10 Best Online IDEs Web Developer to Code When On the Move
Nowadays, smart phones and tablet computers are everywhere. These Internet-connected mobile devices are too good for connecting people, web browsing, playing games, watching videos and listening to music. Apart from communication and entertainment purposes, mobile devices can also be used for work and that includes web development. If you happen to be a web developer who is always on the move, instead of bringing your heavy laptop everywhere why don’t you develop websites using tablet or smartphone while having a coffee at Starbucks? Isn’t it cool?
Online IDEs (Integrated Development Environment) are the common web development platforms embraced by many web developers who code using their mobile devices. These online IDEs make use of the cloud allowing you to develop anywhere, by using any machine as long as there’s an Internet connection. Forget about setting up Apache, Ruby, Python, C, C#, or others. All you have to do is access IDE through a browser on your tablet computer and start coding.
Without further ado, here’s a list of 10 commonly used online IDEs you can try out!
1. CodeSandbox
CodeSandbox is an excellent online IDE designed for front-end and full-stack web development. The platform enables a fast and intuitive way to create, edit or deploy web projects directly in your browser. Developers can pick from templates that include the most popular libraries and applications such as React, Vue, Angular, with built-in support for NPM packages and GitHub integration. Its live preview and collaborative editing features provide a good user experience like that of VS Code and make it appealing to developers and learners alike and therefore endures as an IDE of choice. CodeSandbox supports container-based development (Glitch) and has also incorporated support for server-side environments (serverless) making it practical for coding while exploiting physical space of both client-side and server-side on the go.
2. Replit
Replit is an all-in-one, cloud-based integrated development environment (IDE) that can work with over 50 different programming languages (HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for web development) and allows users to write, run, and deploy web code all in the browser with zero setup. With real-time collaboration capabilities, AI code assistance, an in-browser terminal, and deployment functionality, Replit has an almost limitless range of capabilities that make it useful for learners, prototypers, and remote workers to code anywhere, anytime seamlessly and efficiently. Replit “Repls” can be forked and shared, and users can even deploy full-stack applications directly from the development page.
3. StackBlitz
StackBlitz provides a browser-based development environment that is ultra fast using WebContainers. Developers can quickly and easily create Angular, React, Vue, and Next.js apps with a startup and live preview instantaneously. StackBlitz pumps out a local development environment simulating some of the best features of NPM and GitHub repositories, but without the need to install anything. With built in offline support and it automatically managing dependencies, StackBlitz can be used coding when on the go. Users can edit code from scratch, change their code, see changes dynamic, and share their project via URL. StackBlitz is particularly useful for demos, documentation, and educational use.
4. JSFiddle
JSFiddle is a featherweight and speedy web-based code editor for front-end developers. It supports HTML, CSS, and JavaScript and allows you to quickly write, test, and share small code snippets or user interface prototypes in real-time. You can easily add or include libraries like jQuery or Vue with external resources. JSFiddle allows for side-by-side live previews and is great for quickly testing various pieces of front-end logic on the fly. It isn’t a full IDE but its ease of use, simplicity, or speed makes it a tool for debugging and collaborative development; especially when developers need to check a code snippet quickly while they are on-the-go.
5. GitHub Codespaces
GitHub Codespaces provides a full development environment running Visual Studio Code in your browser. Integration with GitHub provides developers on GitHub a fast, simple way to start customizable, container based dev environments from any repository. Codespaces has extensions, terminals, and debugging tools, just like on a local installation. I encourage anyone coding on open-source projects or in team projects to invest some time in figuring out how Codespaces can immediately improve other users experiences when they join your project. No more explanation or steps to set up your environment. Codespaces can be particularly helpful for your web developers who can really leverage the cloud-based set up. It can be like their programming on a tablet or simply another machine but getting a productive experience.
6. Glitch
Glitch is a simple online coding platform for building, remixing, and hosting web apps in your browser. Glitch is often used for Node.js and front-end JavaScript projects. It also enables live collaboration, instant deployment, instant live previews, and allows you to remix other GitHub projects or start from scratch. Glitch is often used by creators, educators, and developers experimenting with new ideas. Glitch’s interface is friendly to new coders, you can host instantly, and it saves all files automatically, making it a great platform for building quick prototypes, bots, or interactive web experiences. Glitch is also great because it can be used in the classroom, and on or off campus – just use any device with a web browser.
7. CodePen
CodePen is a social development environment for front end designers and developers. It enables users to write and see webpages that use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript directly in the browser in a live preview. CodePen is popular in particular for making and showcasing UI components, building animations, and frontend experimentation and prototypes. CodePen has support for pre-processors, such as Sass and Babel, external libraries, and collaborative sharing. CodePen’s community-based sharing interface further fosters inspiration and learning with other users, who can share Pens. While this is not a full-featured IDE, it is fast and easy to use, making it a really good option for simple visual coding, demos, and prototyping on the go.
8. AWS Cloud9
AWS Cloud9, Amazon’s cloud-based integrated development environment (IDE), provides a flexible environment to write, run, and debug code in any web browser. Cloud9 includes a code editor, terminal, and debugger. Cloud9 supports several programming and markup languages, including JavaScript, Python, and PHP. AWS Cloud9 is integrates with all of AWS services, to allow easy development of serverless applications or deployment of applications directly to AWS. Cloud9 provides collaborative coding, customizable environment, and the previewing feature that allows real-time clicking—making it a great option for a professional developer if you want some heavy tools when working on the road or at home.
9. PaizaCloud IDE
PaizaCloud IDE is a fast, cloud-hosted development environment that supports week multiple languages including JavaScript, Python, Ruby, and PHP. Its light-weight Linux environment gives you root access, built in web servers, and is great for full-stack development. Developers can create and execute web apps immediately within a browser without installation. PaizaCloud simplifies deployment. You have GUI-based tools, terminal access, and cloud storage. PaizaCloud has a low learning curve and is extremely fast, making it a great option for developer trying to rapidly develop in a fully functioning portable environment.
10. PlayCode
PlayCode is an easy to use online JavaScript playground that allows users to test front-end code live in a real time environment. It supports HTML, CSS, JavaScript and also supports frameworks like React and TypeScript. PlayCode has a live preview area that makes it easy for developers to see any changes instantly as they code! With syntax highlighting, console output, external library support, and responsive layout simulation, PlayCode is a useful tool for prototyping, debugging, and experimenting quickly. It doesn’t require a sign up, and can be run directly from a browser – making it even easier for web developers to test their ideas from mobile devices, or remote locations.
Tags: coding, open source, web app, web development resources