The 11 best C++ IDEs for 2023

Dev-C++

source https://www.educative.io

Dev-C++ is a free, full-featured, integrated IDE. Written in Delphi, Dev-C++ is a long-standing starter IDE for beginner C++ developers. It’s a good option for quickly running code, but doesn’t have many features that support large-scale writing code. It’s not as complete as other IDEs on this list, and may not work as well for bigger projects.

Ultimately, Dev-C++ is a decent Windows-friendly, free option to get you started, but it’s not available for macOS or Linux and is a bit limited and outdated for developers who need more functionality.

Eclipse

Eclipse may be best known for its open-source Java IDE, but the Eclipse C/C++ IDE is a good option for C++ as well.

The fact that Eclipse is open-source, free, and supports cross-platform development makes it a solid option for programmers developing in a number of languages. It also offers a range of configurable features, from debugging and code compiling to diffing files and auto code completion. This configurability makes Eclipse a top IDE for C++ developers, as well as for multi-language developers interested in customizing their coding environment.

Pros

Open-source, free
Available for all operating systems
Highly customizable
Useful range of features available via plugins and extensions (including autocorrection, code refactoring, and coding shortcuts)
Works for other programming languages

Cons

On the heavier side, saps CPU and can run slowly
Written in Java, so requires plugins and some customization in order to develop in C++ (this is where the ‘highly configurable’ aspect can be a downside)
Doesn’t automatically compile; you must download and set up a C++ compiler (e.g. MinGW for Windows)

Code::Blocks

Code::Blocks is another free, open-source C/C++ IDE that was initially released in 2005. It was built specifically as an IDE for C and C++.

Code:: Blocks offers the essential features you might expect from any solid IDE: auto code completion, debugging, compiling. More features are available via configurable plugins, including profiling, code coverage, code analysis, drag-and-drop, and more. However, many of these features are somewhat simplistic relative to those of other more powerful and streamlined IDEs on the market.

Although it was built specifically for C++, which is ideal for beginners looking to start developing in C++ out of the box, Code::Blocks is somewhat simplistic and dated in some respects.

Visual Studio Code (VS Code)

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is an open-source, cross-platform source code editor created by Microsoft.

As an industry-leading code editor, VS Code remains a highly popular tool for development in many languages (not just C++), especially among Windows users. For a long time VS Code only supported development in Windows, but recently became available for Mac and Linux.

VS Code is light enough to work on older hardware, yet has a robust suite of features including debugging, task running, syntax highlighting, code navigation, and version control. For more complex workflows, however, Microsoft’s IDE counterpart Visual Studio may be a better option.

There’s a free version that will work for most needs, as well as an enterprise version with additional features and support.

There are also plenty of downloadable extensions for all your needs, which you can read more about in this list of the top VS Code extensions.

Overall, VS Code’s efficiency and portability balanced with its powerful array of features makes it one of the best all-around code editors for development in C++ and beyond—and likely the best free source code editor on the market.

Pros

Created to help developers efficiently code, build, and debug
IntelliSense (auto-completion system unique to VS Code)
Good for cross-platform and multi-language development
Solid array of marketplace tools and extensions
Highly portable (the code you write in Ubuntu will work in Windows and Mac)
Great formatting
Version control support via Git integration

Cons

Source code editor (not IDE), so less ideal for complex workflows and heavier projects
May take time to get up to speed
Set-up time (but makes set-up procedure in other languages quicker)
The downside of VS Code being open source freeware is that there are no package signing and certificates, which for professional use may be perceived as a malware threat
Visual Studio 2019 (VS Code’s full-IDE counterpart) is required for building .NET, UWP, or Azure apps

CLion by JetBrains

CLion is a C/C++ IDE created by JetBrains, a reputable IDE creator. CLion is a trusted option for professional developers coding in C++, especially for bigger, more complex projects. It is a proprietary software, however, so it costs money to buy a license.

Even though CLion is built mainly for C++, it supports plugins for development in other languages (Python, Rust, and Swift, among others). Though CLion is a heavy IDE that can drain CPU and RAM, it is relatively easy to set up, contains great features out of the box, and supports CMake integration.

Atom

Atom is a powerful text editor developed by GitHub. Though Atom will work out of the box for development in R and Python, with a bit of customization, Atom can be used for development in C++ as well as for a host of other languages.

Atom is highly hackable, so you can use CSS to customize Atom to your needs. You’ll just need to download a compiler for C++, for which there is a gpp compiler package available.

Similar to another popular source code editor, Sublime Text 3, Atom offers a wide range of plugins and extensions. However, here’s the kicker: Atom is free to use, whereas Sublime pricing starts at $80.

The 11 best C++ IDEs for 2023