CodePen

Freemium Browser
CodePen

CodePen is a cloud-based code playground that allows web developers to tweak snippets of their JavaScript, HTML5 and CSS code. It seamlessly works with lots of JavaScript preprocessors, libraries and frameworks, and it has has lots of options for sharing snippets. It offers an ad-supported free edition that limits developers to one project, and it also offers a number of professional versions starting at $8 per month. These versions remove the ads and allow for multiple projects (including private ones), and they also provide for asset hosting, live views and embedded themes. There are further special modes for collaboration and teaching.

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Features of CodePen
  • Allows for the creation of multiple projects, in a full blown cloud-based IDE
  • Can create private projects
  • Supports live views
  • Allows ssset hosting
  • Can embedded customized themes
  • Has a collaboration mode
  • Has a teaching mode
Pros of CodePen
  • Has incredible real time tweaking tools
  • Comes with lots of support for JavaScript preprocessors, libraries and frameworks
  • Has great collaboration tools
Cons of CodePen
  • None of its best tools are available in the free edition
  • The free edition has ads and requires registration
CodePen Reviews

At first glance, CodePen looks like just another code playground. Its ad-supported free version is much like jsFiddle, and perhaps it is even more limiting. But it is the professional versions that really allow CodePen to shine. First, you get multiple projects in a full blown IDE, and these projects can be private. You also get asset hosting, which allows you to upload images and other files, so that you can really simulate a production web server. It also allows you to embed customized themes. But what makes CodePen really great are its real time tools. Its live view updates the application as you write code, and the collaboration mode allows multiple people to tweak the same code at the same time. It also has a teaching mode, allowing everyone — teacher and students alike — to interact all at once. The only real negative aspect of CodePen is that you have to pay for all its good features. The free plan is not only limited but it also has ads, and — unlike jsFiddle — you have to sign up for it.

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