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VS Code is an editor. DevWorkspace Pro is a place to keep all your projects. They overlap a little, since both have a terminal, Git and AI agents, but they answer different questions.
Keep VS Code for writing and debugging code. Add DevWorkspace Pro when you juggle many projects and want runtimes, GitHub issues and Actions, AI agent sessions and security scans for each one, in one window, without assembling extensions.
How they compare
| DevWorkspace Pro | VS Code | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Many projects, one workspace | Code editing |
| Multi-project | One list of all projects. Each keeps its terminals, AI sessions and tab state. ⌘+K switcher | Multi-root workspaces in a .code-workspace file, or one window per project |
| Stacks | Any folder. Extras for known stacks: Laravel, Symfony, WordPress, Drupal, PHP, Node, .NET, Python, Go, Rust | Any language through extensions |
| Runtimes | DDEV, Laravel Sail, Docker Compose, native tools: start, stop, services, logs | Dev Containers; Container Tools extension for Compose |
| OS | macOS, Windows, Linux | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| AI agents | Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode sessions per project, resume after restart, Send issue to AI, Focus Pad MCP | Copilot agents, Claude and Codex agents, MCP servers |
| GitHub | Issues and Actions built in: logs, re-run jobs, send an issue or failed run to AI | Built-in Git. Pull requests and issues through the GitHub Pull Requests and Issues extension |
| Files and editor | Files tab with Go to file and PHP IntelliSense | Full editor with debugging and extensions |
| Security scan | Composer, npm, pnpm, Yarn, Bun and NuGet lockfiles, with background checks | Not built in |
| Monitoring | Uptime monitors with email alerts, log monitoring over SSH | Not built in |
| Wellbeing | Eye Care, Focus Pad, Keep Awake, voice-to-text | Not built in |
| Price | $9/month, $95/year or $499 one time | Free. Copilot has a free plan and paid plans |
"Not built in" means VS Code does not have the feature without an extension, per the official docs as of the date of this page.
Editor versus workspace
Visual Studio Code is a free code editor from Microsoft, with built-in Git, a terminal, debugging and a large extension marketplace. Its agent features work with Copilot models, your own keys or local models, and with third-party agents such as Claude and Codex. Multi-root workspaces, Dev Containers and Remote - SSH stretch it across many folders, containers and servers.
DevWorkspace Pro starts from the project list. Every project, in any stack, has a terminal, a files tab, Git changes, GitHub issues and Actions and AI sessions. Projects run in DDEV, Laravel Sail, Docker Compose or natively.
When you need which
VS Code on its own is enough if:
- You work on one or two projects at a time.
- You need breakpoint debugging, refactoring and language extensions.
- You want Copilot inline suggestions and agent mode in the editor.
- You develop inside Dev Containers or on remote machines over SSH.
DevWorkspace Pro earns its place if:
- You switch between many projects in many stacks every day.
- You want each project's AI sessions and terminals to stay open, and to resume after a restart.
- You want to start and stop DDEV, Sail and Compose services without extensions.
- You work from GitHub issues and Actions and want to send an issue or a failed run to an AI agent.
- You want dependency security scans, uptime monitoring and Focus Pad for every project.
Where VS Code is stronger
- The editor itself. Debugging, refactoring, IntelliSense for many languages and a large extension marketplace.
- Price. VS Code is free, and Copilot has a free plan.
- Remote and containers. Remote - SSH and Dev Containers open a full editor on a server or inside a container.
- Git depth. A 3-way merge editor, history graph, branches, stashes, worktrees and blame.
- Agent choice. Copilot models, your own keys, local models and third-party agents.
A typical setup with both
- Keep VS Code as your editor.
- Import your project folders into DevWorkspace Pro. Drag them from Finder or File Explorer onto the window.
- Use DevWorkspace Pro to pick a project, start its services, check GitHub Actions, start an AI session and run a security scan.
- Open the project in VS Code when you need the full editor.
Do you use multi-root workspaces only to see many projects at once? The DevWorkspace Pro project list can take over that job. Keep the .code-workspace files for the settings and tasks you share in each repository.
Sources
- VS Code system requirements: https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/supporting/requirements
- VS Code FAQ (free for private or commercial use): https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/supporting/faq
- VS Code license: https://code.visualstudio.com/license
- Copilot setup (free plan): https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/setup
- Copilot overview (agents, models): https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/overview
- MCP servers in VS Code: https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/customization/mcp-servers
- Third-party agents: https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/agents/third-party-agents
- Multi-root workspaces: https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/editing/workspaces/multi-root-workspaces
- Dev Containers: https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/devcontainers/containers
- Remote - SSH: https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/remote/ssh
- Source control: https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/sourcecontrol/overview
- Container Tools: https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/containers/overview
- DevWorkspace Pro docs: https://docs.devworkspacepro.com/projects
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Does DevWorkspace Pro replace VS Code?
No. VS Code is a full code editor with debugging, extensions and Copilot. DevWorkspace Pro has a file editor for quick changes, but its job is managing many projects: runtimes, GitHub, AI sessions, security scans and monitoring. Most users keep their editor.
How does VS Code handle many projects?
VS Code has multi-root workspaces, saved in a .code-workspace file. Only resource-level settings apply per folder, and extensions without multi-folder support use only the first folder. DevWorkspace Pro shows every project in one list, each with its own terminals, AI sessions and state.
Can I run Claude Code and Codex in both?
Yes. VS Code supports Claude and Codex agents through Copilot or extensions, and runs MCP servers. DevWorkspace Pro starts the Claude Code, Codex or OpenCode CLI in a project folder and resumes unfinished sessions after a restart.
Is VS Code free?
Yes. The VS Code FAQ says it is free for private or commercial use, and its source code is MIT-licensed on GitHub. Copilot has a free plan with a monthly allowance. DevWorkspace Pro costs $9 per month, $95 per year or $499 one time.