VS Code extensions 2025 are powerful because Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is one of the most popular code editors in the world. It’s fast, lightweight, and works for almost every programming language.
But what really makes VS Code powerful is its extensions. With the right extensions, you can write code faster, avoid silly mistakes, and make your editor look and feel better.
1. GitHub Copilot – Your AI Coding Partner
GitHub Copilot is an AI tool that suggests code while you type. It can write lines, functions, or even whole blocks of code for you.
Why it’s useful:
- Writes boilerplate code automatically
- Helps you when you are stuck
- Works with many languages like Python, JavaScript, Java, C++, and more
If you do a lot of coding every day, this extension can save you a huge amount of time.
2. Prettier – Code Formatter
Prettier keeps your code clean and consistent. It automatically formats your code so you don’t have to worry about spacing, quotes, or line breaks.
Best for:
- JavaScript / TypeScript
- HTML / CSS
- JSON, Markdown and more
Turn on “Format on save” in VS Code settings so your code is formatted every time you save the file.
3. Live Server
Live Server is a simple but powerful tool for web developers. It opens your HTML file in the browser and refreshes it automatically whenever you save changes.
Why you’ll love it:
- No need to keep pressing refresh
- Great for learning HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
- Makes front‑end development much faster
4. ESLint – Catch Errors Early
ESLint helps you find problems in your JavaScript or TypeScript code before you run it.
Benefits:
- Highlights errors and bad practices
- Works well with React, Vue, Node.js and more
- Makes your code cleaner and more professional
If you are doing any serious JavaScript work, this is a must‑have.
5. Material Icon Theme
This extension adds colorful icons to your VS Code file explorer.
Why it helps:
- You can quickly recognize file types (HTML, JS, CSS, JSON, images, etc.)
- Makes the editor look modern and clean
- Small change, but big boost to usability
6. IntelliCode
IntelliCode is Microsoft’s AI-assisted completion tool. It learns from thousands of open-source projects and suggests the most likely code completions.
Good for:
- Writing common patterns faster
- Reducing typing time
- Getting smarter suggestions as you code
You can use IntelliCode along with GitHub Copilot.
7. Path Intellisense
Path Intellisense autocompletes filenames and paths when you type imports.
Example:
When you type import Header from './ it will show all files in that folder, so you don’t have to remember exact names.
Useful for:
- React projects
- Node.js apps
- Any project with many folders and files
8. Bracket Pair Colorizer 2
This extension colors matching brackets and parentheses in your code.
Why it’s helpful:
- Easy to see which
{ }or( )belong together - Very useful in deeply nested code
- Reduces confusion in languages like JavaScript, C++, Java
In newer VS Code versions, some of this is built‑in, but many developers still prefer this extension.
9. REST Client
REST Client lets you send HTTP requests directly from VS Code, without needing tools like Postman.
You can:
- Test APIs
- Send GET, POST, PUT, DELETE requests
- See responses inside the editor
Great for backend developers and anyone learning APIs.
10. Thunder Client – Simple API Tester
Thunder Client is another API testing extension with a nice graphical interface inside VS Code.
Why developers like it:
- Lightweight and fast
- Clean UI for testing REST APIs
- Good alternative to Postman for simple projects
Bonus: CodeSnap – Share Beautiful Code Screenshots
CodeSnap allows you to take beautiful screenshots of your code with syntax highlighting. You can use these on:
- Blog posts
- Social media
- Documentation
Final Thoughts
VS Code is already powerful, but with the right extensions, it can feel like a complete development environment.
If you are just starting, install a few of these:
- GitHub Copilot or IntelliCode
- Prettier
- Live Server
- ESLint
As you work on more projects, you can slowly add the others.
VS Code extensions 2025
These VS Code extensions in 2025 help developers work smarter and faster.
Try these extensions and see how much faster and smoother your coding becomes in 2025.
If you are new to development, you should read our Beginner’s Guide to Web Development in 2025 to understand the basics step by step.
