Table of contents
1.
Introduction
2.
What is Pyhton IDE?
3.
Top 10 Python IDEs
3.1.
1. PyCharm
3.2.
2. PyDev 
3.3.
3. Spyder
3.4.
4. Thonny
3.5.
5. Google Colab
3.6.
6. IDLE
3.7.
7. Visual Studio Code
3.8.
8. Sublime Text 3
3.9.
9. ATOM IDE
3.10.
10. Jupter
4.
Frequently Asked Questions
4.1.
Which Python IDE is fastest?
4.2.
Why use an IDE in Python?
4.3.
Which is better, PyCharm or Jupyter?
4.4.
Which Python IDE is best for beginner
5.
Conclusion
Last Updated: Jan 7, 2025

Python IDEs

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Introduction

An Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is software that helps in writing, testing, and debugging code. Python IDEs, like PyCharm, VS Code, and Jupyter Notebook, make coding in Python easier by providing tools designed specifically for Python development.

Hence to write Python codes efficiently and without any hassle, you will require a robust and powerful IDE. 

Also see,   reverse a string in python

What is Pyhton IDE?

A Python IDE is a software application designed for writing and testing Python code. It provides tools like code editing, debugging, and error-checking, helping developers work more efficiently by simplifying the coding process.

Top 10 Python IDEs

Following are the top 10 Python IDEs in 2024

  1. PyCharm
  2. PyDev
  3. Spyder
  4. Thonny
  5. Google Colab
  6. IDLE
  7. Visual Studio Code
  8. Sublime Text3
  9. Atom IDE
  10. Jupyter

Lets discuss them in detail

1. PyCharm

Pycharm, developed by JetBrains, is one of the most popular IDEs (Integrated Development Environments) among Python programmers. This IDE is designed for professional developers and makes developing massive Python projects easier.
PyCharm also includes support for various well-known web development frameworks, such as Django, Flask, and several others, and significant support for web development languages such as JavaScript, TypeScript, HTML, and CSS.



Source

To download Pycharm, visit this website.

2. PyDev 

PyDev is a Python editor for Eclipse from a third-party developer written in JAVA and enables Eclipse to act as an IDE for Python. It is one of the greatest Python IDEs, capable of working with not just Python but also IronPython and Jython.
It supports Code Completion with auto import, Code Analysis, Debugger, and Refactoring features along with advanced features such as Token's browser, Code Coverage, PyLint integration, Unittest Integration, Type Hinting, Django integration. 

To download PyDev, visit this website.

3. Spyder

Spyder is popular Python Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for programmers. It is a free and open-source IDE written in Python usually used for scientific development. It provides numerous advanced features such as deep inspection, profiling functionalities,
Advanced analysis, debugging, GUI mode, etc. 
Installing the Anaconda distribution is the quickest way to get started with Spyder. Anaconda is one of the most popular distributions for data science and machine learning, which includes hundreds of packages, including Pandas,scikit-learn, matplotlib, NumPy, etc.
To download Spyder, visit this website.

4. Thonny

Thonny is a lightweight Python IDE (Integrated Development Environment), created to make life easier for Python developers, especially beginners. It has a very minimal user interface with only the most fundamental and necessary functionality, making it incredibly user-friendly for newcomers.
It comes with a number of useful features that make it an excellent IDE for full-fledged Python development. Syntax error highlighting, debugger, code completion, and step-by-step expression evaluation are just a few features.
To download Thonny, visit this website.

5. Google Colab

Google Collab, developed by Google, allows anybody to write and execute arbitrary python code through the browser and is especially well suited to machine learning, data analysis, and education. Colab is a hosted Jupyter notebook service that doesn't require any setup and offers free access to computational resources, including GPUs.

It is a powerful Python IDE that includes features such as numerical simulation, data cleansing, machine learning, data visualisation, and statistical modelling.
The main advantage is that you don't have to download anything to get started with google colab. Just visit their website to get started with writing code.

To use Google colab, visit this website, Also read,  Convert String to List Python

6. IDLE

IDLE (Integrated Development and Learning Environment) is a default editor that comes with Python. It is commonly used for learning and practice because of its simple functionality, allowing newcomers to learn Python coding quickly.
IDLE's main features include a Python shell window, multi-window text editor, an integrated debugger, and a slew of other useful tools like auto code completion, smart indentation, syntax highlighting, and so on.

You can also read about the Multilevel Inheritance in Python Swapcase in Python

7. Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a free and open-source IDE for Python development developed by Microsoft. It is based on the Electron framework, and it is one of the best IDEs, which provides the features that only a few other paid IDEs offer. 
It offers one of the best code completion features based on imported modules, function definition, and variable types. It provides Git integration, code debugging, and a plethora of additional extensions, which aids in code development.

To download Visual studio code, visit this website.

8. Sublime Text 3

Sublime Text 3 is a code editor that supports a variety of programming languages, including Python. It's one of the best Python editors, with basic Python functionality built-in.
The main advantage of Sublime Text is that it is highly customizable and offers rapid development speed. 
It supports Custom user commands for using the IDE, has Efficient project directory management, and supports additional packages to support Python development. 
To download Sublime Text 3, visit this website.
 

9. ATOM IDE

While Atom is just a text editor, Atom IDE is a platform that has practically all of the features of a standard Integrated Development Environment.

Facebook created Atom IDE but is now maintained by an open-source community. 

Atom IDE supports various features such as outline view, auto-completion, syntax highlighting, document formatting, go-to definition, etc. 

To download Atom, visit this website.

10. Jupter

Jupyter is an open-source web-based tool designed primarily for interactive data science and machine learning tasks. Although not a full IDE, Jupyter Notebook provides a flexible environment for coding, visualizing data, and documenting workflows, especially in Python. With features like live code execution, inline data visualization, and markdown support, it’s popular among researchers and data scientists. The Jupyter platform is maintained by a global community and is widely compatible with multiple programming languages through Jupyter kernels, enhancing its versatility in data-centric applications.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Python IDE is fastest?

VS Code is often considered one of the fastest Python IDEs due to its lightweight design and extensive plugin support, which allows developers to customize and streamline their coding environment without slowing down performance.

Why use an IDE in Python?

Using an IDE for Python makes coding more efficient and error-free. IDEs offer helpful tools like code completion, syntax highlighting, and debugging, which speed up development, reduce errors, and create a more organized workflow for projects.

Which is better, PyCharm or Jupyter?

PyCharm is ideal for software development, with powerful debugging and project management features, while Jupyter Notebook excels in data analysis and visualization. The choice depends on the task—PyCharm for robust applications and Jupyter for data-driven tasks and prototyping.

Which Python IDE is best for beginner

Spyder IDE is one of the most simple IDEs available for beginners. The Ipython console and the variable explorer make it easy for beginners to explore Python. 

Conclusion

Congratulations on making it this far.

In this blog, we understood what code editors are and IDEs. We understood the fundamental difference between them. We also learned about the top IDEs available that support Python development and their advantages. 

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