Best Application Development Software for GitHub Copilot

Visual Studio Code is a highly extensible AI-powered code editor built for developers who demand flexibility and performance. It combines intelligent coding assistance, modern debugging tools, and collaboration features in one lightweight package. With Agent Mode, VS Code reads your codebase, runs terminal commands, and edits across files automatically until tasks are complete. Its Next Edit Suggestions feature predicts and completes your next move as you type, enhancing speed and code accuracy. The Model Context Protocol (MCP) enables developers to connect their favorite AI models—from OpenAI, Anthropic, Azure, or Google—and extend functionality through custom servers. Developers can work in any language, from JavaScript and Python to C#, Java, and Go, while leveraging over 75,000 extensions for added productivity. Seamless integration with GitHub Codespaces, cloud storage, and CI/CD tools allows teams to code, collaborate, and deploy anywhere. Open-source at its core, VS Code empowers both individuals and enterprises to innovate without limits.

IntelliJ IDEA is a powerful and versatile IDE tailored for professional Java and Kotlin developers who want to maximize their productivity and code quality. It provides comprehensive support across the entire development process, including design, coding, debugging, testing, and deployment. With smart code analysis, safe refactoring, and error detection, IntelliJ IDEA minimizes bugs and technical debt so developers can focus on innovation. The latest version adds full support for Java 24 features and enables Kotlin’s K2 mode by default, improving performance and memory efficiency. New interactive Kotlin notebooks allow real-time prototyping and data visualization within the IDE. IntelliJ IDEA also includes advanced debugging tools like the Spring Debugger for managing dynamic database connections. JetBrains prioritizes developer comfort with an intuitive interface and customizable settings. The IDE adheres to strict privacy and security standards, ensuring developers’ data remains protected.

GitHub stands as the leading platform for developers globally, renowned for its security, scalability, and community appreciation. By joining the ranks of millions of developers and businesses, you can contribute to the software that drives the world forward. Collaborate within the most inventive communities, all while utilizing our top-tier tools, support, and services. If you're overseeing various contributors, take advantage of our free GitHub Team for Open Source option. Additionally, GitHub Sponsors is available to assist in financing your projects. We're thrilled to announce the return of The Pack, where we’ve teamed up to provide students and educators with complimentary access to premier developer tools throughout the academic year and beyond. Furthermore, if you work for a recognized nonprofit, association, or a 501(c)(3), we offer a discounted Organization account to support your mission. With these offerings, GitHub continues to empower diverse users in their software development journeys.

Microsoft Azure serves as a versatile cloud computing platform that facilitates swift and secure development, testing, and management of applications. With Azure, you can innovate purposefully, transforming your concepts into actionable solutions through access to over 100 services that enable you to build, deploy, and manage applications in various environments—be it in the cloud, on-premises, or at the edge—utilizing your preferred tools and frameworks. The continuous advancements from Microsoft empower your current development needs while also aligning with your future product aspirations. Committed to open-source principles and accommodating all programming languages and frameworks, Azure allows you the freedom to build in your desired manner and deploy wherever it suits you best. Whether you're operating on-premises, in the cloud, or at the edge, Azure is ready to adapt to your current setup. Additionally, it offers services tailored for hybrid cloud environments, enabling seamless integration and management. Security is a foundational aspect, reinforced by a team of experts and proactive compliance measures that are trusted by enterprises, governments, and startups alike. Ultimately, Azure represents a reliable cloud solution, backed by impressive performance metrics that validate its trustworthiness. This platform not only meets your needs today but also equips you for the evolving challenges of tomorrow.

Introducing Xcode 12, which features a fresh design perfectly suited for macOS Big Sur. This version boasts customizable font sizes for the navigator, improved code completion, and innovative document tabs, making the coding experience more efficient and visually appealing. By default, Xcode 12 creates Universal apps that seamlessly run on Macs equipped with Apple Silicon without requiring any code alterations. With its layout tailored for macOS Big Sur, Xcode 12 showcases a navigator sidebar that extends to the top of the window and features distinctly clear toolbar buttons. The larger default font enhances readability, while users can select from various size options to suit their preferences. The introduction of new document tabs simplifies the organization of files within your workspace, allowing for a more structured workflow. This tab model enables users to effortlessly open new tabs with a double-click or keep track of selected files as they navigate. Furthermore, document tabs can be rearranged to form a cohesive set of files, and users have the ability to customize how content is displayed in each tab for optimal efficiency. Overall, Xcode 12 enhances the development experience with its thoughtful design and user-friendly features.

Visual Studio by Microsoft is a complete ecosystem for professional developers, combining robust coding environments, integrated AI capabilities, and advanced collaboration tools. The flagship Visual Studio 2022 IDE delivers an all-in-one workspace with compilers, debuggers, designers, and performance profilers for .NET, C++, C#, and Azure development. Meanwhile, Visual Studio Code (VS Code) offers a lightweight yet powerful editor that runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, ideal for web, JavaScript, Python, and container-based workflows. With GitHub Copilot integration, developers receive intelligent code completions, automated refactoring, and natural language explanations of complex logic. Agent Mode introduces an AI-driven assistant that can edit across files, execute builds, and resolve compile or test errors autonomously. Built-in tools like unit test generators, CI-aware policy enforcement, and style validation help ensure clean, testable, and secure code. Thousands of extensions from the Visual Studio Marketplace expand functionality for database, cloud, and DevOps workflows. Together, these platforms redefine productivity, helping teams code smarter and deliver innovation faster.

React simplifies the process of building interactive user interfaces by allowing developers to design straightforward views for each state of their application. When your data changes, React intelligently updates and renders only the components that need to be altered, ensuring efficiency. The use of declarative views contributes to a more predictable coding experience and facilitates debugging. You can create self-contained components that maintain their own state and combine them to construct intricate UIs. Since the logic for these components is implemented in JavaScript rather than templates, it allows for seamless data transfer throughout the application while keeping the state separate from the DOM. React does not impose restrictions on your technology stack, enabling you to introduce new features in React without the necessity of overhauling your existing codebase. Each React component features a render() method that accepts input data and determines what should be displayed. This particular example employs an XML-like syntax known as JSX, and the input data provided to the component can be accessed through this.props within the render() method. Overall, this flexibility makes React a powerful tool for modern web development.

The Java™ Programming Language is designed as a versatile, concurrent, and strongly typed object-oriented language that utilizes a class-based structure. Typically, it is translated into bytecode that adheres to the specifications laid out in the Java Virtual Machine Specification. In this language, developers write source code in standard text files that conclude with the .java suffix. These source files are subsequently transformed into .class files through the use of the javac compiler. Unlike native processor code, a .class file comprises bytecodes, which serve as the machine language understood by the Java Virtual Machine (Java VM). To execute an application, the java launcher tool creates an instance of the Java Virtual Machine, allowing the compiled bytecode to run seamlessly. This process exemplifies the efficiency and portability that Java offers across various computing environments.

Cursor is an AI-native integrated development environment (IDE) engineered to transform how software is written, reviewed, and deployed. Trusted by millions of professional developers, it merges human creativity with machine intelligence through features like Agent, a fully autonomous collaborator that turns ideas into executable code, and Tab, an adaptive autocompletion system that predicts your next move with precision. Cursor’s deep codebase indexing allows it to instantly understand large and complex repositories, enabling smart search, refactoring, and context-aware suggestions across files. With multi-model flexibility, developers can choose from leading AI models—OpenAI’s GPT-5, Anthropic’s Claude 4.5, Google’s Gemini 2.5, or xAI’s Grok Code—to match specific performance and reasoning needs. Cursor integrates effortlessly into existing workflows, acting as a teammate in GitHub, Slack, and other key tools. Its interface balances autonomy and control, letting users decide whether to perform quick edits, plan-mode changes, or let the agent operate end-to-end. Designed for individual creators and large enterprises alike, Cursor improves velocity, reduces cognitive load, and enhances collaboration across distributed teams. It’s more than an editor—it’s the next frontier in developer productivity.

At the heart of extensible programming lies the definition of functions. Python supports both mandatory and optional parameters, keyword arguments, and even allows for arbitrary lists of arguments. Regardless of whether you're just starting out in programming or you have years of experience, Python is accessible and straightforward to learn. This programming language is particularly welcoming for beginners, while still offering depth for those familiar with other programming environments. The subsequent sections provide an excellent foundation to embark on your Python programming journey! The vibrant community organizes numerous conferences and meetups for collaborative coding and sharing ideas. Additionally, Python's extensive documentation serves as a valuable resource, and the mailing lists keep users connected. The Python Package Index (PyPI) features a vast array of third-party modules that enrich the Python experience. With both the standard library and community-contributed modules, Python opens the door to limitless programming possibilities, making it a versatile choice for developers of all levels.

Neovim boasts a first-class API that is easily discoverable, versioned, and well-documented. Its use of MessagePack for structured communication allows for extensions to be created in any programming language. Remote plugins operate as co-processes, ensuring safety and asynchronous execution. Various platforms such as GUIs, IDEs, and web browsers can seamlessly integrate Neovim as their editing tool or scripting host. This consistency extends across all environments, utilizing a single build type and command. It also offers modern terminal capabilities, including cursor styling, focus events, and bracketed paste functionality. With a built-in terminal emulator and sensible defaults, Neovim maintains full compatibility with Vim's editing model and Vimscript v1. If you are transitioning from Vim, starting with :help nvim-from-vim is recommended. The current stable release is version 0.5 (RSS), and interested users can check the roadmap for updates and future objectives. Neovim aims to facilitate new applications while maintaining its commitment to Vim's established functionalities, all while featuring 30% less source code than Vim. Additionally, while Lua is integrated into Neovim, it also offers support for Vimscript through the most sophisticated Vimscript engine available, which includes an AST-producing parser for enhanced performance. This dual support allows users to leverage their existing scripts while exploring the capabilities of Lua.

Select the tools that best suit your needs, and we will handle everything else. Create an ideal CI/CD stack tailored to your organization's objectives without the worry of vendor lock-in. By eliminating the need for manual scripts and complex toolchain automation, your engineers can concentrate on your main business activities. Our pipeline workflows utilize a declarative approach, allowing you to prioritize essential tasks over the methods used to achieve them, covering aspects such as software builds, security assessments, unit testing, and deployment processes. With the help of Blueprints, you can troubleshoot any issues directly within Opsera, thanks to a detailed console output for each step of your pipeline's execution. Gain a holistic view of your CI/CD journey with extensive software delivery analytics, tracking metrics like Lead Time, Change Failure Rate, Deployment Frequency, and Time to Restore. Additionally, benefit from contextualized logs that facilitate quicker resolutions while enhancing auditing and compliance measures, ensuring that your operations remain efficient and transparent. This streamlined approach not only promotes better productivity but also empowers teams to innovate more freely.

Zed is an advanced code editor crafted for seamless collaboration between humans and AI, emphasizing high performance. Developed entirely in Rust to maximize the efficiency of multiple CPU cores and GPU resources, it allows for the integration of emerging LLMs into your coding workflow for tasks such as code generation, transformation, and analysis. The platform facilitates real-time communication with team members, enabling collaborative note-taking, screen sharing, and project management. With its multibuffer system, users can edit selected excerpts from the entire codebase on a single interface. It also supports inline code evaluation through Jupyter runtimes, allowing for joint notebook editing. Zed is compatible with numerous programming languages, thanks to Tree-sitter, WebAssembly, and the Language Server Protocol. Its quick native terminal is integrated with Zed's language-aware task runner and AI features, enhancing productivity. The editor offers first-class modal editing through Vim bindings, incorporating functionalities such as text objects and marks for efficient navigation. Built by a diverse global community of thousands of developers, Zed encourages users to enhance their experience with a wide array of extensions that expand language capabilities, provide various themes, and more. Furthermore, its user-friendly design aims to streamline development workflows, making it an ideal choice for programmers looking to elevate their coding efficiency.

Ona, the evolution of Gitpod, is built to help teams move beyond traditional IDEs by serving as a central hub for modern software engineering. Its sandboxed environments run with full OS-level isolation, giving developers secure and consistent setups whether hosted in the cloud or on private infrastructure. With Ona Agents, teams can automate repetitive tasks, accelerate handoffs, parallelize work, and receive real-time support across scoping, coding, reviewing, and documentation. The platform ensures that developers can seamlessly switch between agent conversations, browser-based VS Code Web, or desktop IDEs without losing productivity. Enterprise-level guardrails reinforce compliance by offering detailed audit trails, network controls, and fine-grained organizational policies. Ona is already trusted by global enterprises in industries like banking and pharmaceuticals, highlighting its reliability at scale. Integrations with GitHub, GitLab, Redis, MongoDB, and AWS make it easy to connect existing workflows without disruption. With SOC 2 certification, GDPR compliance, and WCAGAA accessibility standards, Ona sets the standard for secure and inclusive developer productivity.

Django is an advanced web framework for Python that promotes swift development and emphasizes straightforward, practical design. Created by skilled developers, it alleviates many of the complexities associated with web development, allowing you to concentrate on building your application without the need to start from scratch. The framework was crafted to enable developers to transform their ideas into fully functioning applications in the shortest time possible. Prioritizing security, Django assists developers in sidestepping numerous prevalent security pitfalls. Many of the most active websites utilize Django's capability to scale rapidly and adapt flexibly to varying demands. The framework comes equipped with numerous built-in features designed to tackle various common web development challenges. Moreover, Django efficiently manages essential tasks such as user authentication, content administration, site maps, RSS feeds, and much more — all available right from the start, making it a powerful tool for developers. Its comprehensive toolset ensures that developers can implement various functionalities with minimal effort, enhancing productivity and project turnaround time.

In the last twenty years, Rails has propelled numerous businesses to reach millions of users and achieve valuations in the billions. More than six thousand contributors have written code for Rails, while countless others have played vital roles in community engagement through advocacy, documentation, and reporting issues. It handles a variety of tasks such as rendering HTML templates, updating databases, managing email communications, maintaining real-time pages with WebSockets, queuing jobs for asynchronous execution, and storing uploads in the cloud, all while ensuring robust security against common vulnerabilities. Databases become dynamic with business logic encapsulated in intricate objects, which model associations between tables, trigger callbacks upon saving, encrypt sensitive information effortlessly, and articulate SQL queries in a clear manner. Controllers serve as the bridge between the domain model and the web, processing incoming parameters, managing caching headers, and rendering templates, ultimately responding with either HTML or JSON formats. This seamless integration of features makes Rails a powerful framework for modern web development.

Laravel is an innovative web application framework known for its expressive and elegant syntax. We've established a solid foundation that allows you to focus on creativity without getting bogged down by trivial details. Our passion for clean code mirrors your own, and the simple yet powerful syntax places incredible capabilities right at your fingertips. Every feature has been meticulously designed to ensure a delightful developer experience. You can easily dispatch background jobs for lengthy operations such as sending emails and generating reports, all while keeping response times incredibly fast. Eliminate the hassle of authentication; Laravel offers built-in scaffolding for secure, session-based authentication, and with Laravel Sanctum, implementing authentication for APIs and mobile apps becomes a breeze. Furthermore, Laravel is dedicated to providing an unparalleled testing experience that you will truly appreciate. Say goodbye to fragile tests that are difficult to manage; instead, enjoy beautiful testing APIs, efficient database seeding, and seamless browser testing, empowering you to deploy your applications with complete confidence. This comprehensive approach aims to enhance both productivity and satisfaction for developers in every project.

Discover an effective method for creating applications using Angular that allows you to leverage your code and skills for multiple deployment platforms, including web, mobile web, native mobile, and native desktop. Experience optimal performance on the Web Platform today and enhance it further through the use of Web Workers and server-side rendering techniques. Angular empowers you to manage scalability effectively, enabling you to meet substantial data needs by constructing data models with tools like RxJS, Immutable.js, or other push-based frameworks. Quickly develop features using straightforward, declarative templates, while also having the ability to expand the template language by incorporating your own components alongside a diverse selection of pre-existing ones. Gain immediate Angular-specific assistance and feedback across nearly all integrated development environments and text editors. This cohesive approach ensures that you can prioritize crafting exceptional applications instead of grappling with code issues. Ultimately, from initial prototype to widespread deployment, Angular provides the productivity and scalable framework necessary to support some of Google's largest applications, ensuring your projects can grow seamlessly.

Flask is a minimalistic WSGI web application framework that prioritizes simplicity and rapid development, making it accessible for beginners while also being capable of supporting complex projects. Originally, it served as a basic wrapper around Werkzeug and Jinja but has since evolved into one of the leading frameworks for web development in Python. It provides recommendations without imposing strict requirements on dependencies or project structures, giving developers the freedom to select their preferred tools and libraries. Furthermore, the community has contributed a wide array of extensions, facilitating the integration of additional features and functionality into applications. This flexibility and support have contributed to Flask's widespread adoption and enduring popularity among developers.

Dynamic, adaptable, and efficient, PHP supports a wide range of applications, including personal blogs and the most visited sites globally. The PHP development team has just released PHP version 8.0.20, making it readily available for users. Moreover, when navigating the PHP.net website, you don't even need to locate a search box to find the information you seek promptly. Instead, you can take advantage of concise PHP.net URLs to reach specific pages directly, enhancing your browsing experience. This streamlined access allows developers and users alike to engage more effectively with PHP resources.

Engaging in Swift programming is both enjoyable and interactive, as its syntax is not only concise but also highly expressive, incorporating modern features that developers appreciate. Designed with safety in mind, Swift enables the creation of software that operates at remarkable speeds. This programming language is the culmination of cutting-edge research into language design, paired with extensive experience in developing for Apple platforms. The use of named parameters is facilitated by a clear syntax, enhancing the readability and maintainability of APIs in Swift. A noteworthy convenience is the omission of semi-colons, allowing for a more streamlined coding experience. Additionally, inferred types contribute to a cleaner codebase and reduce the likelihood of errors, while modules eliminate the need for headers and create organized namespaces. To effectively cater to various international languages and even emojis, Swift strings are Unicode-compliant and utilize a UTF-8 encoding for optimized performance across diverse applications. Moreover, writing concurrent code becomes straightforward with intuitive built-in keywords that delineate asynchronous behavior, enhancing both code clarity and reliability. This combination of features makes Swift an appealing choice for developers aiming to create efficient and robust applications.

Curious about the widespread appeal of Ruby? Its advocates describe it as a beautifully crafted, artistic language, while also highlighting its practicality and usefulness. Since being publicly launched in 1995, Ruby has garnered a loyal following of programmers from all corners of the globe. By 2006, Ruby had reached a level of widespread acceptance, with user groups emerging in major cities around the world and Ruby-focused conferences attracting large crowds. The Ruby-Talk mailing list, which serves as the main forum for discussions regarding the language, reached an impressive average of 200 messages daily during that year. However, in more recent times, the volume of messages has decreased as the community has diversified into numerous smaller groups. Ruby consistently ranks among the top 10 in various indices evaluating the growth and popularity of programming languages globally, such as the TIOBE index. A significant factor contributing to this rise is the increasing prominence of software developed in Ruby, most notably the Ruby on Rails web framework, which has played a pivotal role in its adoption by developers. The combination of elegance and functionality continues to attract new users to the Ruby community.

TypeScript introduces enhanced syntax to JavaScript, facilitating a more seamless connection with your development environment. This allows for early detection of errors within the editor. The code written in TypeScript is ultimately transformed into JavaScript, making it executable in various environments, including web browsers, Node.js, Deno, and mobile applications. With its capability to comprehend JavaScript, TypeScript employs type inference, enabling excellent tooling while minimizing the need for additional coding. In the 2020 State of JS survey, 78% of respondents reported using TypeScript, with a remarkable 93% expressing their intention to continue its use. The prevalent type of mistakes made by developers are often categorized as type errors, where an unexpected value type is encountered in a given context. Such errors can stem from trivial mistakes like typos, misunderstandings of a library's API, incorrect assumptions regarding runtime behavior, or other forms of oversight. Ultimately, utilizing TypeScript can significantly enhance code quality and developer productivity by reducing these common pitfalls.

Thanks to a comprehensive array of tools and APIs available from leading cloud providers, developing services in Go has never been more accessible. The language's extensive open-source libraries, combined with its powerful standard library, make it ideal for crafting swift and sophisticated command-line interfaces. Go's exceptional memory management and compatibility with multiple integrated development environments enhance its capability to drive rapid and scalable web applications. With quick compilation times and a clean syntax, along with built-in formatting and documentation tools, Go is tailored to meet the needs of both DevOps professionals and site reliability engineers. This is a deep dive into everything related to Go. Whether you are embarking on a fresh project or looking to refine your existing Go skills, there’s a structured interactive introduction that is divided into three parts. Each part offers practical exercises to reinforce your understanding, and the Playground feature allows users to write Go code directly in a browser, which is then compiled, linked, and executed on our servers instantly. This hands-on approach makes learning Go not only effective but also enjoyable.

GitHub Advanced Security empowers developers and security professionals to collaborate effectively in addressing security debt while preventing new vulnerabilities from entering code through features such as AI-driven remediation, static analysis, secret scanning, and software composition analysis. With Copilot Autofix, code scanning identifies vulnerabilities, offers contextual insights, and proposes solutions within pull requests as well as for past alerts, allowing teams to manage their application security debt more efficiently. Additionally, targeted security campaigns can produce autofixes for up to 1,000 alerts simultaneously, significantly lowering the susceptibility to application vulnerabilities and zero-day exploits. The secret scanning feature, equipped with push protection, safeguards over 200 types of tokens and patterns from a diverse array of more than 150 service providers, including hard-to-detect secrets like passwords and personally identifiable information. Backed by a community of over 100 million developers and security experts, GitHub Advanced Security delivers the necessary automation and insights to help teams release more secure software on time, ultimately fostering greater trust in the applications they build. This comprehensive approach not only enhances security but also streamlines workflows, making it easier for teams to prioritize and address potential threats.