Buying guide
TLDR: Visual Studio Code is my first pick for most web developers on a Mac. It is free, works across platforms, and has room to grow with your work. Choose a simpler text editor for quick file changes, or a focused IDE when you want more web tools built in.
Read the guideTLDR: Start with Visual Studio Code if you want a free editor with room to grow. Try WebStorm if you want more web tools built in. Its refactoring tools help you change the structure of a large JavaScript or TypeScript project. You must pay to use WebStorm for commercial work.
Read the comparisonTLDR: Keep Visual Studio Code if your setup works well and you want a free editor with a broad choice of tools. Try Cursor if you want AI agents at the center of your coding work. VS Code also supports agents, so compare the actual workflow and total cost before you switch.
Read the comparisonTLDR: Choose Visual Studio Code for most web work. It is free, with a terminal, Git tools, and debugging built in. Choose Sublime Text for a focused text editor. Add the tools you need as you go.
Read the comparison