Alternatives to RStudio

A free, open-source IDE for R with a data viewer, environment pane and support for Python and SQL. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.

Replacements

Listings that take over the same core job as RStudio.

  • Positron

    A free data science IDE for Python and R from the makers of RStudio.

    FreeProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinux

    Positron comes from the same makers and treats Python and R equally, but it is source-available under Elastic License 2.0 rather than open source.

  • Visual Studio Code

    Microsoft's code editor, free to use but shipped under a Microsoft licence rather than an open one.

    FreeProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinux

    Visual Studio Code is a general-purpose editor that supports R and Python through extensions, without a dedicated data viewer or environment pane.

  • VSCodium

    Visual Studio Code built from the same source without Microsoft’s branding, telemetry or licence.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    VSCodium is an MIT-licensed VS Code build without telemetry where R support comes from Open VSX extensions, without RStudio's data viewer and environment pane.

  • Jupyter

    Browser-based notebooks, JupyterLab and the classic Notebook, that combine live code, text and visualizations.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxWeb

    JupyterLab is a browser-based notebook environment supporting over 40 languages, with a notebook workflow rather than RStudio's editor and console layout.

  • GNU Emacs

    An editor that is really a Lisp environment, extensible to the point where people run their email, calendar and shell inside it.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    GNU Emacs is a free, fully extensible Lisp editor that can host R work through packages, with a steep learning curve and long setup.

Also worth comparing

These listings name RStudio as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.

  • Spyder

    An open-source Python IDE for scientific work with a variable explorer and an IPython console.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    RStudio offers a similar data viewer and environment pane, but it is built around R with Python treated as secondary.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.