Developer Productivity: Top VS Code Extensions for Faster Coding

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) has quickly become the most popular code editor among developers worldwide. Lightweight, flexible, and highly customisable, it becomes even more powerful when you add the right extensions. But with thousands of options available, which ones are truly worth installing to boost your productivity?

In this post, let’s explore the top VS Code extensions that save time, reduce context switching, and make your coding sessions more efficient.

1. Prettier – Code Formatter

Keeping code clean and consistent across a team is hard. Prettier automates code formatting with just one command, so you don’t have to argue about tabs vs spaces ever again. It works seamlessly with most languages and integrates into your workflow effortlessly.

✅ Pro Tip: Enable format on save in settings to never worry about formatting again.

2. GitLens – Git Supercharged

If you use Git daily, GitLens is a game-changer. It shows you who last touched a line of code, commit history, blame annotations, and even lets you visualize repositories in detail.

✅ Pro Tip: Pair GitLens with VS Code’s built-in Source Control for a complete Git workflow without leaving your editor.

3. Copilot / Codeium – AI Assistance

AI-powered autocomplete tools like GitHub Copilot or Codeium help you generate code snippets, test cases, or even boilerplate functions. They drastically cut down time spent writing repetitive code and can spark new approaches.

✅ Pro Tip: Don’t blindly trust suggestions—use AI tools as accelerators, not replacements for logic.

4. Path Intellisense

Tired of typing out long file paths? Path Intellisense auto-completes filenames and folder names as you type, saving keystrokes and avoiding typos. It’s especially useful in projects with deep directory structures.

5. Live Server

Perfect for web developers, Live Server spins up a local dev server with hot reload. Any changes you make to HTML, CSS, or JS instantly reflect in your browser. It’s simple, fast, and eliminates the need to manually refresh.

6. REST Client

When testing APIs, you don’t always want to switch to Postman or curl. REST Client lets you make HTTP requests directly inside VS Code. You can write .http files, run requests, and see responses inline.

✅ Pro Tip: Great for keeping API tests alongside your backend project.

7. Error Lens

No more squinting at the Problems panel! Error Lens highlights errors and warnings directly in your code editor, making debugging faster and more visual.

8. Peacock

Working across multiple projects? Peacock lets you color-code your VS Code workspace so you can quickly identify which project you’re in. It’s a small change, but it makes context switching less painful.

Why These Matter?

The right extensions can turn VS Code into more than just an editor—it becomes a full productivity environment. Instead of wasting time juggling external tools, you can keep everything in one place and focus on writing great code.

Pro Tip

Start small. Don’t install every extension you come across. Pick 3–4 that directly solve your biggest daily pain points, and expand gradually.

👉 Which VS Code extensions do you rely on every day? Drop them in the comments — you might help another developer discover their next favourite tool.