Top pick: Visual Studio Code. Switching saves about $264 USD a year.
$263.88 USDa year
$347.88 CAD
Every pick below has a free version.
2 alternatives
The editor’s first choice for most people switching.
Best for hand-coding sites with a huge extension library
Microsoft's download is free but under Microsoft license terms with telemetry on by default; the VSCodium build is a telemetry-free alternative.
Covers most of the same work, with trade-offs noted on each card.
Best for live-preview editing of HTML and CSS
Community Edition is free and open source. Runs in a browser or as a desktop app. Phoenix Pro is a separate paid tier. Free version: Community Edition is free, with live preview, Git and extensions. Phoenix Pro is a paid tier with a 7-day trial.
Sponsor this page: $149 for 30 days. Sponsors appear above the ranking, labeled; the ranking itself is not for sale.
How each alternative covers what people use Adobe Dreamweaver for. Numbers link to editor notes.
| Feature | Visual Studio Code | Phoenix Code |
|---|---|---|
| Coding | ||
| Code editor with hints for HTML and CSS | YesNote 1IntelliSense, emmet and linting for HTML, CSS and JavaScript | YesNote 2Code hints and Brackets-compatible extensions |
| Preview | ||
| Live preview of the page as you edit | PartialNote 3Microsoft's Live Preview extension adds it; the built-in Simple Browser has no live reload | YesNote 4Updates as you type |
| Design | ||
| Edit text and images directly in the preview | NoNote 5No click-to-edit visual page editor | PartialNote 6Design Mode and Styles Bar write changes back to code; whether they are Pro only was not confirmed |
| Workflow | ||
| Git panel for common operations | YesNote 7Built-in source control | YesNote 8Stage, commit and sync with a remote |
| FTP and SFTP publishing | PartialNote 9Not built in; SFTP extensions add it | NoNote 10Not mentioned on the vendor site |
| Extensibility | ||
| Extensions and add-ons | YesNote 11Large marketplace | YesNote 12Extension library |
| Parity score | 67% | 75% |
Not covered by any free alternative yet: Edit text and images directly in the preview, FTP and SFTP publishing. See all feature gaps
Switching saves about $264 USD / $348 CAD a year. Prices checked .
Based on Dreamweaver single app, annual plan. Price source.
Last verified . Ranking: tier first, then the published score.
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Adobe Dreamweaver is a product of Adobe, named here for comparison only. Platforms listed for Adobe Dreamweaver: Windows, macOS.