In this blog, we’ll explore some of the best free IDEs for Python, highlighting their pros, ideal use cases, and what makes each stand out. We’ll also introduce a powerful tool called Keploy, which complements your development process by automating tests for your Python APIs.
- PyCharm Community Edition
Best for: Beginners and intermediate developers who prefer a powerful, all-in-one IDE.
Developed by JetBrains, PyCharm is one of the most widely used Python IDEs. Its Community Edition is free and open-source, and includes many robust features like syntax highlighting, code completion, debugging, and integration with version control systems like Git.
Key Features:
- Intelligent code editor with refactoring support
- Built-in debugger and test runner
- VCS support for Git and GitHub
- Runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux
Why Choose PyCharm?
PyCharm Community Edition is perfect for those who want a professional development experience without paying for the premium version. For developers working with APIs, Keploy can be added to your stack to automatically generate test cases from real traffic, saving time and boosting test coverage.
- Visual Studio Code (VS Code)
Best for: Developers who want a lightweight, highly customizable editor.
VS Code, developed by Microsoft, is a free and open-source code editor that has quickly become the go-to choice for many Python developers. With the Python extension installed, VS Code transforms into a powerful Python IDE.
Key Features:
- IntelliSense for smart code suggestions
- Integrated terminal and Git support
- Support for multiple languages and extensions
- Lightweight and blazing fast
Why Choose VS Code?
VS Code is ideal for developers who value flexibility and customization. It pairs well with tools like Keploy, especially if you're building Python APIs or microservices. With Keploy, you can record live traffic during development and automatically convert it into unit, integration, and E2E tests—all from your local setup in VS Code.
- Thonny
Best for: Absolute beginners and students learning Python.
Thonny is a minimalistic Python IDE aimed at education and beginners. It’s simple, clean, and designed to reduce cognitive load for those just starting out with Python.
Key Features:
- Simple interface with no distractions
- Built-in Python debugger
- Easy to install and comes with Python bundled
- Great for understanding how Python works under the hood
Why Choose Thonny?
If you're new to coding, Thonny provides a safe, distraction-free space to learn Python. As your skills grow and you start working with APIs, you can graduate to tools like PyCharm or VS Code and integrate Keploy to automate your testing workflow effortlessly.
- Jupyter Notebook
Best for: Data scientists, researchers, and those working with machine learning.
Jupyter Notebook isn’t a traditional IDE, but it's one of the most widely used environments for Python in the data science community. It allows you to create and share documents that contain live code, equations, visualizations, and narrative text.
Key Features:
- Interactive cell-based execution
- Visualize data using libraries like Matplotlib and Seaborn
- Supports Markdown and LaTeX
- Excellent for tutorials, documentation, and research
Why Choose Jupyter Notebook?
Jupyter is perfect for experimentation and analysis. If your workflow eventually extends into building APIs to serve models or datasets, Keploy can help you automatically generate tests to make those APIs more reliable and production-ready.
5. Spyder
Best for: Scientific computing and data analysis.
Spyder (Scientific Python Development Environment) is another IDE geared toward data scientists and engineers. It integrates well with scientific libraries like NumPy, SciPy, and Pandas, and comes bundled with the Anaconda distribution.
Key Features:
- MATLAB-like interface
- Variable explorer and data viewer
- Built-in IPython console
- Rich debugging and profiling tools
Why Choose Spyder?
Spyder is great for large-scale data exploration. If you're building backend systems that need testing, Keploy can be added to help automate that part of your workflow—eliminating the need to manually write test cases.
Bonus: Supercharge Your Python APIs with Keploy
While IDEs help you write and debug code efficiently, Keploy helps you test it effortlessly. Keploy is an open-source API testing platform that automatically generates test cases from real API traffic. It creates both mocks and test suites so you don’t need to write them manually.
What Keploy offers:
- Zero manual test writing
- Supports Python, Go, Java, and more
- Automatically generates unit, integration, and E2E tests
- Works with your existing IDE setup
You can integrate Keploy into your development environment (like VS Code or PyCharm) and run it locally to improve test coverage and CI/CD reliability—without changing how you code.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the best free IDE for Python depends on your experience level, the kind of projects you work on, and your workflow. Here’s a quick comparison:
| IDE | Best For | Key Advantage |
| PyCharm (Community) | General Python development | Robust and beginner-friendly |
| VS Code | Versatile, lightweight dev work | Highly customizable with extensions |
| Thonny | Beginners and students | Simple and easy to learn |
| Jupyter Notebook | Data science and experimentation | Interactive and visual coding |
| Spyder | Scientific and engineering use | Powerful data tools and UI |
Pair your IDE with Keploy, and you’ll not only code smarter—you’ll test smarter too.
Read more https://keploy.io/blog/community/top-5-best-ides-to-use-for-python-in-2024