Top 11 Best IDEs for Python in 2023
Are you seeking an IDE for your first Python project? Are you unsatisfied with your current IDE for Python development?
Then this ranking of the best Python IDEs is for you!
Created by Guido van Rossum in 1991, Python is one of the most appreciated languages by developers of all levels. This programming language is extremely versatile and allows for coding simple scripts, complex web applications, data science, and much more.
Together, let’s explore the most popular IDEs for Python based on various criteria:
- Automatic formatting
- PEP8-compliant linting
- Useful debugging
- Integration with Python packages
- Management of Python virtual environments
- Ability to run scripts from the IDE
Without further delay, let’s discover the best Python IDEs in 2023!
1. PyCharm
Operating Systems: Windows/macOS/Linux
Type: IDE
Price: Free or €8.90/month
PyCharm is an integrated development environment developed by JetBrains. This IDE excels with its tools that assist you in code completion, debugging, and executing your Python scripts, applications, and programs.
How much does PyCharm cost?
To use PyCharm professionally, you need to purchase the license at €8.90/month for individual use. Annual licenses are also available at a more competitive rate, with the first year at €89, the second year at €71, and then €53 for subsequent years.
2. Visual Studio Code
Operating Systems: Windows/macOS/Linux
Type: IDE
Price: Free
Visual Studio Code is an IDE developed by Microsoft and used by an increasing number of developers.
On VSCode, you will find plugins for nearly all programming languages, including Python.
In addition to plugins, you can also configure VSCode using VSCode themes developed by the community.
It is undoubtedly the best free IDE for development in 2023 and the one I would recommend for your Python projects if you do not want to use PyCharm.
3. Jupyter
Operating Systems: Windows/macOS/Linux
Website: https://jupyter.org/
Type: Web-based IDE
Price: Free
If you are not familiar with Jupyter yet, you will be glad to have come across this article!
Jupyter is a fantastic tool that allows for running Python (and other languages) code in a web browser interactively and intuitively.
It is also what I recommend for beginners so they can have direct output without having to go through the potentially intimidating terminal.
With Jupyter, you can visualize the HTML output of the pages you scrape directly in the browser, as well as the graphics you generate with packages like Matplotlib.
Perfect for data visualization, you can also easily share your “notebooks” (the development sessions you create with Jupyter).
4. Atom
Operating Systems: Windows/macOS/Linux
Website: https://atom.io/
Type: IDE
Price: Free
Atom was developed by GitHub and was the most popular IDE for a long time before VS Code naturally took the lead. It is highly configurable and will work perfectly for the code you write in Python and other programming languages.
Some people still appreciate Atom, and it remains a very good IDE for Python as well.
5. Sublime Text
Operating Systems: Windows/macOS/Linux
Website: https://www.sublimetext.com/
Type: Text editor
Price: Free
You can see Sublime Text as the predecessor of Atom, which is itself the predecessor of VS Code in terms of popularity.
Sublime Text is also a very good IDE and can be a good option if you want something simple.
6. PyDev
Operating Systems: Windows/macOS/Linux
Website: https://www.pydev.org/
Type: IDE
Price: Free
Developed by the Eclipse Foundation, PyDev allows you to code in Python as if you were in Eclipse (thanks to LiClipse)!
It is a comprehensive IDE based on Eclipse, which will suit you if you come from Java or have experience with Eclipse.
Like PyCharm and VS Code, PyDev offers an interactive console and code completion, code analysis tools, and more.
7. IDLE
Operating Systems: Windows/macOS/Linux
Website: https://docs.python.org/3/library/idle.html
Type: IDE
Price: Free
IDLE or Integrated Development and Learning Environment is an IDE developed in 1998 by the creator of Python, Guido Van Rossum.
It is an interactive text editor that allows you to interpret Python code in a simple and efficient manner.
If you have Python installed on your machine, you can launch IDLE in windowed mode and also run Python in your terminal to open an interactive Python shell.
8. Spyder
Operating Systems: Windows/macOS/Linux
Website: https://github.com/spyder-ide/spyder
Type: IDE
Price: Free
Formerly Pydee, Spyder was developed by Pierre Raybaut in 2008. Since 2012, the Python community has maintained Spyder with their open-source contributions.
Spyder is particularly appreciated for its integration of numerous Python scientific libraries such as Matplotlib, Numpy, and Scipy.
9. Thonny
Operating Systems: Windows/macOS/Linux
Website: https://thonny.org/
Type: IDE
Price: Free
Thonny is an IDE developed by the University of Tartu in Estonia 🇪🇪. It was designed to make the lives of beginners in Python easier by providing a simple and light IDE.
It can be seen as a well-thought-out educational journey for beginners who want to develop in Python quickly, easily, and simply.
10. Vim
Operating Systems: Windows/macOS/Linux
Website: https://www.vim.org/download.php
Type: Terminal IDE
Price: Free
Vim is a terminal-based IDE that is completely configurable.
It may have intimidated you the first time you used it to edit a file on a Linux installation or a server without a GUI, but Vim is an excellent IDE for Python. You may have even found yourself stuck in it, not knowing how to exit vim?
Once configured with syntax highlighting, PEP8-compliant linting, autocompletion, file management, and everything else, you will develop faster and more efficiently with Vim than with another IDE for one simple reason: you will not use the mouse.
Here are some Vim plugins for Python:
11. Emacs
Operating Systems: Windows/macOS/Linux
Website: https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/download.html
Type: Terminal IDE
Price: Free
As I offered Vim, I must also talk about its competitor, Emacs. Emacs also functions in the terminal, and you can have a powerful Python development environment with Elpy.
The IDE developed by Richard Stallman and his GNU foundation can indeed be a viable option if you are already familiar with Emacs.
Which IDE will you choose?
| # | Free Python IDEs | Best Python IDEs | My Preferred IDEs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Visual Studio Code | PyCharm | Vim |
| 2. | PyDev | Visual Studio Code | Visual Studio Code |
| 3. | Atom | PyDev | PyCharm |
| 4. | Spyder | Spyder | Jupyter |
| 5. | Jupyter | Thonny | Atom |
And there you have it, you now know which IDE is made for you! And this does not depend on your budget, operating system, or level in Python.
As Python is one of the popular languages, it makes sense that there are many options for Integrated Development Environments (IDEs). If you still have reservations, consider trying out several of them.
Hey, I'm Thomas 👋 Here, you'll find articles about tech, and what I think about the world. I've been coding for 20+ years, built many projects including Startups. Check my About/Start here page to know more :).