10 VS Code Extensions That Actually Matter

Most VS Code extension lists include fifty items nobody needs. Here are the ten that genuinely improve your workflow.

1. GitLens

See who changed every line and when. Inline blame annotations, commit history, and a visual file history. Essential for working in teams.

Shows errors and warnings inline, right next to the problematic code. No more hovering over red squiggles. Problems are immediately visible.

Automatic code formatting on save. Configure it once, forget about formatting forever. Eliminates style debates in code reviews.

Rename an HTML opening tag and the closing tag updates automatically. Simple, saves time, prevents bugs.

A lightweight REST API client inside VS Code. Test endpoints without switching to Postman. Saves and organizes your requests.

AI-powered code completion. Not perfect, but it handles boilerplate and repetitive patterns well. Saves significant typing on routine code.

If you use Tailwind, this is mandatory. Autocomplete for all utility classes, hover previews, and lint warnings for conflicting classes.

Shows the size of imported npm packages inline. Helps you catch heavy dependencies before they bloat your bundle.

Collects all TODO, FIXME, and HACK comments across your project into a searchable tree view. Never lose track of technical debt again.

Color-codes your comments by type: alerts in red, queries in blue, TODOs in orange. Makes scanning code comments much faster.