10 VS Code Extensions Every Developer Needs in 2025

VS Code remains the most popular code editor, and its extension ecosystem keeps growing. After testing hundreds of extensions, here are the ten that made the biggest difference to our workflow.

First up: Error Lens. It surfaces errors and warnings inline, right next to the problematic code. No more hunting through the Problems panel. Combined with ESLint and TypeScript, it catches issues before they reach your terminal.

For AI assistance, Continue and Cody both offer strong local model support. If you prefer cloud-backed suggestions, GitHub Copilot remains the default — but the competition is closing fast.

Rounding out the list: Tailwind CSS IntelliSense for class autocomplete, Thunder Client for API testing without leaving the editor, and Todo Tree for tracking TODOs across your codebase.