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VSCodium

Community-built binaries of VS Code with Microsoft branding, telemetry and licensing removed.

GitHub Download 1.143.17232
Stars
33.9k
Forks
1.9k
Licence
MIT
Language
Shell
Last update
6 days ago
Type
App

What it is

VSCodium is a code editor built from Microsoft's Visual Studio Code source, but compiled into builds under the MIT license with telemetry disabled and Microsoft branding removed. The project is a set of scripts that automate building those binaries and publishing them as releases. People use it if they like the VS Code experience but want a freely licensed, non-tracking version.

  • Install the stable editor on Windows with WinGet, Chocolatey, or Scoop
  • Install on Linux via snap, Flatpak, or the AUR packages listed in the README
  • Install the insiders build to try upcoming VS Code changes
  • Install extensions from open-vsx.org

Great for

  • Developers who want the VS Code interface without Microsoft's telemetry or license terms
  • People who prefer free/libre software and want a build they can redistribute under MIT
  • Linux, macOS, or Windows users who want to install through their usual package manager
  • Users who plan to pull extensions from the open-vsx.org registry

Not ideal for

  • Users who need the official Visual Studio Marketplace, since its terms restrict use to Microsoft products and the project uses open-vsx.org instead
  • Users who need Microsoft-only extensions or features that depend on Microsoft's own services
  • People who want to build from the official Microsoft source themselves, because the README points them to Microsoft's repository for that
Step-by-step guide: how to use VSCodiumInstall, first run, examples, tips and FAQs
VS Code vs VSCodiumGitHub1s vs VSCodium

How to get it

  1. 1

    Install with a package manager

    You'll need: Homebrew (macOS), WinGet, Chocolatey, Scoop, or snapd, depending on your platform

    Install stable on macOS with Homebrew

    brew install --cask vscodium

    Install stable on Windows with WinGet

    winget install -e --id VSCodium.VSCodium

    Install on Linux with snap

    snap install codium --classic

    Install with Flatpak

    flatpak install flathub com.vscodium.codium
  2. 2

    Run it

    • Install VSCodium using the command for your platform
    • Open the application from your system menu or launch it from the terminal
    • Open a folder or file to start editing
    • Install extensions from the built-in extension view, which uses open-vsx.org
  3. 3

    Get the most out of it

    • Read the docs page linked in the README for telemetry settings and tips for moving over from Visual Studio Code
    • Check the docs page for the Extensions and Marketplace section to understand which extensions are available
    • Use the insiders build if you want to test upcoming changes before the stable release
    • Use your distribution's package manager for the Linux package so you get automatic updates

Downloads

Source code (.zip)master branch · straight from GitHubRelease 1.143.172328 files incl. VSCodium-1.143.17232-src.tar.gzOfficial website & docsvscodium.com

Strengths

  • Builds are MIT-licensed and the README states telemetry is disabled
  • Available through many package managers across Windows, macOS and Linux
  • Automated build scripts make the source process transparent and repeatable

Trade-offs

  • Some Visual Studio Code extensions have licensing or availability limits that the README says to check, and the README is truncated on this point
  • Extensions come from open-vsx.org rather than the official Marketplace, so some may be missing
  • Updates depend on the project's build pipeline, so new VS Code releases may arrive with a delay

How it compares

ProjectStarsTypeLevelUpdatedBest for
vscodium (this)33.9kAppbeginner6 days agoDevelopers who want the VS Code interface without Microsoft's telemetry or license terms
github1s23.3kAppbeginner4 days agoDevelopers who want to read an unfamiliar public repository quickly
LightTable11.7kAppintermediate4.4 years agoDevelopers who want an editor they can heavily customize with plugins
oni11.2kAppintermediate6.6 years agoVim users who want a graphical editor with extra IDE features built in
code-server79.8kDev toolintermediate5 days agoDevelopers who want to code from a tablet, a borrowed computer, or a machine with limited local resources
monaco-editor46.9kLibraryintermediate6 days agoWeb developers adding a code editing box to a browser app

Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.