head to head · open source
vscode vs platformio-core
vscode has 194,645 GitHub stars, 44,391 forks, 21,181 open issues and last shipped yesterday. platformio-core has 9,583 stars, 917 forks, 272 open issues and last shipped 21 days ago. vscode leads on adoption by 1,931% (194,645 vs 9,583 stars). vscode is written in TypeScript under MIT; platformio-core is written in Python under Apache-2.0. vscode has attracted 23% as many forks as stars, platformio-core 10%. vscode was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| vscode | platformio-core | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 195K | ★ 9.6K |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | Python |
| Last push | 2026-11-05 | 2026-10-16 |
| Forks | ⑂ 44K | ⑂ 917 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick vscode if
- You weight community size — 195K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick platformio-core if
- You want the platformio-core feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and platformio-core fits your workflow better
About vscode
Visual Studio Code Open Source ("Code OSS") The Repository This repository (" Code OSS ") is where we (Microsoft) develop the Visual Studio Code product together with the community. Not only do we work on code and issues here, but we also publish our roadmap, monthly iteration plans, and our endgame plans. This source code is available to everyone under the standard MIT license. Visual Studio Code Visual Studio Code is a distribution of the Code OSS repository with Microsoft specific customizations released under a traditional Microsoft product license. Visual Studio Code combines the simplicity of a code editor…
read the full vscode overview →
About platformio-core
PlatformIO Core =============== .. image:: :target: :alt: CI Build for PlatformIO Core .. image:: :target: :alt: CI Build for Docs .. image:: :target: :alt: CI Build for dev platform examples .. image:: :target: :alt: CI Build for the Community Projects .. image:: :target: :alt: Latest Version .. image:: :alt: PlatformIO Labs :target: Quick Links: Homepage PlatformIO IDE Registry Project Examples Docs Donate Contact Us Social: LinkedIn Twitter Facebook Community Forums .. image:: :target: PlatformIO : Your Gateway to Embedded Software Development Excellence. Unlock the true potential of embedded software…
read the full platformio-core overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is vscode or platformio-core more popular?
vscode has 194,645 GitHub stars and platformio-core has 9,583. vscode has the larger community by that measure.
Are vscode and platformio-core free?
Both are open source. vscode is licensed under MIT and platformio-core under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between vscode and platformio-core?
vscode is written in TypeScript and platformio-core in Python. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, vscode or platformio-core?
Choose vscode if you want the larger community (194,645 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose platformio-core if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.