10 Best Python IDEs and Code Editors for Developers in 2022

Python is on the rise like a rocket. It’s at the top of the world, with a clear view of the horizon.

Python has quickly become the language of choice for developers and businesses looking for quick development and easy-to-read code.

A great Python integrated development environment (IDE) has been a boon to many developers. The choice of an excellent Python IDE helps Python programmers and companies learn and even edit the code, and it also makes it easy for them to test and scale the code based on their requirements.

What is a Python IDE?

A Python IDE contains all of the tools required for Python coding. It supports the automation of processes and increases the developer's quality and performance. 

A Python IDE essentially comprises a code editor, a compiler, automation tools, debugging tools, and much more. A user can easily create, build, execute, and debug code with Python.

Python IDEs are meant to operate with specific application platforms and remove hurdles in the software development lifecycle. Development teams use them to create new software, applications, web pages, and services. It provides them with a single tool that has all of the functionality required to do these activities and eliminates the need for integrations.

Best Python IDEs

Regardless of the language you choose for your projects, an IDE is essential for a seamless development process. Python already has crucial tools and a text editor to get started, but it won’t help you develop applications quickly.

This is where a Python IDE comes into play. It has many tools to improve your developing, debugging, and testing experience. Because IDEs have gotten so clever, they have simplified how we write code. You don't have to execute time-consuming and repetitive activities on your own.

There is a broad selection of IDEs present for the Python language, some of which are free to use for users just starting out. Premium versions that are useful while working on larger projects are also available. The more intelligent they are, the less work you will have to do on the coding.

To be a part of this category, a solution must:

• Offer Python programming features via a text editor or a graphical user interface (GUI).
• Connect with at least one platform without the need for a third-party plugin.
• Access a platform's application programming interface (API) and enable compilation, debugging, version control, platform-specific program optimizations, or code deployment.

*This data was pulled from G2's Spring 2022 Grid® Report. Some reviews may be edited for clarity.

1. PyCharm

PyCharm is one of the best full-featured, Python-specific IDEs that works on multiple systems. PyCharm installs fast on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux platforms and is available in commercial (Professional) and free open-source (Community) editions.

PyCharm enables Python development immediately out of the box. You can simply open a new file and begin coding. Python can be run and debugged straight from PyCharm, supporting source control and projects.

The platform also provides developers with API to create their own Python plugins and enhance the basic functionality.

Source: JetBrains

What users like:

"PyCharm's powerful features allow users to complete their work efficiently. The refactoring of PyCharm allows me to make code changes fast, and it quickly applies relevant changes to other parts of the codebase. It has amazing integrations with the most popular Python frameworks. It has a nice dark theme too.”

- PyCharm Review, Pasindu R.

What users don’t like:

"The most annoying part of this IDE is the speed at which it processes stuff. Its startup times are very slow, file browser takes a lot of time to open files, and notifications keep bugging you all the time.”

-PyCharm Review, Raj P.

2. AWS Cloud9

AWS Cloud9 is a cloud-based IDE that allows developers to build, execute, and debug code using only a browser. It comes with a code editor, a debugger, and a terminal. Cloud9 includes essential tools for popular programming languages such as JavaScript, Python, PHP, and others, so users don't have to install files or set up their development workstation to begin new projects.

As Cloud9 IDE is cloud-based, developers can work on their projects from wherever they have an internet connection. Cloud9 also provides a unified experience for designing serverless applications, allowing you to easily specify resources, debug, and switch between local and remote serverless execution.

Source: AWS

What users like:

"AWS cloud9 is a cloud-based integrated development environment. It gives us the power to write, run, and even debug our code with just a browser. No need to install IDE on your local system. There are a lot of tools available on cloud9 for languages like javascript, Python, CPP, and a lot more.”

-AWS Cloud9 Review, Saurav K.

What uses don’t like:

"Developers cannot work in offline mode, and that could make an impact when someone is traveling or has poor internet network.”

-AWS Cloud9 Review, Sanjay S.

3. Eclipse

You've probably heard about Eclipse if you've spent enough time in the open-source community. Eclipse is the de-facto open-source IDE for Java programming, and it’s available for Linux, Windows, and OS X operating systems. 

Eclipse features a robust marketplace of extensions and add-ons, making it helpful for a wide range of development tasks. PyDev is one such extension.

It's a Java-based third-party plugin that allows Eclipse to function as an IDE for Python development. Its unequaled code analysis, code completion with auto import, debugging tools and refactoring features have made it very popular among developers.

Furthermore, PyDev provides several sophisticated capabilities for Python development, like PyLint integration, Django integration, type hinting, tokens browser, code coverage, Unittest integration, and many more. It is, without a doubt, one of the most dependable, efficient, and reliable IDEs for Python development.

Source: Eclipse

What users like:

"Eclipse is a consolidated platform that allows multiple add-ons for languages like Python, Java, SAP, etc. We don't need to install separate IDE for working from one environment to another, but Eclipse helps create an on-the-go solution for the same.”

-Eclipse Review, Rishabh V.

What users don’t like:

"I first started using Eclipse in the macOS, which ran very smoothly, but I faced issues while using it on Windows, maybe because of its size and the RAM application was using. In addition to that, the automatic code replacement feature would have been good to include.”

-Eclipse Review, Shreya T.

4. The Jupyter Notebook

The Jupyter Notebook is a free and open-source online python IDE that supports various programming languages. It's also a data science IDE for beginners. Jupyter Notebook allows users to create and share documents, including live code, equations, visualization, and descriptive text.

There are many Jupyter-like platforms that you can use on the web browser without installing anything on your PC. Azure Notebooks, Google Colab, and Watson Studio Cloud are examples of this.

It’s one of the best Python IDEs for numerical simulation, data cleaning, machine learning, data visualization, and statistical modeling. The web-based IDE also integrates with data science libraries such as matplotlib, NumPy, and Pandas.

Use this platform if you work in the disciplines of machine learning and data science or if you just need a fast tool for simple data-crunching scripts.

Source: Jupyter

What users like:

“One of the best software for Data Science and Data Analytics tasks. It is convenient to use and user-friendly. It has interactive fonts, which make codes easy to visualize. Outputs are clear and easily understood. The best part is notebooks can be downloaded in any format like pdf.

We can share notebooks with teammates. Interactive plots are also supported. We can write documentation or explanations for each code.”

-The Jupyter Notebook Review, Aniket M.

What users don’t like:

“For a beginner, it might be overwhelming to open files from your computer into the Jupyter notebook because it uses Python Kernels to locate the files in your system. But it can be easily solved using some commands in the Anaconda cmd prompt.

Moreover, writing long codes can lead to the duplicity of the same lines of code that are to be used to run the program, so you have to be confident and keep a check on the code before its execution.”

-The Jupyter Notebook Review, Avinash S.

5. Spyder download

Another popular Python IDE for coders is Spyder. It's a free and open-source IDE with various valuable features like thorough analysis and debugging, profiling options, deep inspection, and more. It also has a GUI mode that allows users to search for and edit variables.

Spyder is included in the Anaconda package manager distribution and is simple to set up, even for novices. Furthermore, it can be combined with various scientific Python libraries, including NumPy, SciPy, Matplotlib, and SymPy.This suggests that it was built mainly for data scientists and engineers since it provides a stable scientific environment for Python development.

Source: Spyder

What users like:

"Perfect IDE for Python development. One of the reasons I prefer Spyder is its easy installation compared to other Python IDEs. I just use it with the anaconda navigator, so I don't have to worry about setting paths. The graphing tools are great for data analysis models, and it's great for scientific development.”

-Spyder Review, Zainab P.

What users don’t like:

"Whenever you try to execute the source code, which requires a lot of computation and processing power (GPU), the Kernel keeps on crashing, and it's challenging to execute the application.”

-Spyder Review, Mahek V.

6. Kite

Kite is an artificial intelligence-based Python autocomplete plugin that employs machine learning to assist users with automating the repetitive parts of programming. It's a plugin that works with IDEs and Text Editors to help users code more quickly.

It's also compatible with most popular text editors and IDEs, including Atom, PyCharm, Sublime, Visual Studio (VS) Code, Vim, Spyder, and IntelliJ. 

Kite is compatible with all major programming languages, including Python, Java, Go, PHP, C/C#/C++, Javascript, HTML/CSS, React, Ruby, Kotlin, Bash, Vue, and React.

Source: Kite

What users like:

"Kite is one of the best coding assistants, which can integrate into almost all the code editors available on the internet. It also comes with a lifetime free plan for those who are tight on their budget.

Kite decreased my project completion time by almost 30%, which is fabulous. Last but not least, it has support for nearly all the programming languages one could think of.”

-Kite Review, Mohit S.

What users don’t like:

"It's a bit buggy software and sometimes crashes when working on large projects. But this happens very rarely. Except for this, I do not find anything that I dislike about Kite.”

-Kite Review, Sourav S.

7. Codeanywhere

Codeanywhere is a cross-platform cloud-based IDE that allows you to build an environment, import or create a project, and then execute it in the same environment. It has all the functionality you'll need for any coding work, making development more productive and enjoyable.

Debugging, syntax highlighting, intelligent code completion, snippets, code refactoring, and integrated Git are some of the platform's features. 

The most widely used programming languages are supported, including C, C#, C++, CSS, HTTP, Java, JavaScript, PHP, Python, Ruby, and Structured Query Language (SQL).

Source: Codeanywhere

What users like:

"I love the legacy IDE and have used it for more than two years. I use it to manage my servers on Azure/AWS and work on the code directly in the containers.”

-Codeanywhere Review, Adrian V.

What users don’t like:

"Support is slow and always has been. I've been waiting for two weeks now for a fix on an issue, and that's not an atypical wait time based on my other attempts at contacting support. Plus, they have an automatic support desk that attempts to close issues after not hearing from you for 48 hours.

That would be acceptable if they were waiting on a response from me, but it's always the other way around, so it feels insulting to get these automatic messages.”

-Codeanywhere Review, Kathy D.

8. Deepnote

Deepnote is a data science notebook that allows users to collaborate on projects, custom environments, and publishing in real time. Beginners to coding in Python, R, and Julia will find the interactive user interface appealing. 

The platform also provides database support, SQL cell execution, and integrations with GitHub, AWS, GCP, and MongoDB, to name a few.

Source: Deepnote

What users like:

"I like Deepnote because it is simple to use yet increasingly more and more feature-rich with all the modules one could plugin. The collaboration aspect makes it cool, especially in the remote era. From beginners to pros, I believe Deepnote should make your shortlist.”

-Deepnote Review, Joshua M.

What users don’t like:

“If I had to choose something, it'd be the lack of things like ipywidgets. The ability to make notebooks more interactive would be nice to help out less tech-savvy team members who'd rather use drop-downs and buttons over coding themselves.”

-Deepnote Review, Dakota M.

9. Wing Python IDE

Wing, created by Wingware, is a Python-specific IDE intended to help you create productively. It's a lightweight Python IDE with a robust debugger and intelligent editor. 

Wing supports test-driven development with several frameworks, including unittest, pytest, nose, doctest, and Django testing. The tool also allows for code inspection, PEP8 enforcement, smart indentation, and auto-entry of invocation parameters.

Wing IDE is present in 3 versions: Wing Pro, Wing Personal, and Wing 101. Wing Pro is a full-featured premium version for professional Python developers, but a trial version is also available for consumers. 

Wing Personal and Wing 101 are similarly expensive, however, they have free versions that exclude several advanced capabilities for students and beginners.

Source: Wingware

What users like:

"Wing Python IDE is fast, full-featured with an auto-completion and auto-indentation feature, which is very helpful for Python programmers. Integrated testing and debugging also help code faster. It can perform Django projects and merge database queries. There are also code templates for beginners.”

-Wing Python IDE Review, Raj T.

What users don’t like:

"The Wing UI does not have the dark theme feature, and after 30 days trial, it's too expensive.”

-Wing Python IDE Review, Akshay S.

10. Codenvy

Codenvy is a development workspace based on the open-source tool Eclipse Che. It is developed and maintained by the software giant Red Hat. Codenvy is free for small teams (up to three users) and offers a few different payment plans depending on the user size.

The tool combines the features of an IDE along with configuration management features within one browser-based environment. The workspaces are containerized, protecting them from external threats.

Developer features include the fully functioning Che IDE, autocomplete, error checking, and a debugger. The product also facilitates Docker runtimes, SSH access, and a root access terminal.

Source: RedHat

What users like:

"The best thing is it's provided as PaaS, so no need to worry about any installation. Just connect to the server, and you are good to go. And it’s the same as any conventional IDE with code completion and other features.”

-Codenvy Review, Basudev K.

What users don’t like:

"Bottom line, I don't feel that this is as mature a platform as Cloud 9 IDE, but it's easily cured with time. They do have a great product, and certainly, with the ability to code and usage of eclipse plugins, makes this a great choice for an Eclipse shop.”

-Codenvy Review, Adam L.

What to look for when selecting a good Python IDE

So what features must you look at when selecting a Python IDE? Here’s a basic set of functionalities that must be present in your tool of choice.

• Save and reload files. If an IDE or editor won't allow you to save your work and reopen it in the same condition as when you left, it's not much of an IDE.
• Execute code from the environment. Similarly, if you have to exit the editor to run your Python code, it's hardly more than a text editor.
• Support for debugging. If a program fails to execute correctly, programmers can readily find errors in their code by using the debugging tools provided by IDEs.
• Syntax highlighting. Interpreting code becomes easier when you can rapidly detect keywords, variables, and symbols.
• Automatic code formatting. Any editor or IDE worth their salt will identify the colon at the end of a “while” or “for” statement and know the following line should be indented.

Of course, there are many additional features users will desire, such as source code control, an extension model, language assistance, and so on. However, the list above represents fundamental functionalities that a decent editing environment should include.

Find your best fit!

Python is one of the most well-known, if not the most popular, programming languages. As with most major languages, there are a plethora of useful, practical, and effective IDEs available, both commercial and free.

Looking for something else for your web development? Learn how PHP can solve your woes of application development.