Programming languages and frameworks popularity

Based on VS Code extentions install count

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I aggregated some VS Code extentions installation statistics by different programming languages. And the most popular is Python. Then C++.

See all extensions on VS marketplace site.

some logo of vs code and some ones and zeroes

Popularity statistics

Here is not too much data but gives some idea about languages and frameworks relative popularity.

Summary table

Language Extension Name Maintainer Downloads Stars Command
Dart Dart dartcode.org 11,929,795 5 ext install Dart-Code.dart-code
Flutter ? Flutter dartcode.org 10,817,717 5 ext install Dart-Code.flutter
Go Go go.dev 15,709,940 4.5 ext install golang.Go
Python Python microsoft.com 167,006,727 4 ext install ms-python.python
React ES7+ React/Redux/React-Native snippets dsznajder 14,724,478 4.5 ext install dsznajder.es7-react-js-snippets
Vue Vue - Official vuejs.org 5,265,928 3 ext install Vue.volar
TS TSLint microsoft.com 4,370,258 3 ext install ms-vscode.vscode-typescript-tslint-plugin
npm npm Intellisense Christian Kohler 9,859,024 4.5 ext install christian-kohler.npm-intellisense
C# C# microsoft.com 34,115,695 2.5 ext install ms-dotnettools.csharp
C++ C++ microsoft.com 82,383,828 3.5 ext install s-vscode.cpptools
Java Debugger for Java microsoft.com 40,902,683 4 ext install vscjava.vscode-java-debug

Didn’t expect such popularity from python. But this might be just students are studying machine learning around the world. Or maybe data science?

Another surprise - C++.

Other nice react extensions:

There is like many of other very popular C++ extentions there. Not listing here.

Another conclusion we can draw from this statistics - C# devs are the unhappiest :).

Cloud Providers Statistics

Identifier Extension Name Maintainer Downloads Stars
amazonwebservices.aws-toolkit-vscode AWS Toolkit amazon.com 3,019,891 2.5
ms-vscode.vscode-node-azure-pack Azure Tools microsoft.com 1,696,424 3
googlecloudtools.cloudcode Google Cloud Code google.com 1,643,720 2.5

Downloads and Stars are on 30/04/2025. You can guess which date format this is.

Copilots

Do your own statistics

Other Essential VS Code Extensions for Improving Productivity

Several VS Code extensions are widely recognized for significantly boosting productivity by streamlining workflows, enhancing code quality, and improving project organization. Here are the most essential ones:

1. Prettier – Code Formatter
Automatically formats code for consistency across multiple languages, saving time and eliminating style debates within teams.

2. ESLint
Performs static code analysis to catch errors early, enforce coding standards, and maintain code quality, especially for JavaScript and TypeScript projects.

3. GitLens
Enhances Git integration by providing detailed commit histories, code annotations, and improved version control workflow, making collaboration and code review more efficient.

4. Live Server
Launches a local development server with live reload for static and dynamic pages, enabling instant browser previews and faster feedback during development.

5. Project Manager
Allows quick switching between projects, maintains separate configurations, and auto-detects repositories, reducing time spent on context switching and project setup.

6. Todo Tree
Scans codebases for TODO, FIXME, and custom tags, organizing them in a tree view for easy access and navigation, helping manage tasks directly within the code.

7. Code Spell Checker
Detects spelling errors in code and comments, improving readability and reducing bugs caused by typos in variable and function names.

8. Auto Rename Tag
Automatically renames paired HTML, JSX, or XML tags, reducing syntax errors and saving time during markup editing.

9. REST Client
Enables sending HTTP requests and viewing responses directly in VS Code, streamlining API testing and reducing context switching.

10. Bracket Pair Colorization (Built-in)
Visually distinguishes matching brackets, making code navigation and editing easier, especially in complex files.

These extensions, when combined, can transform VS Code into a highly efficient development environment, improving code quality, project management, and overall workflow productivity.