GNU Emacs
8.0#6 in text editorsFree planFree planAndroidLinuxmacOSWindows
VisitGNU Emacs vs Visual Studio Code
Visual Studio Code
8.2#3 in text editorsFree planFree planWebLinuxmacOSWindows
VisitWhat both publish
| Fact | GNU Emacs | Visual Studio Code |
|---|---|---|
| Column editing | Yes | Yes |
| Extensions | It includes a packaging system for downloading and installing extensions. | The Visual Studio Marketplace lists more than 80,000 extensions. |
| Extension support | Yes | Yes |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Large-file handling | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-cursor editing | Yes | Yes |
| Supported platforms | GNU/Linux, BSDs, Haiku, Windows, macOS, and Android. | web,windows,macos,linux |
GNU Emacs plans
- GNU EmacsFree
Visual Studio Code plans
- Visual Studio CodeFree
Pick GNU Emacs if…
GNU Emacs suits people who want a customizable editor with content-aware modes and extensible Lisp-based tools. Its built-in documentation and tutorial may help new users explore its features.
Pick Visual Studio Code if…
VS Code suits developers who want a free editor for desktop or browser coding, with built-in tools and a large extension library. It also fits users who want to combine AI agent workflows with direct coding, provided they have a GitHub account to start building with agents.