Choose from the best Swift IDEs and code editors to use in 2023 and boost your Swift productivity.
Swift is a programming language created by Apple and used to create iOS, macOS, Apple TV, and Apple Watch apps. Because Apple products are so dominant in many markets, the rise of Swift has been phenomenal and has led to several of the best/best Swift IDE products hitting the market. And whether you work for one of the many Quick Services or a Swift development company you'll need to have the right tools to make developing with Swift easier.
What tools? For most developers, this means a full-featured IDE or a solid text editor built with programming in mind. Fortunately, there are many options available. But what is right for you? Let's take a look at some of the top Swift IDEs and text editors available so you can decide which tool is best suited for your development style and workflow.
Why Choosing the Right Swift IDE Matters
You may be wondering: Why? Aren't all IDEs and text editors created equal? Not even remotely. While you can find a baseline of features in most Swift IDEs and text editors, some offer additional features, have a better designed user interface, or may only be available for a specific operating system.
Ultimately, though, it's important that you understand the benefits of using a good IDE or text editor, which include:
- Code editing automation – This can help ensure that you are following the rules of the Swift language and can automatically write certain parts of your code.
- Syntax Highlighting – This ensures that your code is seen with different colors used as hints to make it more readable and provide instant feedback on what you have created (especially if you have injected errors).
- Smart Code Completion – This makes writing even easier because the IDE will automatically fill in certain parts of your code (like closing tags).
- Refactoring support – This goes a long way in making your code more efficient without changing core functionality.
- Local build automation – this makes it possible to use repeatable development tasks such as compiling, testing, and debugging).
One thing to keep in mind, however, is that the difference between an editor and an IDE is considerable. Where editors make it possible to write your code, they are limited in what they can do beyond that singular function.
Swift vs. Swift Code Editor Swift IDE: What's the difference?
You may be wondering what exactly is the difference between an editor and an IDE? Simply put, an editor is a tool with a single purpose: to help you write code. That's all it does. An IDE, on the other hand, can contain a number of built-in features to help you create a complete development workflow.
Therefore, an editor makes it possible to write code, and an IDE makes it possible to write, compile, debug, test, and run your code.
How to choose the right IDE or code editor for Swift
How do you choose the right IDE or editor or IDE for Swift? Here is a list of things to consider:
- Single tool or multiple tools: Are you looking for a single tool to help you write code or a platform that helps you from start to finish? Your company or team may already have a build/test/deploy platform, so you only have the option of choosing the right editor that meets your needs.
- Cost: Cost can also be a factor. There are free and paid IDEs and editors available. If budget is an issue, you can just look at the free options.
- Open source or closed source: You can also consider whether a tool is open source or not. If you have a tendency to change the tools you use, open source is the best option.
- Operating System: The operating system you use will also be a factor in your selection. Although Swift is used for the Apple ecosystem, that doesn't mean you're relegated to developing only on macOS. You will want to find an IDE or editor that is available for the operating system you use.
- Plugins and libraries: You might also consider which IDEs and editors are extensible with plugins and/or libraries. At some point, you may need to add a feature to your tool of choice. If you're working with an IDE or editor that doesn't offer additional plugins or libraries, you may be limited in what you can do.
- Compiling on non-macOS platforms: One thing to keep in mind is that to compile Swift on non-macOS operating systems, you will probably have to download a specific toolset to make it work. If these extra steps are beyond your pay grade, your best bet would be to work only with macOS and native macOS IDEs and editors.
Now that you know what to consider to make the best choice for you, let's take a look at some of the top IDEs and editors available.
Top 5 IDEs and Text Editors for Swift Developers
Let's take a look at the best IDEs and editors for the Swift programming language. One thing to keep in mind is that most of these tools can be used for multiple programming languages, so they are not limited to Swift.
#1 Visual Studio Code
Visual Studio Code is a free and open-source IDE created and distributed by Microsoft that can work with multiple languages. And thanks to an installable extension, the IDE also supports Swift.
Visual Studio Code is one of the most used, cross-platform, and free IDEs on the market. It can be installed on Linux, macOS and Windows and offers numerous extensions to make it work exactly how you want.
Key Features // Product Highlights
- All-in-one IDE that makes it easy to write, navigate, and debug your code.
- Excellent debugging tools.
- Includes command-line tools.
- Git integration.
- Quick language mode switching.
- Highly customizable.
- Lots of keyboard shortcuts for a more efficient workflow.
- Zen Mode hides all UI elements, so you can focus on your code.
- Split view makes multitasking easier.
- The status bar gives you an instant view of errors and other issues.
- Many tools for collaboration on projects.
- Thousands of extensions available.
Visual Studio Code Pros/Cons
| PROS | CONS |
| Great user interface. | It can consume battery quickly. |
| Shows errors as you write. | The app's error messages can be a bit ambiguous. |
| Easy to modify the IDE to suit your needs. | Debugging can be a little confusing. |
| Very stable. | Settings can be difficult to navigate. |
#2 CodeRunner
CodeRunner is another excellent IDE that supports Swift. Unlike Visual Studio Code, CodeRunner is not free, open source, or cross-platform. In fact, CodeRunner is only available for macOS. CodeRunner supports multiple languages (so you can use it for Swift or other programming needs) and is built on the principle of executing code, regardless of language, instantly.
CodeRunner also makes it easy to work with multiple projects (even in different languages) with little to no configuration. CodeRunner is not an expensive IDE and can be purchased for just $19.99.
Key Features // Product Highlights
- Write and perform in almost any language.
- Breakpoints make it considerably easier to debug your code.
- Active bugs and linting to help keep your code bug-free.
- Integrated text editor with syntax highlighting and code completion.
- Documentation sidebar.
- File browser.
- Custom key shortcuts.
- Vim mode.
- Find regular expression.
- Programmable editor.
Pros/Cons of CodeRunner
| PROS | CONS |
| Fast | Not so good with very large projects |
| Supports multiple languages | The developer is slow to update. |
| Easily installed from the macOS App Store | Does not work well with Adobe Creative Cloud |
| Smart autocomplete is very accurate | Only available for macOS |
| Includes many code templates | No remote debugging tools |
#3 Code X
XCode is Apple's IDE and one of the most widely used IDEs for developing applications for Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple TV. If macOS is your development operating system of choice, XCode may very well be the best IDE option on the market.
Given that Code X was developed specifically for creating apps for the Apple ecosystem, you can be sure that it includes full support for everything related to Swift. And, in typical Apple fashion, the UI is fantastic. And with the latest version, XCode is 30% lighter than previous iterations, so it performs considerably better. XCode is also available for Intel and Apple Silocon hardware.
Key Features // Product Highlights
- Advanced code completion
- Code folding
- Syntax highlighting
- Message bubbles for warnings, errors, and context-sensitive information
- Integrated terminal
- Improved parallelism creates projects 25% faster
Pros/Cons of XCode
| PROS | CONS |
| User-friendly interface | Only available for macOS |
| Ability to test the app regardless of the target device | Displaying errors can be overwhelming |
| Various schemes for different tasks | No tab auto-completion |
| Free to use | Large footprint (30+ GB) |
| Initial setup may be challenging for some | |
| May consume a lot of system resources |
#4 Atom Editor
Atom is a text editor designed specifically for programming. Atom is cross-platform and includes all the features you need for a code editor. Atom is also one of the most recommended editors on the market.
Atom runs on Electron and includes integration for HTML, JavaScript, CSS, and Node.js, but can be easily expanded with a robust extension ecosystem.
Key Features // Product Highlights
- Packages and themes
- Find and replace
- Built-in package manager
- Integrated file system browser
- Cross-platform
- Multiplane UI
- Smart autocomplete
Pros/Cons of Atom
| PROS | CONS |
| Easy remote collaboration | Does not have a built-in sync tool |
| Highly customizable | Lack of documentation |
| Light and intuitive | Steep learning curve |
| Great community support | No math or data analysis tools |
| Color-coded syntax | No autocorrection for linting errors |
#5 Sublime Text
Sublime Text is another code editor that can be installed and used on multiple operating systems. One thing that is very useful with this tool is that it is not only useful for code but also for prose and other types of documents. Thanks to this feature, you can not only write your code but also your documentation.
The only thing you need to know about Sublime Text is that to work with Swift, you must install Swift-Sublime-Package via the Package Control tool. Sublime Text can be installed on Intel and Apple Silicon-based hardware. You can try Sublime for free, but for continued use you will have to purchase one of the following licenses:
- Sublime Text: $80
- Sublime Merge: $80
- Sublime Text and Merge Bundle: $152
Key Features // Product Highlights
- GPU rendering
- Context-based autocomplete
- Multiple tab selection
- Greatly improved syntax highlighting
- Auto-recoil
- File type recognition
- Side bar
- Macros
- Plugins and packages
Pros/Cons of Sublime Text
| PROS | CONS |
| User-friendly interface | No automatic code type recognition |
| Exhaustive code searches | Requires other tools to run code |
| Customizable code schemes | Poor integration with Git |
| Very light | File comparison is difficult to use |
| Great for working with large data sets |
Conclusion
As long as you are using Quick Best Practices , any of the above tools will be useful in developing your iOS app. Just remember, if you want one app that does it all, you'll want to stick with an IDE. If your only concern is writing code, a text editor is a great place to start. Choose wisely and these tools will do a great job helping you streamline your development process and work efficiently.
Source: BairesDev
