Top 10 VS Code Extensions to Boost Coding Skills 2025

Peacock is a game-changer when it comes to project organization. This extension allows you to easily change the background color of your VS Code workspace based on the project you’re working on. Not only does this make your editor visually appealing, but it also helps you instantly identify the correct project window—avoiding accidental edits in the wrong codebase. If you often juggle between client projects or different environments (like development, staging, and production), Peacock ensures you stay focused and error-free.

GitLens supercharges the built-in Git capabilities of VS Code, making it easier to visualize code authorship, explore commit history, and understand the “why” behind every change. It displays detailed blame annotations and lets you navigate through past commits seamlessly—all without leaving your editor. Whether you’re working solo or collaborating with a team, GitLens helps you keep track of changes, resolve conflicts faster, and maintain cleaner, well-documented code.

Prettier is the ultimate time-saver for developers who value clean, uniform code. It automatically formats your files based on industry-standard or custom rules the moment you save them. No more team arguments over tabs vs spaces or inconsistent quotation marks—Prettier enforces the same style for everyone, across every file, making your codebase easier to read, debug, and maintain. In fast-paced projects, this extension acts as your silent “style police,” ensuring every line looks professional and production-ready.

Live Share transforms how developers work together. With a single click, you can invite teammates to join your coding session in real time—whether they’re in the same office or on another continent. Collaborators can edit code, navigate files, and debug alongside you without setting up the project locally. This makes it a game-changer for remote teams, live troubleshooting, mentoring sessions, and hackathons. The best part? You can share terminal access, run commands, and even debug together—just like being side-by-side in the same room.

The Docker extension brings the full power of containerization right into VS Code. You can build, run, and debug containers without switching to the CLI or an external dashboard. It’s perfect for microservices architectures, cloud-native apps, and projects requiring consistent, isolated environments. Need to quickly inspect a container, restart services, or view logs? You can do it all from the sidebar—making development, testing, and deployment smoother than ever. It’s a must-have for anyone working with scalable, production-grade systems in 2025.

REST Client eliminates the need to constantly switch to tools like Postman. You can send HTTP requests, inspect JSON responses, and test endpoints directly inside VS Code—perfect for rapid API development. Whether you’re debugging an authentication flow, checking response times, or validating new endpoints, REST Client keeps your focus in one place. You can save request templates for future use, making repetitive testing fast and effortless. It’s like having a full-featured API testing lab inside your editor.

Live Server is every frontend developer’s best friend. With a single click, it launches a local server and refreshes your browser instantly whenever you save changes to HTML, CSS, or JavaScript. This real-time feedback loop helps you catch design tweaks, layout issues, and JavaScript errors immediately. Whether you’re prototyping a new feature, styling a landing page, or experimenting with animations, Live Server lets you iterate at lightning speed—without constant manual reloads.

Better Comments helps you communicate more effectively through your code. It color-codes comments into categories like TODOs, warnings, highlights, and questions—making them stand out visually in your files. This makes your annotations easier to spot during reviews and far more useful when you revisit old code months later. It’s an excellent tool for collaborative projects, onboarding new developers, or simply keeping your personal projects well-organized and self-explanatory.

Code Spell Checker scans your codebase for typos in variables, function names, comments, and strings. It’s a small detail that makes a big difference—improving readability, professionalism, and reducing embarrassing errors that could slip into production. Ideal for both native English speakers and those coding in a second language, this extension ensures your code communicates clearly to every future reader or collaborator.

Code Runner is perfect for quick testing without full project setup. It supports dozens of languages, allowing you to instantly execute snippets and view output right inside VS Code. Need to try a quick Python function, test a JavaScript array method, or debug a small C++ loop? Just highlight the code and run—it’s that simple. For learning new languages, experimenting with algorithms, or building quick utilities, Code Runner saves time and keeps your workflow smooth.