Alternatives to PyCharm
Python IDE with debugging, testing, scientific tools and web framework support. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
PyCharm
Python IDE with debugging, testing, scientific tools and web framework support.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as PyCharm.
Visual Studio Code
Microsoft's code editor, free to use but shipped under a Microsoft licence rather than an open one.
Visual Studio Code is a free general editor that covers Python through extensions, with remote development and an integrated debugger, but it is not open source and collects telemetry by default.
VSCodium
Visual Studio Code built from the same source without Microsoft’s branding, telemetry or licence.
VSCodium offers the VS Code editing experience under an MIT licence without telemetry, with Python support coming from Open VSX extensions rather than built-in IDE tooling.
IntelliJ IDEA
Java and Kotlin IDE with deep code analysis and refactoring.
IntelliJ IDEA is a JetBrains IDE focused on Java and Kotlin, with an open source Community Edition, so Python work depends on add-ons rather than dedicated tooling.
Zed
A Rust editor from the people who built Atom, written for speed and for two people editing one file.
Zed is a native Rust editor with language server support and real-time collaboration, lighter than PyCharm but without its integrated notebook, debugger and environment handling.
Neovim
A modern rewrite of Vim with a built-in language server client, Lua configuration and an embeddable API.
Neovim is a free terminal editor with a built-in LSP client and Lua configuration, which means assembling Python tooling yourself and learning modal editing.
Eclipse IDE
Long-established open-source IDE with a very large plugin marketplace.
Eclipse IDE is fully open source and free for commercial use, with Python support available through its large plugin marketplace, though its workspace model feels dated.
Spyder
An open-source Python IDE for scientific work with a variable explorer and an IPython console.
Spyder is free and open source with a variable explorer and IPython console, aimed at scientific Python rather than web frameworks.
Positron
A free data science IDE for Python and R from the makers of RStudio.
Positron is a free data science IDE supporting both Python and R, source-available under Elastic License 2.0 rather than a paid subscription.
Also worth comparing
These listings name PyCharm as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.
PyScripter
A free, open-source and lightweight Python IDE for Windows.
PyCharm runs on Windows, macOS and Linux and adds web framework and database tools, but it is heavier on memory and professional features need a subscription.
Thonny
A Python IDE for beginners that comes bundled with Python and includes a simple debugger.
PyCharm is a professional Python IDE with testing and framework support, heavier and closed source, with paid professional features.
Wing Python IDE
A Python IDE with a debugger, editor and testing tools, plus features for managing AI coding agents.
PyCharm offers a graphical debugger, test runner and notebook support with web framework tools in a subscription edition, without Wing's Claude Code MCP integration.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
Cursor
An AI code editor built on VS Code, with coding agents that plan and carry out tasks.
GitHub Copilot
An AI coding assistant from GitHub that suggests code and carries out coding tasks in editors and terminals.
WebStorm
JavaScript and TypeScript IDE with first-class framework support.
code-server
Use a VS Code-based workspace through your browser.
JupyterLab
A web-based interactive environment for notebooks, code and data, used widely in data science.
RStudio
A free, open-source IDE for R with a data viewer, environment pane and support for Python and SQL.
