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Positron vs Visual Studio Code: catalog facts
PositronVisual Studio Code
Free

Free to download and use.

Free

Free to download and use. GitHub Copilot and other AI features are separate paid…

Windows, macOS, Linux Windows, macOS, Linux
  • Supports both Python and R in one IDE
  • Data Explorer for large datasets
  • Extensions for essentially every language and framework
  • Remote development over SSH, in containers and in WSL
  • Source-available under Elastic License 2.0, not open source
  • Focused on data science rather than general development
  • 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
Closed source Closed source
License: Elastic-2.0 License: Microsoft product licence
Not stated if an account is needed No account needed
Not stated if it works offline Works offline

Checked September 23, 2026

Checked September 21, 2026

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