🚀 10 Battle-Tested VS Code Extensions to Supercharge Your Development in 2025

Whether you’re a beginner learning HTML, CSS, or a backend wizard optimizing Kubernetes clusters, Visual Studio Code remains the go-to editor for most of the developers in 2025. But out of the box, it’s just the start.

To make VS Code more powerful and use it efficiently, you need the right extensions — tools that reduce context switching, catch bugs early, and boost your workflow.

So, here are 10 VS Code extensions used and loved by developers across all stacks and levels — handpicked to make your code cleaner.

🧠 1. GitHub Copilot

AI pair programmer that suggests whole lines or functions in real-time.

• Saves massive time on boilerplate and common patterns
• Supports most of the languages
• Works even better with good naming and structure
• Both free and paid versions available

📦 GitHub.copilot

✨ 2. Prettier – Code Formatter

Automatically formats your code based on consistent rules.

• Works with JS, TS, CSS, JSON, and much more
• One-click formatting or auto-save on file change
• Great when working with teams to avoid formatting wars

📦 esbenp.prettier-vscode

🧹 3. ESLint

Catch bugs and enforce style before you even run the code.

• Highlights linting errors as you type
• Helps avoid silly bugs and team conflicts
• Pairs well with Prettier for frontend or Node.js work

📦 dbaeumer.vscode-eslint

🔍 4. GitLens

Supercharge Git in VS Code — see who changed what, and why.

• Inline blame annotations
• File history, line history, and commit explorers
• Makes collaboration more transparent and easier

📦 eamodio.gitlens

✅ 5. TODO Tree

Turn inline comments like // TODO into an actionable checklist.

• Visual tree view of all your TODOs
• Click to jump directly to code
• Perfect for solo projects or planning features

📦 gruntfuggly.todo-tree

🌐 6. Live Server

Instantly reload your web page as you save HTML, CSS, or JS files.

• Lightweight and great for frontend developers
• Live preview without needing a build tool
• Supports custom ports and browser choice
• No need to refresh manually after every change

📦 ritwickdey.LiveServer

🔧 7. Thunder Client

A lightweight Postman alternative built right into VS Code.

• Send REST API requests without leaving the editor
• Great for testing local APIs
• Works both online and offline and stores request history

📦 ranga.vscode-thunder-client

🧪 8. REST Client

Write and test .http files directly in VS Code.

• Send GET, POST, and other requests in plain text
• See response status, headers, and body inline
• More scriptable than GUI-based clients

📦 humao.rest-client

🚨 9. Error Lens

Highlights errors and warnings inline, with no need to hover.

• Makes issues impossible to ignore
• Boosts focus during bug fixing
• Customizable styles

📦 usernamehw.errorlens

🔁 10. Tabnine

An AI code completion tool — works offline and respects privacy.

• Auto-suggests code based on millions of open-source files
• Works faster than Copilot in some local setups
• Works well in enterprise teams

📦 tabnine.tabnine-vscode

💡 Bonus: Your Setup, Your Rules

Everyone’s working style is different and unique. These are the tools that work for us — but the best way to build your perfect dev environment is by experimenting more and more everyday.

Here’s a quick tip:

🎯 Don’t install everything at once. Pick 2–3, use them for a week, then revisit.

✍️ Final Thoughts

VS Code is more than an editor — it’s a highly customizable powerhouse. With the right extensions, you can write better code, stay in flow longer, and avoid burnout.