Jupyter vs. VS Code vs. PyCharm: Which One Should You Choose?

Hi devs.

Jupyter, VS Code, or PyCharm? They each have their strengths, so here’s my take on when you should use each one.

Jupyter Notebook

Best for: Data science, quick experiments, and visualizing data.

Advantages:

• Super intuitive for anyone working with data, thanks to inline visualizations.
• Breaks your code into cells, making it easy to test things out piece by piece.
• Popular in the data science and machine learning community for a reason—it's perfect for experimenting!

Disadvantages:

• Not ideal for larger projects or anything involving complex file structures.
• Version control can get tricky with .ipynb files.

Use it if: You're doing data analysis, machine learning, or just want a fast way to test small snippets of code.

VS Code

Best for: General-purpose development, flexibility, and working with multiple languages.

Advantages:

• It’s lightweight, super customizable, and supports a ton of languages, not just Python.
• The built-in terminal and Git integration make it easy to manage everything from one place.
• Extensions galore! You can pretty much configure VS Code to be anything you want.

Disadvantages:

• Customization can be overwhelming if you’re not familiar with extensions and settings.
• It may not offer the same level of deep Python integration as PyCharm for advanced Python-only projects.

Use it if: You want an all-in-one tool for multiple programming languages or need something lightweight but powerful.

PyCharm

Best for: Python-focused development, large-scale applications, and working on complex projects.

Advantages:

• It’s built specifically for Python, so the code completion, debugging, and refactoring tools are top-notch.
• Integrated tools like a Python interpreter, virtual environment management, and a super powerful debugger.
• It shines when you're working on bigger, more complex Python projects.

Disadvantages:

• It can be a bit heavy and resource-intensive compared to VS Code.
• Takes some time to get used to all the features, especially if you’re just starting out.

Use it if: You’re working on serious Python projects and need a robust IDE with all the bells and whistles.

So, which one to choose?

It really depends on what you’re doing. For data science and quick experiments, Jupyter is a no-brainer. If you like flexibility and use multiple languages, VS Code is perfect. But if you’re focusing solely on Python and building large projects, PyCharm is probably the best choice.

Personally, depending on the task, but each has its place.

Keep coding :)