I want to start saying that I'm not trying to claim that WebStorm is better than VsCode and it is because I think that someone can feel more comfortable in VsCode rather than WebStorm or even in another tool, like Vim, Sublime Text, whatever. I just want to share with you why I decided to move to WebStorm and why I'm still using it and maybe you could consider using it too!.
The first reason why I decided to start using WebStorm is because I changed my computer, and as a developer with a lot of work I needed to start coding as fast as I could, so I downloaded VsCode because that was the editor which I used to use, then I realised that I did not have all my plugins that I had in my previous computer (obviously) and I did not even remember their names, it was very frustrating. After 1 hour trying to set up my VsCode environment I remembered that I wanted to test WebStorm so I thought this was the perfect moment.
I downloaded it and I launched it. The first thing that I saw was that beautiful Darcula theme that I love so much, I actually had tried to find something similar for VsCode but I had not found anything so beautiful. Well, I know, if you are reading this you are looking for some reasons more interesting than a theme, I just wanted to say that I love this theme for coding <3.
TODO comments
When I opened my codebase in WebStorm is I was able to see my TODO comments highlighted, I remember that in VsCode I had to install a plugin in order to get this.
Auto Import
This is really amazing and I know VsCode has something similar but I'm 100% sure that it is not as accurate as this. I usually copy/paste code between files and it is very common that in my copied code I have some dependencies, it was truly good when I pasted my code and WebStorm automatically found all dependencies and included them at the top of my file.
Git Integration
After coding some hours I got my first conflict in some of my files and it was really surprising when I came across a friendly interface where I was able to resolve conflicts easily. I can leave you some screenshots here but you will have to test it by yourself to notice that it is very good.
Debugger
This is my WebStorm favorite thing. As a Full Stack Developer I have to code in both React and NodeJS. I think the best friend that a programmer can have is a great debugger, whether you are working in frontend or backend you will need a way to find errors easily. The WebStorm debugger is really useful. You can set it up fast and start using it. You can set breakpoints on your code and see all your variable values in a good interface. This is useful for both Frontend and Backend but if you are a Backend developer you will love this at the very beginning.
Refactor
Doing refactor is not a headache anymore if you have WebStorm. If you have been coding for a while I'm sure you have found yourself renaming a variable in your code, this can be really annoying but in WebStorm it is really easy, you just have to go to Refactor -> Rename and it will rename your variable in all the places you're using it and the most important thing is that it won't open all the files where you're using it like VsCode does. It is just an example of the Refactor feature.
Final Thoughts
These are just some of the things that I like about WebStorm. I wanted to keep this article short and just share with you my experience of using WebStorm. I almost forgot to say that WebStorm is not a Text Editor, it is a JavaScript IDE and if you decide to use it you will probably notice an increment in your RAM memory use.
Let me know in the comments section if you have already used WebStorm and what your experience has been. I will be waiting for your opinion.
Oldest comments (44)
You're right I'm sure that I can get all the things that WebStorm has with many plugins and configurations. However I prefer to have everything that I need after installing it :)
Which you can achieve with vscode sync. It used to be a plugin but now I think it's part of the core. It the background it's done through github I think. So once you have your plugin set, next time you install vscode on a new machine (or wipe your current install) you'll have your setup downloaded and installed in seconds.
I have not heard about that before.. it sounds great!
VSCode out of the box experience, plugins vary with quality, some anoy me so much, and most are not great. Webstorm does just work and it works well.
Why I swapped to Vs code from Webstorm: I moved into a new house in Feb and Im trying to save money on subscriptions 😑... Otherwise I would still be using it
Hahaha I hope you can go back to WebStorm!
The critical thinking to be thankful, I still have hands, and my eyes work enough to operate a computer 😂
You can always buy 1-year subscription once and use WebStorm forever without future updates ;)
Editor/IDE wars will never die. Emacs4ever!
You have a point.
This is my point:
Of course, is is a matter of preference. Thanks for sharing your opinion, it is great.
Have to agree, I too switched and while back, to IDEA, but that’s the big brother, I could just as easily have gotten away with the free community edition, I choose to pay for it, the paid one has a few useful benefits, honestly have not needed them much, but rather have them for that time I do…
It’s true that VSCode has the potential to be great, the amount of effort is too great and even then the bulk of the UI just sucks. I used it for many years, not knowing there was something exponentially better out there.
I honestly even tried to switch back, more of a verification than an actual desire to switch back and the clumsiness just frustrated me in minutes. You can’t go back from the ultimate tool to a tinker toy, just does not work.
I get paid enough to use proper tools, no need to save pennies on toys.
Just to add, you can buy a annual license for WebStorm, which you can continue to use perpetually. Only catch is you won't get any further updates after the first year of purchase.
Hey! It's great that you are using WebStorm. Being a VSCode Power User, I thought I might share some resources for VSCode that can help you to achieve almost the same thing for free (and also other people who are looking to do the same thing but don't want to switch).
Todo Highlight
React Debugger
You can press CMD + Shift + F in VSCode, type in the name of the variable you want to rename. Type the new name and press Ctrl + CMD + Enter and it is going to rename every single instance for you.
Also, I love using VSCode integrated source control. It is quite easy to use. You should check it out. You may like it
Thank you for this!
One feature I am unsure is available in VsCode is the superlative project search, and search-replace that Storm offers.
Very excellent.
(I looked for a vscode plugin for it at one point, and failed to find it, so would be glad to hear there is one)
The Refactor tools are also awesome and reliable.
The "free" argument really depends on where you work. In most western countries the 60€-35€ per year for Webstorm represents about an hour of work, so if you spend more than an hour per year configuring VScode plugins you already lost money by not buying webstorm. The enterprise license is a bit pricier, but if 120€ per year per developer is making any kind of difference to your employer you should already be looking for work elsewhere.
Also it's not opensource in the sense that you can't build webstorm from source directly, but most of the codebase (The IntelliJ platform and many plugins) is actually opensource : jetbrains.com/opensource/
If you're hobbyist or work from a country where 60€ a year is a significant part of your salary, it makes sense to favor a free and opensource alternative. If not you should really just use whatever is the best tool for you.
Also don't forget with VScode you send metrics to MS. Although you can turn it off. Your never sure how off it is.
For me after weeks of comparison I choose Webstorm over Vscode because of the better database tools I didnt found anything near as good as with Jetbrains Integration with mysql/nosql
I have used both professionally for years they are both great, its the person behind the keyboard that counts. Forget this debate it's not realy worth it.