Visual Studio Code vs Ghostty
Which is better in 2026? Five scores, side by side.
It's close: Visual Studio Code edges it 9.2 to 9.1, so the right pick depends on what you need. Visual Studio Code wins on 2 of the 5 scores, Ghostty on 2, with 1 tied.
Developers of any level who want one free editor for every language
Developers on Mac or Linux who live in the terminal
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Visual Studio Code | Ghostty |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Developer Tools | Developer Tools |
| Category rank | #1 of 10 | #2 of 10 |
| Developer | Microsoft | Mitchell Hashimoto and contributors |
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Usable for free | Yes | Yes |
| Mac | ✓ | ✓ |
| Windows | ✓ | — |
| Linux | ✓ | ✓ |
| Web | ✓ | — |
Common questions
Is Visual Studio Code better than Ghostty?
It's close: Visual Studio Code edges it 9.2 to 9.1, so the right pick depends on what you need. Visual Studio Code wins on 2 of the 5 scores, Ghostty on 2, with 1 tied.
Which is cheaper, Visual Studio Code or Ghostty?
Visual Studio Code: Free for any use; GitHub Copilot has a free tier, with Pro from $10/month. Ghostty: Free and open source; optional donations go through the non-profit Hack Club. On value for money, Visual Studio Code scores higher.
Do Visual Studio Code and Ghostty work on the same devices?
Only Visual Studio Code runs on Windows, Web.
Which is more private, Visual Studio Code or Ghostty?
Ghostty scores higher on privacy (9.8/10). No account needed. Crash reports are saved locally and never sent anywhere automatically; you can share them yourself if you choose.
Strengths and weaknesses
Visual Studio Code
- Free, with a massive extension ecosystem
- Strong debugging, Git and remote development tools
- Runs on Mac, Windows, Linux and in the browser
- Many extensions can slow startup and eat memory
- Telemetry stays on until you switch it off
Visual Studio Code is the default editor for a reason. It is free, quick enough for big projects, and its extension marketplace covers almost every language and tool. Git, debugging and remote development are built in, and Copilot now runs full agents with subagents, persistent sessions and shared canvases. The trade-offs: heavy extension use slows it down, and telemetry stays on until you turn it off. For most developers, start here.
Full Visual Studio Code review
Ghostty
- Fast GPU rendering with a native look
- Free, open source and run as a non-profit
- Hundreds of themes that follow light and dark mode
- No Windows app planned
- SSH hosts may need its terminfo installed
- AppleScript support is still a preview
Ghostty is a terminal emulator that refuses to choose between speed and polish. It renders on the GPU, uses real native tabs and splits on Mac and Linux, ships hundreds of themes that follow light and dark mode, and supports the Kitty graphics protocol and ligatures. Version 1.3 added scrollback search. It's free, MIT-licensed and run as a non-profit project. There's no Windows version, and remote SSH hosts may need its terminfo installed.
Full Ghostty review
