VS Codium vs VS Code: Which Open‑Source Editor Should You Choose?

Why VS Codium Exists

VS Codium is a 100% free and open‑source clone of VS Code. It was created because the official VS Code, although marketed as open source, ships with default telemetry and includes proprietary components that some users wish to avoid.

Feature Comparison

Extensions : VS Code supports a larger ecosystem, including proprietary extensions. VS Codium disables proprietary extensions by default and therefore offers fewer extensions overall.

License : VS Code is released under a restricted Microsoft license that limits modification and redistribution. VS Codium is released under the MIT license, allowing unrestricted use, modification, and distribution.

Privacy : VS Code enables all telemetry options by default, sending usage data to Microsoft. VS Codium disables telemetry out of the box, focusing on privacy.

Support : VS Code benefits from Microsoft’s official support, extensive documentation, and a large user base. VS Codium relies on community support, which is smaller but still available.

Extension Ecosystem

VS Codium uses the Open VSX registry as its extension source, which does not contain every extension available in the VS Code Marketplace. Proprietary extensions are not supported, though users can manually download a .vsix file and install it.

In the author’s tests, the following extensions were not found in VS Codium:

C#

Live Share

IntelliCode

Azure Dev Spaces

If you rely on any of these, VS Code remains the only viable option.

License and Privacy Details

VS Codium’s MIT license permits free modification and redistribution without restrictions. Microsoft’s license for VS Code only allows use of the product and restricts modification and redistribution, which is a key reason some developers prefer VS Codium.

Telemetry in VS Code collects anonymous data about how users interact with the editor, which features are used, and any encountered issues. VS Codium does not include telemetry, aligning with its privacy‑first philosophy.

Integration and Support

VS Code offers deep integrations with Microsoft services, such as Live Share for collaborative editing and Azure extensions for cloud development. These integrations are unavailable in VS Codium because they rely on proprietary APIs.

Microsoft’s backing gives VS Code a richer set of official documentation and a larger community, which can be crucial for troubleshooting. VS Codium’s community support exists but is less extensive.

Which One to Choose?

If you need a completely open‑source editor and can accept a smaller extension ecosystem, choose VS Codium.

If you are comfortable with Microsoft’s license, its telemetry practices, and require proprietary extensions or deep Microsoft service integrations, choose VS Code.

Consider your priorities—openness versus feature breadth—when making the decision.