SPECS

VSCodium

Versatile Development IDE


For full documentation visit vscodium.com.


VSCodium is a community-driven, 100% free and open-source binary distribution of Microsoft’s popular code editor, Visual Studio Code. The project automatically clones Microsoft's open-source vscode repository, strips out proprietary tracking and telemetry code, and compiles clean binaries under the liberal MIT license. Think of it like Chromium is to Google Chrome—it provides the exact same look, feel, and performance without the corporate tracking.


Why VSCodium Exists

  • No Telemetry: Standard VS Code tracks background data like file extensions, installed plugins, and session length by default. VSCodium completely deletes this telemetry.

  • True Open-Source License: While the core code of VS Code is open source, the official executable you download from Microsoft is licensed under a restrictive, proprietary license. VSCodium is fully MIT-licensed.

  • No Build Hassle: Instead of forcing privacy-conscious developers to compile the massive VS Code source code manually, the VSCodium GitHub Organization handles the build automation and provides ready-to-run installation packages.


Core Differences vs. Microsoft VS Code

While the two editors look and behave identically on a day-to-day basis, there are critical structural differences regarding plugins and services:

Feature Microsoft VS Code VSCodium
License Proprietary MIT License (Fully Open Source)
Telemetry Enabled by default (Opt-out) Permanently removed
Default Extension Store Microsoft Extension Marketplace Open VSX Registry
Proprietary Plugins Fully supported Restricted or requires manual workarounds


The Extension Situation

Because Microsoft's marketplace Terms of Service restrict its use to official Microsoft products, VSCodium switches its default extension store to the Open VSX Registry.

  • What works: Most common, open-source plugins (like standard Git extensions or standard language servers) are fully available and update seamlessly.

  • What requires work: Certain proprietary Microsoft-branded extensions—such as Live Share, C# Dev Kit, or official C/C++ debugging tools—are hardcoded to block non-Microsoft builds. You can manually install .vsix packages or tweak configuration files, but it violates Microsoft's marketplace licensing rules.


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