# VSCodium Published January 1, 2026 · Updated August 10, 2026 VS Code without Microsoft telemetry and tracking Category: Developer Tools · Free · Replaces Sublime Text ($99) · [Official website](https://vscodium.com) ## Install with Homebrew `brew install --cask vscodium` ## Quick take VSCodium is still the editor VS Code should have been for privacy-minded Mac developers: same muscle memory, no Microsoft telemetry and an active 1.126 release line in August 2026. Pair it with Continue or a terminal agent if you want AI. Choose stock VS Code only when Microsoft-locked extensions are non-negotiable. Best for: Privacy-Conscious Developers, Open-Source Advocates, Enterprise Teams with OSS Policies ## What is VSCodium? VSCodium is Visual Studio Code, minus Microsoft. Specifically, it's a community-maintained build of VS Code's open-source repository (the MIT-licensed 'Code - OSS' project) that strips out Microsoft's telemetry, tracking and proprietary branding before compiling the binaries. The editing experience matches VS Code, same Electron shell, same Monaco editor, same extension architecture, while Open VSX replaces the Microsoft Marketplace by default. As of 2026-08-09 the macOS Homebrew cask tracks stable 1.126.04524 for both Apple Silicon and Intel (Monterey or newer livecheck path), so VSCodium remains an actively released editor rather than an archived fork. That currency matters: Chromium/Electron security fixes continue to land and the editor stays compatible with modern language tooling on macOS Tahoe 26.x. Why switch in 2026: procurement teams that require MIT-licensed binaries, developers who refuse product telemetry and users composing their own AI stack (Continue, Claude Code, Codex, Meta Muse Code, local Ollama) instead of buying an AI-first IDE. The hard tradeoff is unchanged, some Microsoft-published extensions detect non-MS builds and refuse to run. Validate remote/SSH/Live Share needs before standardising a team on VSCodium. Unlike Void (deprecated/archived in 2026), VSCodium is a living foundation. Install with `brew install --cask vscodium`, optionally add Insiders via `vscodium@insiders` and treat AI as an explicit add-on rather than a bundled subscription. ## Features - **Zero Telemetry.** The defining feature. VSCodium removes all telemetry endpoints, crash reporting and usage tracking that Microsoft bakes into VS Code. The product.json file is patched at build time to disable every phone-home mechanism. You can verify this yourself, the build scripts are public on GitHub. No data about your files, your extensions, your usage patterns, or your hardware leaves your machine. - **Open VSX Extension Registry.** Instead of Microsoft's Visual Studio Marketplace, VSCodium connects to the Open VSX Registry maintained by the Eclipse Foundation. Most popular extensions are available: ESLint, Prettier, Python, Rust Analyzer, GitLens, Docker and thousands more. Publishers upload to Open VSX alongside the Microsoft marketplace and community members mirror extensions that publishers haven't uploaded directly. Open VSX remains the default gallery in 2026 builds. - **Same Editor, Same Settings.** VSCodium uses the same settings.json format, the same keybindings.json, the same launch.json for debugging and the same tasks.json for build tasks. If you export your VS Code settings, you can import them into VSCodium and start working immediately. Themes, snippets and language configurations transfer without modification. - **Community-Maintained Builds.** The VSCodium team tracks VS Code releases closely. When Microsoft publishes a new VS Code version, VSCodium typically produces a matching build within 24-48 hours. Builds are available for macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon), Windows and Linux across multiple package formats. - **MIT License Throughout.** Every component of VSCodium is MIT-licensed open-source software. Unlike VS Code, where the published binary has a proprietary Microsoft license even though the source is MIT, VSCodium's binaries are distributed under the same MIT terms. This matters for organizations with strict open-source policies. - **Portable Mode.** VSCodium supports a portable installation mode where all settings, extensions and data are stored in a folder alongside the application binary. Carry your entire development environment on a USB drive or sync it between machines via cloud storage without installing anything system-wide. - **Current 1.126.x release train.** Stable 1.126.04524 (August 2026 Homebrew/GitHub) keeps the editor on the modern Code - OSS line with arm64 and x64 macOS artefacts, Insiders channel available for earlier builds. ## How to Install VSCodium on Mac VSCodium is available via Homebrew Cask with native Apple Silicon support. 1. **Install via Homebrew.** Run `brew install --cask vscodium` in your terminal. This downloads the universal binary for macOS. 2. **Launch and Import Settings.** Open VSCodium. If migrating from VS Code, copy your settings: `cp -r ~/Library/Application\ Support/Code/User/* ~/Library/Application\ Support/VSCodium/User/` 3. **Install Extensions.** Open the Extensions sidebar (Cmd+Shift+X). Search for your essential extensions, most are available on Open VSX. Install them the same way you would in VS Code. 4. **Verify No Telemetry.** Open Settings (Cmd+,) and search for 'telemetry'. All telemetry settings should be disabled by default. You can also check `product.json` in the app bundle to confirm no Microsoft endpoints are present. ## Pros - Zero telemetry, verified by open build scripts - Identical editing experience to VS Code - MIT-licensed binaries (not just source) - Settings and keybindings transfer from VS Code with no changes - Open VSX registry has most popular extensions - Apple Silicon native support - Portable mode for USB or cloud-synced installations ## Cons - Some Microsoft-exclusive extensions unavailable (C# Dev Kit, Remote - SSH, GitHub Copilot) - Open VSX registry is smaller than Microsoft's marketplace - Builds lag VS Code releases by 24-48 hours - No built-in Settings Sync (use a dotfiles repo instead) - Smaller community means fewer VSCodium-specific resources ## FAQ ### Is VSCodium exactly the same as VS Code? The editor is identical, same code, same features, same performance. The differences are: no telemetry, MIT-licensed binaries, Open VSX instead of Microsoft's marketplace and no Microsoft branding. A few Microsoft-exclusive extensions won't work. ### Which extensions are missing from Open VSX? The notable ones: C# Dev Kit, Remote - SSH, Remote - Containers, GitHub Copilot and Live Share. These use Microsoft-proprietary APIs or are restricted to the official marketplace by their license. Most other popular extensions (ESLint, Prettier, Python, Rust Analyzer, GitLens) are available. ### Can I install .vsix files manually? Yes. Download any .vsix file and install it with `codium --install-extension file.vsix`. This works for extensions not on Open VSX, though you won't get automatic updates for manually installed extensions. ### Is VSCodium slower than VS Code? No. The performance is identical because it's the same codebase compiled with the same toolchain. If anything, the absence of telemetry means slightly less background network activity, but the difference is negligible. ### Should I switch from VS Code to VSCodium? If privacy matters to you and you don't depend on Microsoft-exclusive extensions (C# Dev Kit, Copilot, Remote SSH), yes. The switch is painless, copy your settings, install your extensions from Open VSX and you're done. If you rely on those Microsoft-only extensions, stay with VS Code. ### Does GitHub Copilot work in VSCodium? The official GitHub Copilot extension doesn't install from Open VSX. Community workarounds exist but aren't reliable long-term. If Copilot is essential to your workflow, VS Code or Cursor are better choices. ### What VSCodium version should Mac users install in August 2026? Use Homebrew's current stable cask, which tracks 1.126.04524 for Monterey and newer on arm64/x64. Upgrade regularly for Electron security fixes. ### How does VSCodium compare to Void now? Void's AI fork is deprecated and archived. VSCodium remains actively built and is the better base for a telemetry-free editor plus separate AI tools. ## Sources - [VSCodium - Open Source Binaries of VS Code](https://vscodium.com/) - [VSCodium GitHub Repository](https://github.com/VSCodium/vscodium) - [Microsoft VS Code GitHub Repository](https://github.com/microsoft/vscode) - [Visual Studio Code Telemetry](https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/getstarted/telemetry) - [Open VSX Registry](https://open-vsx.org/) - [VSCodium: 100% Open Source Version of Microsoft's VS Code](https://itsfoss.com/vscodium/) - [VSCodium Provides Telemetry-Free VS Code Binaries](https://www.infoq.com/news/2019/04/vscodium-vscode-telemetry/) - [VS Code vs VSCodium: What's the difference?](https://dev.to/itsfoss/vs-code-vs-vscodium-what-s-the-difference-49a) - [VSCodium Docs - Extensions and the Marketplace](https://github.com/VSCodium/vscodium/blob/master/docs/index.md#extensions-and-the-marketplace) - [VSCodium is a telemetry-free build of Visual Studio Code](https://www.ghacks.net/2020/05/23/vscodium-is-a-telemetry-free-build-of-visual-studio-code/) - [VSCodium 1.126.04524 release](https://github.com/VSCodium/vscodium/releases/tag/1.126.04524) - [Homebrew cask vscodium](https://formulae.brew.sh/cask/vscodium) - [Homebrew vscodium.rb livecheck](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/homebrew-cask/master/Casks/v/vscodium.rb) ## Related - [Cursor](https://bundl.run/apps/cursor) - [Claude Code](https://bundl.run/apps/claude-code) - [ChatGPT](https://bundl.run/apps/chatgpt) - [Claude](https://bundl.run/apps/claude) - [Codex](https://bundl.run/apps/codex) - [Windsurf](https://bundl.run/apps/windsurf) - [VSCodium vs Visual Studio Code](https://bundl.run/compare/vscodium-vs-vscode) - [Free alternative to Sublime Text](https://bundl.run/https:/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://bundl.run/#organization", "name": "Bundl.run", "url": "https://bundl.run", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://bundl.run/og-image.png", "width": 1200, "height": 630 }, "description": "The Ninite for Mac. 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