10 Best Visual Studio Code Extensions for Web Developers in 2025

Visual Studio Code has taken an overwhelming 73.6% market share and is by far the most popular code editor in the world. But here’s the secret every productive developer knows – it’s not the editor itself that is the real power of VS Code – it’s the massive ecosystem of over 60,000 extensions that turn it into a personalized development powerhouse.

As web development becomes more and more complicated in 2025, the right extensions can make all the difference between trudging through mundane work and blasting through your workday with automated help at every turn. Whether you’re building your first web site, or large-scale enterprise applications, 10 extensions will redesign your workflow, smash those frustrating bottlenecks and help you to write cleaner code faster than ever before.

Why VS Code Extensions Matter for Web Developers

Let’s start by understanding the importance of extensions in modern web development. Visual Studio Code is a great foundation with built-in support for JavaScript, TypeScript, and Node.js, and supports smart features like IntelliSense code completion, built-in debugging, and Git version control. However, this foundation is only the start.

Extensions help close the gap between the core functionality of VS Code and the special tools that web developers require on a daily basis. They automate repetitive tasks, detect errors before they cause problems, improve collaboration with your colleagues, and integrate seamlessly with your entire development stack. Think of extensions as your own personal development team, each one specializing in tackling a particular task so that you can focus on the things that matter: building exceptional web applications.

The extensions included in this guide are the most downloaded, highly-rated, and genuinely useful tools available in 2025. We’ve also put focus on options that provide tangible productivity gains without cluttering your editor or slowing performance.

1. Prettier – Code Formatter: Your Automatic Styling Assistant

Downloads: Over 30 million​

Rating: 4.8/5 stars​

Purpose: formatting of codes with available automation. Prettier has ended the never-ending discussions about the preferences of style settings and manual formatting, which is painful and time-consuming. This opinionated code formatter will automatically reformat your code to a standard style, it parses your code and restructures it based on its own rules that take into account the max line length and also, it will wrap code if it finds the need.

Why web developers love Prettier: The extension supports JavaScript, TypeScript, HTML, CSS, JSON, and virtually every web technology you’ll encounter. Set it as your default formatter once, enable format-on-save, and never think about code style again. Your code will look professional and consistent whether you wrote it at 9 AM or 2 AM.​

Key features that matter: Prettier integrates seamlessly with ESLint to handle both formatting and code quality rules. It supports configuration files that let teams maintain consistent styles across entire projects. The extension works out of the box with zero configuration needed, though you can customize settings when required.​

Setting it up: Install Prettier from the VS Code marketplace, set it as your default formatter in settings, and enable “format on save” for automatic beautification. For team projects, add a .prettierrc configuration file to your repository to ensure everyone follows the same formatting rules.​

2. ESLint: Your JavaScript Code Quality Guardian

Downloads: Over 25 million​

Rating: 4.7/5 stars​

Purpose: The industry-standard tool for detecting and resolving issues in JavaScript code before it becomes a runtime error or buggy code is ESLint, providing real-time JavaScript linting and error detection. VS Code extension uses the powerful analysis of ESLint and places it directly in your editor, giving you instant feedback as you type.

Why ESLint is essential: Contemporary JavaScript expressions include an uncountable number of potential pitfalls, undefined variables, denied imports, unstable patterns, and syntax errors, which are discovered only when the program is actually being executed. ESLint identifies such problems immediately with colored lines in your code, and explains clearly the nature of the problem and, in many cases, automatically fixes it.

Advanced capabilities: Beyond basic error detection, ESLint enforces coding standards and best practices throughout your codebase. Configure rules for everything from semicolon usage to function complexity, ensuring your entire team writes consistent, maintainable code. The extension supports custom rule sets, allowing you to tailor linting to your project’s specific needs.​

Configuration best practices: Begin with guidelines such as ESLint: recommended or popular Airbnb or Standard JS. Add rules in your project root by creating an .eslintrc.json file, and the VS Code extension will do the rest. Turn on auto-fix on save to automatically fix minor violations without updating them.

3. Live Server: Instant Local Development Server

Downloads: Over 40 million​

Rating: 4.8/5 stars​

Purpose: Local development server with live reload

Live Server eliminates the tedious save-refresh-view cycle that slows down front-end development. This extension launches a local development server with live reload capability, automatically refreshing your browser whenever you save changes to HTML, CSS, or JavaScript files.​

Why developers can’t live without it: The front-end is developed drastically faster with the use of the instant feedback loop. Enter a line of CSS, press save, and without having to refresh your browser manually, the changes are displayed in your browser in milliseconds. This smooth experience allows you to experiment and have a fast iteration process.

Notable features: Live Server allows custom port settings, launching multiple browsers, Association with CORS, and custom root directory settings. It is easy to start and stop the server through a single click; the status bar allows this. Advanced development Support: HTTPS support and proxy support.

Quick setup: Install the extension, open your HTML file, and click “Go Live” in the status bar or right-click your HTML file and select “Open with Live Server”. The server automatically detects which files to watch and refreshes appropriately.​

4. GitLens: Supercharged Git Integration

Downloads: Over 40 million (120 million total downloads)​

Rating: 4.7/5 stars​

Purpose: Complex visualizations and the history of code. GitLens is a tool that makes Git stop being a black box and instead illustrates the files as an intuitive system that allows you to see how the code evolves and who is responsible for it at a glance. Such a potent open-source addition displays by whom individual lines of code have been altered and when, as well as the reason, which adds context not available in any other Git interface.

Essential features for web developers: Inline blame annotations show authorship information directly beside your code without cluttering your workspace. Hover over any line to see detailed commit information, including the full commit message and changes made. The Commit Graph provides an interactive visual representation of your repository’s branch and commit history.​

Collaboration advantages: GitLens excels in team environments where understanding code history prevents bugs and informs architectural decisions. See who last modified critical functions, trace changes across branches, and identify patterns in code evolution. The extension’s file history view lets you step through every change made to any file, complete with diff views.​​

Pro features worth considering: While GitLens offers a robust free Community edition for public repositories, GitLens Pro unlocks advanced workflows for private repositories, including AI-powered features, enhanced Commit Graph, and improved collaboration tools. Sign up for a GitKraken account to try Pro features free.​

5. Auto Rename Tag: Paired HTML Tag Editing

Downloads: Over 15 million​

Rating: 4.6/5 stars​

Purpose: Automatically rename paired HTML/XML tags. One of the most frustrating things about HTML development is that you edit an opening tag and forget to do the matching closing tag. Auto Rename Tag is the answer to this problem. It is an extension that automatically renames synchronous event-pair HTML and XML tags in the same manner that the Visual Studio IDE does by default.​

How it streamlines HTML editing: When you modify an opening tag like <div>, Auto Rename Tag immediately updates the closing </div> tag to match. This synchronization works bidirectionally; change either the opening or closing tag, and its partner updates automatically. The result is fewer syntax errors and faster HTML editing.​​

Configuration options: Set what languages the extension is enabled on by setting the auto-rename-tag.activationOnLanguage setting. The extension is configured by default to work with all languages; however, you could choose the specification of the file type with HTML, XML, PHP, or JavaScript React. This allows one to avoid undesired behavior in files where renaming via automatic tagging is inappropriate.

Note on built-in alternatives: VS Code version 1.44 and later includes native “Rename On Type” functionality for HTML and Handlebars enabled via the editor.renameOnType setting. However, many developers still prefer Auto Rename Tag for its broader language support and reliable performance.​

6. Path Intellisense: Smart File Path Autocomplete

Downloads: Over 10 million​

Rating: 4.5/5 stars​

Purpose: Autocomplete for file paths in imports and links

Path Intellisense eliminates the guesswork and typos that plague file path entry in import statements, image sources, and link references. This extension provides intelligent autocomplete suggestions as you type file paths, showing available files and folders based on your current location.​​

Practical applications: Importing JavaScript modules, referencing CSS files, loading images or linking to other HTML files. Path Intellisense makes the process a fraction of the time. Click a starting point and type a path, and this is suggested instantly with folder lookups and file criteria.

Advanced configuration: The extension facilitates the integration of TypeScript configuration files, such as reading of tsconfig.json settings, such as baseUrl, as well as paths, to offer the right suggestions in regards to the module alias. Determine custom mappings of absolute paths or Webpack resolve settings with the path-intellisense. Mappings setting. Options to display or not display hidden files, add an automatic slash after directories or file extensions in import statements.

Platform compatibility: Path Intellisense works perfectly on Windows, macOS and Linux and automatically conforms to the path conventions of each platform. The extension improves productivity on any operating system and project structure.

7. Thunder Client: Lightweight REST API Testing

Downloads: Over 5 million​

Rating: 4.7/5 stars​

Purpose: Lightweight REST API client embedded into VS Code Thunder Client provides Postman-like API testing functionality directly within VS Code with no need to switch between applications while developing APIs. This lightweight extension gives you a clean GUI to send HTTP requests, view the response, and manage API collections without ever leaving your editor.​

Why choose Thunder Client: The extension integration in VS Code optimizes your workflow by having the API testing in the same environment where you code. Local data storage keeps your requests and collected data, as well as your environment variables, private and under your control. The git sync capabilities allow you easy collaboration between teams by storing request data in your repository.

Key capabilities: Thunder Client supports all standard HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, PATCH, etc.), authentication schemes such as OAuth 2.0, environment variables for various deployment environments, and GUI-based testing without any knowledge of scripting. GraphQL APIs provide a leap beyond the conventional REST APIs.

Getting started: Install Thunder Client in the VS Code Marketplace, click the Thunder icon in the Activity Bar, create a new request and begin testing your APIs at once. Collections group together related requests and environment variables, allowing you to seamlessly switch between development, staging and production configurations.​​

8. Visual Studio IntelliCode: AI-Powered Code Completions

Downloads: Bundled with VS Code, 20+ million installs​

Rating: 4.6/5 stars​

Purpose: AI-assisted IntelliSense with contextual suggestions. Visual Studio IntelliCode takes normal IntelliSense to a higher level and gives you an AI-driven assistant that predicts the methods and properties that you’re most likely to need based on your current code context. This Microsoft-developed extension uses information from thousands of quality open source projects to make smart, context-aware suggestions.

How IntelliCode enhances productivity: Rather than presenting alphabetical member lists, IntelliCode places the most relevant suggestions at the top with star icons, saving time scrolling through options. Whole-line autocomplete predicts entire code statements based on your context, allowing you to accept complete lines with a single keystroke. API usage examples show real-world code demonstrating how to use unfamiliar functions, pulling examples from public GitHub repositories.​

Language support: IntelliCode includes ranked completions for Python, TypeScript, JavaScript, Java, C sharp, C++, SQL, and XAML. Whole-line predictions supported Python, JavaScript and TypeScript, and more will be added regularly. The extension is executed locally on your machine, and your code never leaves your machine, so you can still take advantage of AI assistance without having to share your code.

Customization options: Beyond using patterns from open-source projects, IntelliCode can train custom models on your own codebase for even more accurate suggestions tailored to your team’s coding patterns. Repeated edit detection identifies when you’re making the same change multiple times and offers to apply it across your entire file automatically.​

9. Markdown All in One: Complete Markdown Editing

Downloads: Over 6 million​

Rating: 4.7/5 stars​

Purpose: Comprehensive Markdown editing with shortcuts. Preview Markdown All in One turns VS Code into a professional Markdown editor with keyboard shortcuts, table of contents creation, automatic list continuation, and better preview features. For web developers who maintain documentation, write README files or create content-heavy sites, this is an essential extension.

Productivity-boosting features: Write plain text and use keyboard shortcuts to toggle bold, italic, strikethrough, etc. instead of having to type Markdown syntax. Lists automatically continue on pressing Enter and use intelligent indentation according to the CommonMark specification. Automatic table of contents: Creates and maintains document outlines which are automatically updated when you save your documents.

GitHub Flavored Markdown support: The extension has full support for GitHub’s Markdown dialect, including the task list with a checkbox, tables with automatic formatting, and strikethrough text. This is a compatibility that ensures documentation written in VS Code is rendered perfectly on GitHub, GitLab and other platforms.

Advanced capabilities: Export Markdown documents to html using “Print current document to HTML” command. LaTeX math support using KaTeX visualizes mathematical equations in a beautiful way using preview mode. Auto-completion for links to headings, images and other resources within the workspace makes content creation faster.

10. Code Runner: Multi-Language Code Execution

Downloads: Over 15 million​

Rating: 4.5/5 stars​

Purpose: Execute code fragments or whole files in many languages. Code Runner provides an easy-to-use “Run” button and shortcuts that run code directly in VS Code without the need to open terminals or set up build systems. This powerful extension supports more than 50 programming languages, making it an invaluable tool for web developers who work with different technologies.​​

Why it’s essential for web developers: Code in JavaScript and immediately view the result, Python, run for backend processing, shell, build and automation via shell commands, or use any other language without leaving VS Code. The extension also does away with context switching and simplifies the development process.

Key features: One-click execution of code using the Run icon or key shortcut (Ctrl+Alt+N). Easily halt long-running processes by clicking on the stop button that appears once the execution is taking place. Display the discharge in the built-in terminal or dedicated output device as per your choice. PIME written default executor commands can be customized by language, file extension or even glob patterns of the filename. ​​

Configuration tips: For the language executors to work, ensure that they are all in your system’s PATH. Customize working directory, auto-save files before runs and whether to retain editor focus or go to output pane. For complex projects, set up special build commands to manage special build needs.

Choosing the Right Extensions for Your Workflow

Not all developers require all these extensions. The most effective method is choosing tools to cover your pain points and bottlenecks in the workflow. The following is the way to construct your perfect extension stack.

Start with the essentials: Prettier and ESLint are the core of any web development environment, with which code quality and consistency are ensured at the earliest stage. Add Live Server to work on the front-end and GitLens to any project based on the use of Git collaboration.

Add specialized tools based on needs: API developers should prioritize Thunder Client for testing. Full-stack developers juggling multiple languages benefit enormously from Code Runner. Documentation writers need Markdown All in One. HTML-heavy projects see instant productivity gains with Auto Rename Tag.​

Consider your development environment: Path Intellisense becomes increasingly valuable in larger projects with complex folder structures. IntelliCode delivers the most benefit when working with unfamiliar APIs or learning new frameworks.​

Monitor performance impact: While these extensions are lightweight, installing dozens of extensions can slow down VS Code. Install only what you actually use and periodically review installed extensions to remove ones you’ve outgrown.​

Installation and Configuration Best Practices

By properly installing extensions, the performance will be optimal, and there will be no conflicts in configuration. Adhere to these best methods.

Use the VS Code Marketplace: Open the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X), search for your desired extension by name, and click Install. This method ensures you’re getting authentic, up-to-date versions directly from publishers.​

Read extension documentation: Before enabling an extension, spend two minutes reading its marketplace page to understand configuration options and recommended settings. Most productivity gains come from proper configuration, not just installation.​

Configure workspace-specific settings: Some extensions work better with project-specific settings. Use workspace settings (.vscode/settings.json in your project root) to configure extensions differently across projects without affecting your global VS Code configuration.​

Sync your configuration: Enable Settings Sync in VS Code so that you can have consistent extension configurations across different machines. This is a particularly useful feature for those working on desktop and laptop computers or those who work in teams.

Keep extensions updated: Enable automatic extension updates in VS Code settings to ensure you always have the latest features and security patches. Most extensions update frequently with bug fixes and performance improvements.​

Maximizing Extension Productivity in 2025

The knowledge of how to make use of such extensions in combination with each other increases their respective advantages. These are effective tips from successful web developers.

Create formatting workflows: Integrating Prettier & ESLint While ESLint is used to enforce code quality rules, Prettier is used to handle formatting, which prevents any conflicts between the two. Enable automatic code improvement (format-on-save and lint-on-save).​

Establish development routines: Use Live Server as your default local server during front-end development, eliminating manual refresh habits. Leverage Code Runner for quick JavaScript testing before integrating code into larger applications. Check GitLens blame information before modifying unfamiliar code sections.​

Optimize Git workflows: You can set GitLens to display inline blame annotations only when necessary to eliminate visual clutter. Commit Graph: to understand branch relationships before merging Add Commit information to CodeLens without Hovering.

Speed up API development: Create Thunder Client collections for each project’s API endpoints, organizing requests logically. Set up environment variables for different deployment targets (development, staging, production) to switch contexts instantly. Save collections in your Git repository so team members can import and use the same test configurations.​

Improve documentation practices: In your documentation, use Markdown All in One keyboard shortcuts to format documentation while writing instead of going back and doing cleanup later. Automatic table of contents in long documents to keep the structure of navigation available without any hassle! Preview can be set up side-by-side with editing for instant visual feedback.

Common Extension-Related Issues and Solutions

Even the best extensions occasionally cause problems. Here’s how to troubleshoot common issues:

Extensions not activating: Check whether the extension is enabled from the Extensions view. Some extensions only activate for certain file types/language, open a relevant file to activate. Restart VS Code after installing new extensions if they do not appear right away.​

Performance slowdowns: Too many active extensions can impact editor performance. Disable extensions you rarely use or enable them only for specific workspaces. Check the Output panel for extension error messages that might indicate problems.​

Configuration conflicts: Extensions modifying the same functionality can conflict. If Prettier and ESLint are fighting, configure Prettier to respect ESLint rules using the prettier-eslint package. Disable conflicting extensions and enable them one at a time to identify the culprit.​

Path and environment issues: Code Runner and similar extensions require proper PATH configuration to locate language executors. Verify your system PATH includes the necessary directories for your programming languages. For Node. js-related extensions, ensure npm global packages are in your PATH.​

The Future of VS Code Extensions for Web Development

The extension ecosystem is still rapidly evolving with the evolving web development practices and new technologies. Several trends are shaping the future of VS Code extensions in 2025 and beyond.

AI integration everywhere: Following IntelliCode’s success, more extensions are incorporating AI-powered features for code generation, bug detection, and optimization suggestions. Expect AI assistants to become standard across development tools, not just novelties.​

Enhanced remote development: Extensions supporting remote work, containerized development, and cloud-based coding environments are becoming essential as distributed teams become the norm. Remote SSH and container support are no longer optional for many developers.​​

Improved collaboration features: Real-time collaboration extensions such as Live Share are moving away from being merely screen sharing tools towards full-blown collaborative development environments. Future extensions will include a seamless integration of solo and team development experiences.

Performance optimization focus: Real-time collaboration extensions such as Live Share are moving away from being merely screen sharing tools towards full-blown collaborative development environments. Future extensions will include a seamless integration of solo and team development experiences.

Conclusion: Building Your Perfect Development Environment

Real-time collaboration extensions such as Live Share are moving away from being merely screen sharing tools towards full-blown collaborative development environments. Future extensions will include a seamless integration of solo and team development experiences.

Start with the main productivity tools, Prettier, ESLint, Live Server and then add specific tools based on your projects needs. GitLens changes the way you comprehend code history and collaboration. Auto Rename Tag and Path Intellisense removes little but added up frustrations. Thunder Client brings API testing directly to your editor. IntelliCode offers AI powered help for faster coding. Markdown All in One meets all your documentation needs. Code Runner can support multi-language development without any problem.

Remember that the best extensions are the ones you actually use all the time. Install wisely, configure well, and revisit your extensions list from time to time and make sure that they still meet your needs. The ideal development environment changes as you develop as a developer and as web technologies progress.

The time you spend on properly configuring these extensions will pay off with productivity dividends for years to come. Your future self (the person that gets features into production faster and with fewer bugs) will thank you for taking control of your development environment today.

About the writer

Hassan Tahir wrote this article, drawing on his experience to clarify WordPress concepts and enhance developer understanding. Through his work, he aims to help both beginners and professionals refine their skills and tackle WordPress projects with greater confidence.