One of the best selling points of Microsoft’s visual studio code is its
customization abilities. The editor can be configured as the user
wants, and it also applies to VSCode themes. Many people like to
spend extra time behind the look and feel of their editor. It’s
easier than ever if you’re a VSCode user. The abundance of readily
available themes allows modern developers to choose the styling of
their editor without any restriction. Since there are plenty of
themes available for code, it’s often hard to choose the best one.
That’s why we’ve curated this list of 20 best visual studio code
themes. [1]
Best VSCode Themes for
Developers
Since customization choices usually vary among developers, it’s
hard to pick the ‘best’ themes. What suits you better
depends entirely on you. That’s why our editors have gone through a
huge list of popular VSCode Themes and selected their picks based
on popularity, features, configurability, and so on.
How to Install Themes in
VSCode
Beginners often find it hard to install new themes for their
Linux code editors[2]. However, installing
themes is extremely easy in visual studio code thanks to its
intuitive GUI interface. You can easily install a selected theme by
going through the VSCode extension[3]
panel and searching it in the box. Once you locate the theme of
your choice, simply clicking the install button will do the
job.
Alternatively, you can grab the download command of a theme from
the Visual Studio Code marketplace[4] and paste it inside the
VS Code Quick Open (Ctrl+P). Doing this will
automatically download the new theme. You may need to reload your
editor to reflect any theme changes.
1. One Dark Pro
One Dark Pro is one of the best VSCode themes for some time. It
is based on the iconic One Dark theme of the Atom text editor[5]
and has had over 2 Million downloads so far. It is a seriously
large number, and its popularity keeps increasing each day. One
Dark Pro blends innovative UI features with extra emphasis on ease
of use.
Features of One Dark Pro
- It allows users to tweak the colors and background settings
very easily. - This theme provides a pre-built array of tokens for standard
constructs. - Users can configure the sorting process of files and folders in
the File Explorer. - It supports multiple views and can launch integrated terminals
from the File Explorer.
2. Material Theme
Google’s Material design took us all by surprise since its
release. It established the standard of modern UXs via its
structured yet flexible design elements. The Material Theme brings
this light into the VSCode world as well. It’s another popular
theme choice for developers who like minimal yet elegant
interfaces. With over 2.4 Million downloads, Material Theme simply
speaks for itself.
Features of Material Theme
- Material Theme’s advanced customization capabilities allow
users to override component schemes and define personalized
constructs. - Like the One Dark Pro, this theme also supports multiple color
schemes, including both dark and lighter variants. - It’s a great choice for people who want low contrast elements
in their VSCode themes. - The color palettes are clean and do not strain the developer’s
eyes.
3. Dracula Theme
Dracula is a modern-day theme that is highly regarded among
developers due to its simple yet effective design elements. It is
one of the most attractive themes for developers who work for long
night hours. Moreover, the theme is supported on fifty-plus
additional apps outside of VSCode. The developers have omitted any
light variant citing that “Dracula can’t stand the day.”
Features of Dracula Theme
- It is an all-round theme with legible color schemes and clean
design. - The syntax highlighting of this theme is spot on, and comments
are clearly visible. - The Dracula theme is extremely easy on the eye, especially at
night times. - It is under active development, and newer features are being
added every day.
4. Shades of Purple
Shades of Purple is a meticulously designed theme that keeps the
user in awe each time they fire up their favorite Linux text editor[9]. The author of this
theme is Ahmad Awais, and it has been downloaded more than 700,000
times already. So, it is certainly one of the hottest themes you
could choose for visual studio code. Overall, Shades of Purple is
the perfect choice for people who want a gorgeous yet aesthetic
looking theme.
Features of Shades of Purple
- It comes with excellent documentation that makes it easier to
customize than many standard themes. - The author provides a nice set of custom settings that lets you
set the best attributes very easily. - Users can install the VSCode Shades-of-Purple icon set for
further customizing the theme’s look. - The entire code for this theme is available at GitHub, which
makes it easy to modify or extend.
5. Night Owl
As its name suggests, Night Owl is a theme designed for folks
who work extensively during night hours or simply prefer darker
themes. The theme is designed with an emphasis on meaningful color
contrast, which makes it easy to adapt to the eyes. Night Owl has
garnered critical acclaim since its release and has been downloaded
more than 500,000 times. So, if you’re looking for a dark theme
that is easily adaptable, Night owl ticks all the right
aspects.
Features of Night Owl
- Night Owl implements a rigorous color scheme that is very
suitable for people with color blindness or low eyesight. - Users can use this theme with many popular Linux text editors,
including Vim, Emacs, and Sublime. - It also includes a light variant since version 1.0.0, so you
can also use it during the daytime. - The open-source codebase of this theme makes it easy for
developers to modify or extend it.
6. Winter is Coming
Winter is Coming is a suite of dark and light themes for the
visual studio code editor. It has become quite popular since its
release and has been downloaded around 800,000 times already. The
dark theme is especially suitable for programmers who work during
the night while the light theme is good for the daytime. Moreover,
the light version also works well on some dimmer projectors.
Overall, Winter is Coming is a nice choice for people looking for a
dark and light combo.
Features of Winter is Coming
- The theme choices for this pack include a dark theme, a dark
with no italics, and a light theme. - All the themes have good color contrast, which makes it easier
to adapt to your eyesight. - Users can select from a wide range of fonts, including both
paid and free ones, for this theme pack. - The codebase is hosted on GitHub, which allows anyone to modify
or extend the themes as per their taste.
7. Monokai Pro
The Monokai color scheme is arguably one of the best of its
kind. A lot of people, including me, are vocal supporters of this
theme. The Monokai Pro is an excellent theme built using this color
scheme. It is one of the most professional VSCode themes you can
use and is developed by the original author of Monokai. It has
already been downloaded more than 500,000 times, which clearly
shows how much popularity this theme enjoys.
Features of Monokai Pro
- This theme provides a customized user interface as well as a
complete icon set built on top of the Monokai color scheme. - The carefully selected color palette makes for an
uncompromising and distraction-free user interface. - Monokai Pro takes a minimalistic approach, which helps it
achieve a clean and concise design and subtle experience. - It implements the Monokai icon pack from scratch and ensures
that they are easily recognizable by the end-user.
8. Atom One Dark
As its name suggests, the Atom One Dark theme is based on the
popular One Dark interface of the Atom text editor. It is one of
the most popular themes for Atom and, thus, is an excellent choice
for people who are transitioning to VSCode from Atom. This theme is
already very popular among programmers and has been downloaded more
than 1.3 million times. So, if you’re an Atom user who wants to get
going to VSCode, this theme might be a suitable choice for you.
Features of Atom One Dark
- This theme comes with an elegant color scheme that is easily
adaptable to the eyes and provides better visualization. - Although the theme doesn’t use any custom font by default, you
can easily customize it to do so. - Users have the ability to switch to a light version of the Atom
One Dark theme if they want to. - The immense popularity of this theme ensures newer updates are
rolled out pretty often.
9. Ayu
If you like simplistic theme with bright color schemes, then
this is certainly one of the best vscode themes for you. The
developer of Ayu created this elegant theme using warm colors and a
minimalistic interface. The contrasts are quite vivid, and it makes
it easy to adapt to the eyes of people who use glasses or have
shorter eyesights. Overall, this is the perfect theme for you if
you want a versatile look without wasting too many resources.
Features of Ayu
- Ayu offers three different color variants, including a dark
one, a light one, and a mirage look. - It also allows users to use its customized Ayu icon pack for
achieving a uniform look for their workbench. - This theme is built using JavaScript, and thus it is very easy
to modify it or extend its functionality. - You can easily fork this theme from its GitHub repo and start
building on top of it.
10. Palenight
Palenight is another elegant theme that focuses mainly on a
clean and concise design. The theme appearance is inspired by the
Material design and, thus, is excellent in the eyes. The color
combinations are precise, while the design choices are definitely
up to the mark. Palenight is continuously growing in popularity
and, as of this writing, has a hundred percent five-star ratings.
Overall, it’s a great choice for people who’re looking for a
different visual direction.
Features of Palenight
- This theme is very easy to look at and is suitable for people
who work extensively for a long period of time. - Palenight has a reasonable contrast to its elements, making it
easier to adapt than many traditional themes. - Users can easily fork this theme from its GitHub
repo[16] and start gradually
building on top of it. - There is a version of Palenight available for Atom so that you
can use it there without too much hassle.
11. Noctis
Noctis is a suite of dark and light themes that can be used
anywhere, anytime. The themes are balanced very well and have
excellent color contrasts. This makes it easy to adapt the themes
to the eyes while still providing a nice, elegant view. The overall
design elements are sleek and appealing. Moreover, the themes are
very helpful for people who are color blind or has reduced
eyesight. So, check out Noctis if you’re looking for a large number
of selection choices.
Features of Noctis
- The Noctis theme pack consists of 11 different theme versions,
8 of them are dark, and 3 are light variants - The carefully selected color scheme reduces strain to the eyes
and is suitable for prolonged usage. - You can easily customize different design elements like fonts,
colors, and widths without any external resources. - The themes provide a nice semantic meaning for their color
schemes, helping identifying code blocks easily.
12. Nord
Nord is an awe-inspiring theme for visual studio code that is
built using clean and concise design elements. The primary color
scheme consists of an arctic, north-bluish hue, which is very easy
on the eyes and reduces strains over long term usage. I personally
like this theme a lot and even use it with Vim, my go-to text
editor on Linux. So, if you are a night owl like me, Nord can tick
all the right spots for your experience.
Features of Nord
- The Nord color scheme is very simple yet stylistic, resulting
in a clean and productive workflow. - Nord’s unified interface and editor syntax make for a
clutter-free user experience and fluid appearance. - It emphasizes the smallest of details like brace matching and
searches result in markers for a fulfilling experience. - You can easily customize or modify the theme elements by
forking Nord from its GitHub repository.
13. Atom One Light
The Atom One Light theme is a light version of the popular One
Dark theme for Atom. It is an excellent choice for programmers who
have recently switched to VSCode from Atom. This theme is already
very popular among programmers and has been downloaded more than
300,000 times. So, if you’re an Atom user who wants to get going to
VSCode, this theme might be a suitable choice for you.
Features of Atom One Light
- Atom One Light has an elegant color palette that adjusts to the
eyes and provides clean visualization. - Although the theme doesn’t use any custom font by default, you
can easily customize it to do so. - Users can use the dark version of this theme without having to
adjust to a whole new look. - The immense popularity of this theme ensures newer updates are
rolled out pretty often.
14. Panda Theme
The Panda Theme is certainly one of the best VSCode themes for
coders who like a clean and concise appearance. It has been
designed to be minimal yet implements a number of subtle design
elements that attract the eyes. The dark color scheme of this theme
is easier on the eyes and eliminates strain over prolonged usage.
Overall, Panda Theme is a nice, lightweight addition to this list
that lives up to the mark and has a certain kind of flair in
it.
Features of Panda Theme
- This is a minimal theme with subtle color choices, which makes
it perfect for coders who work during night time. - Panda Theme can be customized pretty easily and modified in a
way that suits the end-users’ taste. - It is also available for many popular editors and terminal emulators[21] like iTerm, HyperTerm,
Atom, and Sublime. - Panda Theme has been enjoying a surge in popularity in recent
times and is used by over 200,000 users.
15. One Monokai
If you are a fan of the One Dark theme and Monokai, then this is
the perfect fit for you. As the name suggests, One Monokai is a
cross between these two popular themes and implements many proven
design elements. The color choices are subtle and have excellent
contrasts, making it easy to use for a long period of time.
Moreover, it has already been downloaded around 600,000 times and
has become very popular among many developers.
Features of One Monokai
- One Monokai looks and feels like a combination of the trusted
One Dark and Monokai themes. - Users can easily modify the design elements and adjust the
fonts, widths, and colors as per their liking. - The theme is extremely simple and clutter-free, resulting in an
immersing visible experience for coders. - It has excellent readability and reduces strain to the eyes
during those long working sessions.
16. Cobalt2
Cobalt2 is another dark theme that helps to concentrate on the
code rather than visual settings. It is one of my most favorite
VSCode themes due to its ergonomic design and helpful color
contrasts. This theme has over 300,000 downloads and has been
proven a great success. Moreover, the ability to use Cobalt2 in
many other places like the Atom and Sublime text editor[24] as well as iTerm and
HyperTerm emulators increases its appeal among developers.
Features of Cobalt2
- Cobalt2 implements an elegant purple color palette to achieve
its strain-free and pleasant user interface. - Users have full control over the theme’s design components like
fonts, widths, and color settings. - It can be easily modified by using the VSCode Custom CSS plugin
available for free at GitHub. - This is the perfect theme for people who are looking for a
clean and concise dark theme.
17. SynthWave ’84
As suggested by its name, SynthWave ’84 is a Synthwave-inspired
theme for the Visual Studio Code editor[26]. It incorporates a
gorgeous neon color palette that, at first glance, feels like
directly taken from an 80’s movie poster. The developer, too, cites
this inspiration, and as of this writing, he has proved highly
successful in his adventure. Overall, SynthWave ’84 is an
awe-inspiring theme that can be used whenever you want to spice
things a little more.
Features of SynthWave ’84
- It has a unique glow that catches the eyes at first glance and
provides a visually appealing effect. - Users can customize all aspects of this theme, including the
level of glow using the settings file. - The open-source codebase of this theme allows developers to
extend the feature set as per requirements. - Install SynthWave ’84 if you want to get a non-monotonous look
and feel to your VSCode editor.
18. Horizon
Horizon is another exciting theme for a vscode that uses a warm
and bright color scheme for its interface. It is a dual-tone theme,
meaning you get both a light and a dark variant. Many programmers
like such theme packs since they allow them to use the same theme
during both daylights and night hours. Moreover, the theme design
of Horizon is very minimal and to the point. So, check out this one
if you’re looking for a warmer tone in your next theme.
Features of Horizon
- The design elements like fonts, widths, and colors can be
changed easily by modifying the settings file. - Horizon implements nice contrasts to its colors for reducing
eye strains as well as increasing accessibility. - It uses italics weights in a slightly conservative way but
allows users to change this easily. - Developers can quickly fork the Horizon codebase from GitHub
and make modifications and add contributions.
19. GitHub Plus
GitHub Plus is a light-colored theme for VSCode that is heavily
motivated by the GitHub color scheme. It has a simple aesthetic and
blends well with most environments. This theme is particularly
suitable for developers who work with the Git workflow[29] intensively and
provides a subtle user experience. Moreover, the light color
palette reduces strain to the eyes and is a good choice for people
who code extensively during office hours.
Features of GitHub Plus
- GitHub Plus is a simple and minimal theme that suits almost any
programmers and environments. - This theme works well with the Material Icon theme pack but can
be configured for any other icon packs. - The overall aesthetic of GitHub Plus is clean and clutter-free,
resulting in easy user experience. - The color contrasts are neither too high nor too subdued and
offer legible syntax highlighting.
20. Andromeda
Andromeda is a dark theme that tries to incorporate a fell of
the universe in its aesthetics. Overall, the developer has done a
solid job with its pleasing interface design and pragmatic design
choices. The colors are truly vivid and make for an enjoyable
experience even during long working sessions. So, if you are a fan
of warm tone and dark color schemes, then Andromeda might turn out
to be one of the best VSCode themes for you.
Features of Andromeda
- Andromeda implements a visually stunning user interface that
blends well with modern desktop environments. - The radiant color scheme helps reducing distractions and strain
to the eyes of the developer. - Users can easily grab the codebase and make further
modifications to this theme if they want. - It has been gaining steady traction among programmers due to
its stunning colors and aesthetic design.
Ending Thoughts
Visual studio code has become one of the most popular Linux code
editors, and for the right reasons so. This freely available,
open-source editor offers a large number of features and seemingly
infinite customization abilities. Users can choose from a large
number of themes and icon packs to configure the look and feel of
the editor. In this guide, our editors have presented you with the
20 best vscode themes you can choose to go with VSCode. Hopefully,
you find the perfect theme for your taste and continue enjoying
coding with vscode. Let us know which theme suits your personality
the most in the comment section.
References
- ^
Microsoft’s visual studio code
(code.visualstudio.com) - ^
Best
Linux Code Editor: Top 10 Reviewed and Compared
(www.ubuntupit.com) - ^
Top 20
Best Visual Studio Code Extensions For Programmers
(www.ubuntupit.com) - ^
Visual
Studio Code marketplace
(marketplace.visualstudio.com) - ^
Atom text editor
(atom.io) - ^
Download
One Dark Pro (marketplace.visualstudio.com) - ^
Download
Material Theme
(marketplace.visualstudio.com) - ^
Download
Dracula Theme
(marketplace.visualstudio.com) - ^
favorite
Linux text editor (www.ubuntupit.com) - ^
Download Shades of Purple
(marketplace.visualstudio.com) - ^
Download Night Owl
(marketplace.visualstudio.com) - ^
Download Winter is Coming
(marketplace.visualstudio.com) - ^
Download Monokai Pro
(marketplace.visualstudio.com) - ^
Download Atom One Dark
(marketplace.visualstudio.com) - ^
Download Ayu
(marketplace.visualstudio.com) - ^
fork
this theme from its GitHub repo
(www.ubuntupit.com) - ^
Download Palenight
(marketplace.visualstudio.com) - ^
Download Noctis
(marketplace.visualstudio.com) - ^
Download Nord
(marketplace.visualstudio.com) - ^
Download Atom One Light
(marketplace.visualstudio.com) - ^
terminal emulators
(www.ubuntupit.com) - ^
Download Panda Theme
(marketplace.visualstudio.com) - ^
Download One Monokai
(marketplace.visualstudio.com) - ^
Sublime text editor
(www.ubuntupit.com) - ^
Download Cobalt2
(marketplace.visualstudio.com) - ^
the
Visual Studio Code editor
(www.ubuntupit.com) - ^
Download SynthWave ’84
(marketplace.visualstudio.com) - ^
Download Horizon
(marketplace.visualstudio.com) - ^
work
with the Git workflow (www.ubuntupit.com) - ^
Download GitHub Plus
(marketplace.visualstudio.com) - ^
Download Andromeda
(marketplace.visualstudio.com)
Read more https://www.ubuntupit.com/best-vscode-themes-for-programmers-and-developers/