports other languages as well.

It is only compatible with the Windows environment.

It can be downloaded for free from www.code.visualstudio.com.

You can debug the code using the editor and can work with GIT as well as other SCM providers and features like auto-completion function definition and variable types are also supported.


Conclusion

In this article, you will get an idea about the best Python development IDEs that you can use. This article also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each which will make your choice for an IDE easier.

All of the IDEs discussed above are highly compatible, flexible, and have been created mainly for Python development.

You can also visit the official website of the code editors/IDEs whose link has also been provided in this article to download and use for free.

For more clear ideas, you can download and explore a couple of these and at last, keep the one you are most comfortable with.


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