Level Up Your Workflow: 10 Must-Have VS Code Extensions in 2025

Published on: July 15, 2025

Table of Contents

10 Must-Have VS Code Extensions in 2025

Visual Studio Code, or VS Code as most of us call it, has become the go-to code editor for developers around the world. It’s fast, flexible, and packed with features right out of the box. But what really makes it powerful is its massive collection of extensions. These little add-ons can dramatically improve your workflow, help you write better code, and save you hours of time — especially in 2025, where development tools are evolving faster than ever.

Here’s a personal list of 10 VS Code extensions I think every developer should try this year — whether you’re just starting out or knee-deep in production code.

VS Code Extensions: Prettier – Code Formatter

We all want our code to look neat, but manually formatting it is a pain — and inconsistent styling across a team is even worse. That’s where Prettier shines. It automatically formats your code every time you save, following a set of rules you can customize to your liking. It works across JavaScript, TypeScript, HTML, CSS, and more. Once you start using it, you’ll wonder how you ever coded without it.

Level Up Your Workflow: 10 Must-Have VS Code Extensions in 2025

VS Code Extensions: GitLens – Supercharge Your Git Experience

Ever looked at a line of code and wondered, “Who wrote this — and why?” GitLens answers that question right inside VS Code. It overlays Git info directly in your editor, showing commit messages, authors, timestamps, and more. It’s especially helpful when working on large teams or reviewing legacy code. For anyone who relies on Git daily (and that’s most of us), GitLens is an essential upgrade.

Live Server – Real-Time Preview

Nothing slows you down like having to manually refresh your browser every time you tweak your HTML or CSS. Live Server fixes that with one click — it spins up a local server and auto-refreshes the browser every time you save a file. It’s incredibly handy when building front-end projects, prototyping designs, or even just testing static sites quickly.

ESLint – Catch Errors Early

Catching bugs early can save hours of debugging later. ESLint is a linter that watches your JavaScript (and TypeScript) code and flags common mistakes and style violations in real time. It plays nicely with Prettier too, so your code not only looks good but works well. You can customize the rules to match your team’s coding standards, or use popular presets like Airbnb’s.

Tailwind CSS IntelliSense – Smarter Tailwind Workflow

Tailwind CSS has exploded in popularity — but typing out class names manually can be tedious. With this extension, Tailwind becomes a lot easier to use. You get intelligent autocomplete for class names, hover previews, and syntax highlighting that makes editing a Tailwind layout feel almost effortless. If you’re using Tailwind in any of your projects, this one’s a no-brainer.

TabNine – AI Autocomplete That Works

Code completion has come a long way, and TabNine takes it to the next level with AI-powered suggestions that actually make sense. It works across multiple languages and gets smarter as you use it, adapting to your coding patterns. It feels less like autocomplete and more like a helpful assistant sitting next to you. If you’re writing a lot of code, this can seriously speed things up.

Path Intellisense – Auto Path Completion

How many times have you typed a long file path and made a tiny typo that broke everything? Path Intellisense fixes that by suggesting file and folder paths as you type. It works in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and import statements — basically anywhere you reference files. It’s one of those simple tools that saves you from small headaches over and over again.

Bracket Pair Colorizer 2 – Never Miss a Bracket

When your code is deeply nested, matching brackets can get confusing fast. This extension color-codes matching brackets so you can easily see where blocks begin and end. It sounds small, but it makes a big difference in readability — especially in large files or when working with unfamiliar code.

REST Client – Test APIs Without Leaving VS Code

Postman is great, but sometimes you want something lightweight and right in your editor. REST Client lets you write and send HTTP requests directly in VS Code and view the response immediately — no external apps needed. It’s perfect for backend developers testing APIs, or even front-end devs checking how their endpoints respond.

Thunder Client – A Postman Alternative Inside VS Code

If REST Client isn’t your style, Thunder Client offers a more polished, Postman-like interface, but still lives inside VS Code. It’s clean, fast, and intuitive — perfect for testing RESTful APIs without leaving your development environment. For teams that live in VS Code, it’s a solid replacement for heavier tools.

Final Thoughts

Your code editor should feel like home — and these extensions help make VS Code smarter, faster, and way more enjoyable to use. Whether you’re building a landing page, managing a complex app, or just exploring new tools, adding the right extensions can make a huge difference in how you work.

Remember, you don’t have to install everything at once. Try a few that match your current workflow, then expand your toolkit as you go. VS Code is powerful out of the box — but with the right setup, it becomes a productivity machine.

Also Read: Go Live with GitHub Pages: Free Website Hosting Explained