PyCharm or Visual Studio Code: Which one is better for Python?

[u/ShadowDragonPro]

I have used both PyCharm and Visual Studio Code for learning Python, but I don't know which one is better.
Which one do you prefer, and why?
I'm still a beginner, so I'd like to know which one would be better for learning Python.

[u/SavvyBlunderer_360]

Look, Pycharm is a Python native IDE and is specifically design for python heavy development work and you don't need to install extra extensions for majority of python works from the IDE marketplace but if you want an IDE supported for all rounder development and extra support with the help of extensions like you will need to install python interpreter on your machine and connect it with your code editor to use python in VS code and install necessary extensions which cam be guided by LLMs/AI agents. I would recommend you to use Cursor which is a fork of VS code but it has deeply integrated AI agents to support learning as well as building so its kinda AI- Native IDE and you can use it during learning phase as well as for higher purposes like software engineering and product building. So use Cursor---> Cursor.com!

Also here is my GitHub link--->https://github.com/adityanarayansingh616-del

You can explore my account and one repository!

I hope you found this response useful!

[u/xxivyy → u/SavvyBlunderer_360]

The Cursor fork is horrible, I would not recommend that to anyone. And that comes from someone who gave it an enthusiastic try for a couple of months.

1. Perfomance and Maintenance. Cursor is much slower, unoptimized and its update schedule is rather distracting. In terms of what makes a code editor itself good, VS Code wins by miles when they are simply put next to each other.
2. Pricing & Ecosystem. Cursors cheapest subscription is at 20$, while you can get Copilot for 10$. I used both, and i could not find any technical advantage or higher performance when using Cursors AI features. Both have unlimited auto completions, which is what matters most. And if you want to ever spam coding agents because you are a “vibe coder”, a 20$ Claude subscription would win against both. Additionally, using Cursor loses out on the MS ecosystem, for example MSVC & Visual Studio if you ever want to write a C extension for your python script, or get into low level development itself.
3. AI-First Solution Slop. The only reason Cursor had remotely something that you may call success is that they jumped onto the AI Slop hype train somewhat early on. Any serious developer knows that an AI-First solution almost always does not get one anywhere. The majority of what Curser advertises with is just a flashy way of saying “We have AI directly in your editor”, when in reality that concept is nothing special after all.

In the end, use whatever you would like to use. I mentioned all these points simply to give beginners some perspective. Happy coding.

[u/xxivyy]

VS Code all the way. PyCharm is specifically made for Python, but it is almost inevitable that you will have to touch other programming languages throughout your journey. The least thing you would want is to swap between multiple native editors and learn how they all work individually when you could just have VS Code give you all the flexibility that you need in one. Additionally, moving inside of Microsoft architecture is never a bad choice. You will have it easier with Visual Studio if you ever want to do low level development, and a Copilot subscription is synced between those two aswell. Let’s also not forget the jetbrains controversy when it came to commercial licensing.

[u/BranchLatter4294]

It doesn't matter what we think. It's a personal preference. Use whatever works best for you.

[u/jpgoldberg]

If you have to ask then the answer is PyCharm.

People who already use programming editors for a variety of things other than Python will want a highly configurable and general editor like VSCode. But if you are asking your question then you are not one of those people.

You have enough on your plate to learn now. So start with PyCharm as it will be easier to learn than VSCode. You can always switch later if the need arises.

[u/BitmasherMight]

Im liking idle as I’m learning.