# VSCodium

41 Hacker News commenters recommended VSCodium and 17 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 11 of 13 months. It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** Clean open source build of VS Code without Microsoft telemetry, with the same core editor. Critics say it depends on Microsoft's VS Code and blocks some Microsoft extensions.

## Why people recommend it

- No Microsoft telemetry or tracking (7 comments): "VSCodium is the open source "clean" build of VS Code without all the Microsoft telemetry and under MIT license." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46058271)) "I use it specifically to avoid a lot of the crap that Microsoft is trying to do" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46287914)) "It's the FLOSS branch with Microsoft tracking shit removed." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49426143))
- Same core app as VS Code (4 comments): "VSCodium gets you the same solid core app without the oodles and oodles of useless" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49650033)) "without the Microsoft-branded features that make up VS Code" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46499522)) "it is VSCode but without the bullshit" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46510723))
- Good for editing Markdown (3 comments): "When editing a folder of Markdown files, you can cross-link to them using Obsidian-style links." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47735054)) "the vscode/vscodium feature of clicking and dragging files to insert links" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45981509)) "I use this all the time when editing markdown in vscodium." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45798503))
- Runs VS Code extensions well (3 comments): "I have had success with just moving the extension directory from VSCode to the VSCodium directory." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46499686)) "Flutter development for Android works great in VS Code/Codium." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47697973)) "vscod(ium) with pyrefly LSP is miles better than Pycharm today" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49799726))

## What people warn about

- Microsoft blocks some extensions and Python tools (4 comments): "VSCodium does tell you your not allowed to install some extensions that are blessed by MS." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47222434)) "Microsoft has been making it harder to run their proprietary python plugin in vscodium" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46065607)) "VSCodium does not support the default Python LSP on my Linux box" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45921421))
- Depends on Microsoft's VS Code development (2 comments): "VSCodium wouldn't be a thing without Microsoft continuing development of VS Code" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50042085)) "even then using vscodium does not free you from the grasps" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46288175))
- Lacks buffers and Emacs-style features (2 comments): "it was practically impossible to make VSCode work with the concept of buffers, instead of tabs and tab groups." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45944188)) "I quickly found VSCod(e|ium) lacks the internals to even do many of the basic useful things of Emacs." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45951188))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Zed](https://hackerapproved.com/p/zed.md): 700 recommend
- [GNU Emacs](https://hackerapproved.com/p/emacs.md): 648 recommend
- [Vim](https://hackerapproved.com/p/vim.md): 513 recommend
- [Visual Studio Code](https://hackerapproved.com/p/visual-studio-code.md): 485 recommend
- [Neovim](https://hackerapproved.com/p/neovim.md): 295 recommend

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "VSCodium", https://hackerapproved.com/p/vscodium/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).