7 VS Code Extensions That Make You Faster

A good editor setup pays for itself every single day. Here are seven VS Code extensions that actually save time, not just add icons to your sidebar.

1. Better Comments

Color-coded comments make TODOs and warnings impossible to miss. Configure it once:

{
  "better-comments.tags": [
    { "tag": "!", "color": "#FF2D00", "strikethrough": false },
    { "tag": "?", "color": "#3498DB" },
    { "tag": "//", "color": "#474747", "strikethrough": true }
  ]
}

2. GitLens

Blame, history, and inline diffs without leaving the editor.

3. Prettier

Enable format-on-save and never think about indentation again:

{
  "editor.formatOnSave": true,
  "editor.defaultFormatter": "esbenp.prettier-vscode"
}

4–7. The quiet powerhouses

• ESLint — catch bugs before they ship.
• Error Lens — surface errors inline, where they happen.
• Todo Tree — collect every TODO/FIXME in one panel.
• GitHub Copilot — still the fastest autocomplete for boilerplate.

Bottom line

Install the ones that map to your actual pain. A lean editor beats a decorated one.