7 best free tools for developers in 2025

- 3 mins read

Staying productive as a developer often comes down to using the right set of tools. Below, I explore seven free resources that can streamline your coding process, simplify repetitive tasks, and ultimately elevate your development workflow. From code editors and terminal enhancements to AI-powered assistants, these tools are designed to help you work smarter, not harder.

1. VS Code

A free, cross-platform code editor developed by Microsoft.

Key Features:

  • Lightweight performance. Fast startup and resource-friendly
  • Extension marketplace. Thousands of extensions for languages, frameworks, and workflows
  • Built-in Git integration. Quickly review diffs, create commits, and push to remote repositories
  • Remote development. Code in containers or remote servers seamlessly

Pro Tip. Explore popular extensions like ESLint for linting, Prettier for code formatting, and Live Share for real-time collaboration.

2. Lazygit

A terminal-based Git UI designed for speed and simplicity.

Key Features:

  • Interactive interface. Navigate branches, commits, stashes, and remotes with intuitive shortcuts
  • CLI-first workflow. Manage Git operations without typing complicated commands
  • Lightweight. Very small footprint, making it ideal for developers who live in the terminal

Use Case. Perfect for quick branch switching, commit management, or cherry-picking changes without leaving your command line environment.

3. Homebrew

A package manager for macOS and Linux that simplifies installing and updating software.

Key Features:

  • Single command installs. brew install <package> for essential tools (Git, Node.js, Docker, etc.)
  • Dependency management. Automatically manages dependencies for installed tools
  • Community-driven. Thousands of formulas (packages) maintained by an active open-source community

Pro Tip. Use brew bundle to automate the installation of multiple developer tools across different machines.

4. Oh My Zsh

A framework for managing Zsh configurations, complete with themes, plugins, and shortcuts.

Key Features:

  • Enhanced autocompletion. Get suggestions for commands, Git branches, and more
  • Powerful plugins. Integrations for Docker, Git, Ruby, Node.js, and countless other ecosystems
  • Customizable themes. Personalize your terminal prompt with styles that display branch statuses, directories, and system info

Tip. Combine Oh My Zsh with a powerline-style font or theme for a sleek, informative terminal prompt that displays everything at a glance.

5. Neovim

A modern fork of Vim with a focus on extensibility and performance.

Key Features:

  • Lua scripting. Write custom plugins and configure the editor using Lua
  • Built-In LSP support. Harness the Language Server Protocol for real-time syntax checking and autocompletion
  • Minimalist UI. Ideal for keyboard-driven workflows in the terminal

Use Case. If you’re already a Vim fan or want to dive deeper into modal editing, Neovim’s extensibility and modern architecture provide a stellar experience.

6. GitHub Copilot

An AI-powered coding assistant that suggests code snippets and boilerplate.

Key Features:

  • Context-aware suggestions. Predicts entire functions, variable names, and logic based on your existing code
  • Multi-IDE support. Integrates with VS Code, Neovim, and JetBrains IDEs
  • Smart autocomplete. Accelerates repetitive coding tasks and helps you explore new APIs

Real-world application. Use GitHub Copilot to quickly generate common code patterns like data processing loops, RESTful endpoints, or even basic test cases.

7. Postman

A comprehensive API development and testing platform.

Key Features:

  • Request builder. Craft and send HTTP, REST, GraphQL, and SOAP requests with ease
  • Automation. Set up scripts for testing and environment variables to streamline workflows
  • Collaboration. Share collections and documentation with team members

Pro Tip. Integrate Postman with CI/CD pipelines to automate API testing and ensure your services remain reliable across releases.

Final thoughts

These seven free tools can each play a vital role in enhancing your coding experience. Whether you’re focusing on code generation, version control, terminal optimization, or API testing, the right tools can make all the difference in boosting productivity. Give them a try, customize them to your liking, and enjoy a more streamlined, efficient development workflow.