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Kate vs Visual Studio Code: catalog facts
Kate	Visual Studio Code
Free Free and open source, part of the KDE project.	Free Free to download and use. GitHub Copilot and other AI features are separate paid…
Windows, Linux	Windows, macOS, Linux
Syntax highlighting for over 400 languages with bracket hierarchy navigation Embedded terminal plugin runs commands without leaving the editor	Extensions for essentially every language and framework Remote development over SSH, in containers and in WSL
Pulls in KDE Frameworks, which is a large dependency outside a KDE desktop On Windows it is distributed through the Microsoft Store rather than a plain installer	The shipped build is not open source and collects telemetry by default Its extension marketplace is licensed for Microsoft builds only
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Closed source
License: GPL-2.0	License: Microsoft product licence
No account needed	No account needed
Works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 21, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 21, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.