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Which Is the Best IDE for React JS Development?

Which Is the Best IDE for React JS Development?

Thu, 17 Oct 2024

React JS is one of the most powerful libraries that can be used for creating dynamic and responsive user interfaces. Most developers in general make use of integrated development environments from IDEs, which would make the development experience more comfortable by offering features like code suggestions, debugging, and version control systems. With all the options available, it is tough to tell what the best IDE would be for developing with React JS. In this blog, we will discuss some of the best IDEs for React JS and elaborate on their striking features.

1. Visual Studio Code (VS Code)

The number one IDE of React JS development among many developers in the field is Visual Studio Code, and rightly so. VS Code is written by Microsoft and is a lightweight, open-source editor rich in features that would make React development a lot easier. Here's why it's widely favored:


  • Extensions: It contains a very rich marketplace of extensions for React development, including ESLint, Prettier, and some React-specific snippets. Such tools provide code formatting, linting, and autocompletion.

  • Built-in Git Integration: Manage your Git repositories directly from your editor. It enables one to easily stage, commit, and push changes.

  • Live Share: Share your work with others in real-time; hence, it's perfect for pair programming.

  • IntelliSense: VS Code provides intelligent code completions that make the development of React components quicker and more intuitive. Customizable environment, VS Code fits various workflows, hence very recommended to developers of any level.


Also Read:- React Developer Tools to Improve Your Web Development Skills

2. WebStorm

Coming next in this powerful IDE list of React JS developers is WebStorm from JetBrains. Though it isn't free, to many web developers, it is well worth the investment because of its deep integration with JavaScript frameworks such as React.


  • Code Assistance: It offers robust code completion, navigation, and refactoring for JavaScript and React.

  • Debugger: It has a very powerful built-in debugger that works out of the box with Node.js and Chrome.

  • Version Control: IDE supports multiple version control systems, Git, SVN, and Mercurial, out of the box, with an intuitive interface.

  • Integrated Tools: It sports integrated tools like npm, Yarn, and Prettier that enable running scripts and managing dependencies easily from within WebStorm.

For developers working on large-scale React projects with a requirement for advanced features such as testing and profiling, WebStorm will be a strong candidate.

3. Sublime Text

Sublime Text is best for a minimalistic approach and IDE speed. It doesn't have all the advanced features, say, VS Code or WebStorm does; that's its strong suit; it's light and can thus be extended with plugins to support React development.


  • Performance: Right out of the box, Sublime Text is fast, which is very nice when working with large code bases.

  • Support for plugins: it supports the ability to install React-specific plugins for JSX support, autocompletion, and syntax highlighting.

  • Multi selections: Its multi-caret feature allows making multiple changes at once, making such edits much quicker.


Sublime Text might not be as powerful out-of-the-box when compared with other IDEs; its simplicity and speed make it a fine choice for developers who prefer a no-frills editor.

4. Atom

Atom, on the other hand, is a free and open-source IDE developed by GitHub, which also has a pretty large following of JavaScript and React developers. This makes it highly customizable, and its capabilities can be extended with its large library of community-built packages.


  • Package Ecosystem: For React, you'll find packages like React.js Snippets and Linter-eslint that add a lot to your productivity.

  • GitHub Integration: Being a product of GitHub, Atom extends smooth integration with Git and GitHub, which will make version control much easier to handle.

  • Teletype: Similar to VS Code's Live Share, Atom has a Teletype feature that enables real-time collaboration between developers.

  • Themes and Customization: The interface of Atom is highly customizable; themes down to key bindings let the developer personalize an environment that best fits their needs.


While Atom has slowed in popularity due to VS Code's recent rise, it continues to be a favorite among developers because it is flexible and enjoys active community support.

5. Brackets

Brackets are an open-source IDE developed by Adobe and are targeted at web development mostly. While being lightweight, brackets contain some features that will make them a decent choice for React developers.


  • Inline Editors: Brackets has one of the coolest features in that it can open code in an in-line editor, and you can work with multiple files at once without having to tab between them.

  • Live Preview: It provides a live preview of changes that you make in your code instantaneously in the browser, which is very helpful when working with front-end technologies like React.

  • Extensions: Bracket supports React JSX and Emmet extensions, making it capable of modern web development.


For developers who are focused on front-end development, brackets would be a good option for those who want a lightweight yet powerful IDE.

Conclusion

The best IDE for React JS development is very subjective to personal workflow and preference. Visual Studio Code is still the most used today by many developers because of its versatility, performance, and extended library. If you want to have more functionality, WebStorm will be ideal for big projects. Sublime Text, Atom, and Brackets offer outstanding flexibility to those developers who like to use lightweight tools.


Each of these IDEs has its strengths that fit different aspects of React development. Have a play and find which one best suits your style and that of your project.


Softieons is a leading IT company that specializes in providing high-quality React JS development services. With a focus on building dynamic, responsive, and scalable web applications, Softieons leverages. The power of React JS to deliver innovative solutions tailored to meet the unique needs of businesses. Whether it's creating user-friendly interfaces or optimizing performance. Softieons ensures that every project is handled with precision and expertise, helping clients stay ahead in the ever-evolving digital landscape.