Looking for the best development environment or platform to write Python programs? Some of the top IDEs and Code Editors are ranked here.

Best Python Development Environments What is a code editor? Text editor with syntax highlighting, code completion, refactoring, etc.

What is an IDE? Code editor, build automation, compiler/interpreter, debugger, package manager, version control, class & function mapping. IDEs:

1. PyCharm – integrated dev environment. Windows, Mac, Linux. Free (Community) and Paid (Professional) versions Editing w/ syntax highlighting, run and debug.

2. Spyder – included in Anaconda. Good for data science, but PyCharm is probably better for anything else.

3. Eclipse + PyDev – Windows, Mac, Linux.

4. Visual Studio Code (Microsoft) – Windows, Mac, Linux.

5. IDLE – Windows, Mac, Linux. — too basic. lacks high-end features. More: Wing, Komodo, Emacs, Eric.

CODE EDITORs:

1. Notepad++ – Windows only. Free. Lighter weight and faster for Windows, but no Mac version.

2. Sublime Text – Windows, Mac, Linux. Free eval, $70.

3. Atom – Windows, Mac, Linux. Free. Browser based. from GitHub.

4. VIM – Windows, Mac, Linux. Jupyter Notebook – awesome browser-based. allows combo of markdown, comments, output in small blocks of code, so perfect for instruction. Enthought Canopy – similar to Anaconda. built in package manager. great for scientific computing. WINNERS: PyCharm, Notepad++, Sublime, Jupyter for Anaconda users, Spyder for Eclipse fanatics, PyDev