Kakoune
6.7#48 in text editorsFree planFree planLinuxmacOS
VisitKakoune vs Visual Studio Code
Visual Studio Code
8.2#3 in text editorsFree planFree planWebLinuxmacOSWindows
VisitWhat both publish
| Fact | Kakoune | Visual Studio Code |
|---|---|---|
| Customization | Users can extend or customize Kakoune with macros and hooks. | Settings Sync shares user settings across VS Code instances, and profiles let users create and switch between sets of customizations. |
| Extension support | Yes | Yes |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Integrations | Its client-server design supports multiple clients in one editing session and can use tmux, zellij, kitty, wezterm, or X11/Wayland window managers for splits and panes. | The editor includes Git source control and can connect to GitHub Codespaces and remote development environments. |
| Maker | The philosophy page is authored by Maxime Coste, who says he has worked on Kakoune. | Microsoft Corporation is the company named in the product license; Microsoft lists its headquarters in Redmond, Washington, and says it was founded in 1975. |
| Multi-cursor editing | Yes | Yes |
| Product | Kakoune is a modal code editor inspired by Vi and Vim. | Visual Studio Code is a code editor with AI assisted development features. |
| Supported platforms | Linux,macOS | web,windows,macos,linux |
Kakoune plans
- KakouneFree
Visual Studio Code plans
- Visual Studio CodeFree
Pick Kakoune if…
You want what its maker publishes above — check its page for the details.
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.