25 Best VSCode Extensions for Developers in 2025 - Boost Productivity
Every developer has been there—you’re staring at your IDE, juggling multiple tabs, and thinking, “There’s got to be a better way to do this.” The truth? There is.
With the global AI market expected to grow by 36.8% from 2023 to 2030, there's a significant shift towards integrating intelligent tools that can automate and optimize various aspects of development.
But with 40,000+ extensions available to help your workflow on VSCode, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. That’s why we’ve done the heavy lifting for you. In this article, we’ll share 25 must-have VSCode extensions that will upgrade your productivity, streamline debugging, and even take care of those pesky tests.
Table of Contents
VSCode extensions are the cheat codes of coding. They let you add whatever you need to your editor—better debugging, smarter linting, live collaboration, or even some fun custom themes. Leveraging these tools can significantly enhance development efficiency.
Why are they so important? Because they save you time and make your life easier. Need to refactor some messy JavaScript? Done. Want to connect to a Docker container? No problem. Extensions are all about making your workflow as smooth and efficient as possible.
In short, they’re the secret recipe to turning a good developer into a great one. And the best part? There’s an extension for just about everything.
Using the correct set of extensions in your environment offers many advantages. Here are the top 3 reasons.
1. Upgrade Your Productivity and Workflow
Switching between tools slows you down. Every time you jump between tasks or apps, you lose focus and waste time. VSCode extensions fix that. By bringing all your tools into one place, they cut out unnecessary distractions. Whether you’re debugging, formatting, or managing version control, extensions streamline your workflow and shave hours off your development time.
2. Squash Errors Faster
Bugs happen. Syntax issues creep in. It’s part of the process. But wasting hours tracking them down? That’s optional. With the right VSCode extensions, you get tools that spot issues before they spiral out of control.
Tools like EarlyAI’s extension can streamline unit test creation while offering actionable insights like Early Quality Score (EQS). Why is this a good thing? Because helping developers prioritize fixes and ensure high-quality code.
3. Make Collaboration Effortless
Development is rarely a solo sport. Teamwork matters. The right extensions turn messy handoffs and unclear comments into smooth collaboration. Better Comments, for example, make your notes stand out, turning chaos into clarity. Real-time sharing tools let you work on the same code with your team, no matter where they are. With the right setup, your whole team codes smarter, not harder.
Now that you understand VSCode extensions and why you need them, we'll discuss the best ones for your IDE.
1. EarlyAI
EarlyAI - Automates unit test generation and tracks code coverage
EarlyAI is an AI-powered code agent that simplifies unit testing by using AI to automatically generate and maintain validated tests for JavaScript, TypeScript, and Python. It tracks code coverage, offers actionable recommendations, and ensures your tests evolve with your codebase. By saving hours of manual effort, EarlyAI helps developers focus on building reliable, high-quality software.
Category: Debugging, Productivity
2. Tabnine
Tabnine - AI-powered code assistant prediction
Tabnine is an AI-powered code assistant that predicts your next lines of code based on syntax and context, speeding up development workflows and reducing repetitive typing.
Tabnine currently supports most languages, frameworks, and Libraries.
Category: Productivity, Code Quality
3. GitHub copilot
GitHub Copilot - AI pair programmer
GitHub copilot is an AI code assistant pair programmer that provides real-time code suggestions directly in your IDE, helping developers implement secure coding practices seamlessly.
Github Copilot currently supports all languages.
Category: Productivity, Code Generation
4. Mintlify
Mintlify - Documentation automation
Mintlify automates the process of documenting your code. Based on your highlighted code, it automatically generates and adds documentation. It currently supports most programming languages, with more active additions.
Category: Productivity, Collaboration
5. Amazon Q
Amazon Q - Real-time code suggestions
The Amazon Q is an AI-powered code assistant offering contextual suggestions to streamline development. It reflects the role of AI assistants, providing real-time support while keeping control with the developer—unlike autonomous AI agents.
Category: Productivity, Code Quality
6. IntelliCode
IntelliCode - Provides AI-assisted IntelliSense
IntelliCode Provides AI-assisted IntelliSense with code completions and suggestions based on your coding context. It currently supports Python, TypeScript/JavaScript, and Java.
Category: Productivity, Code Quality
7. JavaScript debugger (Nightly)
JavaScript Debugger (Nightly) - debug your JavaScript code
Nightly is a Javascript Debugger. This extension lets you debug your Javascript code running in Microsoft Edge and Node.Js directly from your VSCode editor.
Category: Debugging
8. Jest
Jest - comprehensive testing framework for JavaScript and TypeScript.
The VSCode Jest extension provides a comprehensive testing framework for your JavaScript and TypeScript projects in your VSCode IDE.
Jest can be paired with AI tools like EarlyAI to automatically generate tests for your code using the framework and track untested code across your project.
Category: Debugging, Testing
9. Coverage gutters
Coverage Gutters - Shows which lines are covered by tests.
The Coverage Gutters extension displays your code coverage information in your editor and highlights the tested lines. It supports any programming language that generates an icon-style coverage file.
Category: Debugging, Testing
10. SonarQube for IDE
SonarQube for IDE - Static code analysis tool
SonarQube for IDE (formerly SolarLint) identifies bugs, vulnerabilities, and poor coding practices in real-time, aligning with proactive security strategies and best practices.
Category: Debugging, Productivity
11. Test Explorer UI
Test Explorer UI - Provides a user interface for running and managing your tests.
The Test Explorer UI provides an extensive interface for managing and running tests. It supports test frameworks in multiple languages, such as Javascript and Python.
Category: Debugging, Testing
12. Quokka.js
Quokka.js - Rapid prototyping
Quokka.js is a rapid prototyping playground for JavaScript and TypeScript, providing instant feedback as you type - aligning with modern automation principles, enabling developers to focus on problem-solving rather than repetitive setup tasks.
Category: Productivity, Debugging
13. Snippet
Snippet - Creates custom snippets
The Snippet extension allows developers to create custom code snippets for any language. It speeds up coding workflow and automates repetitive tasks.
Category: Productivity
14. HTML5 boilerplate
HTML5 Boilerplate - Quickly sets up a basic HTML5 project structure
This extension generates the standard HTML boilerplate code for developers. Reducing the chances of errors and development time.
Category: Code Generation, Productivity
15. Tailwind CSS IntelliSense
Tailwind CSS IntelliSense - for Tailwind utility classes
The Tailwind CSS IntelliSense extension provides autocompletion, syntax highlighting, linting, and hover preview features for your tailwind projects.
Category: Visual Enhancement, Productivity
16. Prettier
Prettier - Code formatter
Prettier formats your code and enforces a consistent style across your codebase, improving your code readability.
Category: Code Quality
17. ESLint
ESLint - JavaScript linter
Microsoft's ESlint extension is a JavaScript linter that helps you catch errors and enforce coding standards throughout your codebase.
Category: Code Quality
18. Auto rename tag
Auto Rename Tag - Automatically renames paired HTML/XML tags
The Auto Rename tag extension automatically renames paired HTML/XML tags as you modify them, making it easier to alter your code and reducing the chances of errors.
Category: Productivity
19. Import cost
Import Cost - Displays the size of imported packages
Import cost displays the size of your imported packages inline, allowing you to track the size of your codebase as it grows.
Category: Productivity, Code Quality
20. TODO highlight
TODO Highlight - Highlights TODOs and FIXMEs
The TODO highlight extension allows developers to add TODOs and FIXMEs to their code, making tracking pending tasks and issues more manageable.
Category: Productivity
21. Code Spell Checker
Code Spell Checker - helps you spot typos
The Code spell checker extension identifies common spelling errors in your typescript and javascript code. Enhancing the readability of your codebase.
Category: Productivity, Code quality
22. Better comments
Better Comments - organize your comments
Better comments help you create more informative and organized documentation for your codebase by providing different comment styles.
Category: Productivity, Visual enhancement
23. Bookmarks
Bookmarks - bookmark your code
Bookmarks allow you to mark essential lines of code in your codebase and revisit them quickly through its interactive UI.
Category: Productivity
24. Material Icon Theme
The Material Icon Theme extension provides custom icons for your Visual Studio Code file explorer, allowing you to customize your file explorer for your environment.
Category: Visual enhancements
25. Peacock
Peacock simplifies managing different projects in VSCode by changing your workspace color to distinguish between projects.
Category: Visual enhancements
Great extensions make great developers. They optimize workflows, reduce errors, and ensure your projects stay on track. But when it comes to unit testing—a critical step in development—many teams are held back by the time and effort it takes to write and maintain tests.
EarlyAI is different. With AI-powered capabilities, the plugin can generate validated unit tests automatically, track code coverage, and provide actionable insights to improve your code. What used to take hours now takes minutes, freeing you to focus on what matters most - building great software.
Stop wasting time. Try EarlyAI now and transform the way you test your code.