VSCodium

VSCodium is an open-source project that provides community-driven, freely-licensed binary distributions of Microsoft’s editor VS Code. While the source code for VS Code is open-source under the MIT License, the official distribution provided by Microsoft contains proprietary components and telemetry tracking. VSCodium serves as a clean alternative, stripping away these non-free elements to offer a more privacy-centric experience.

The project was founded to allow developers to use the core technology of VS Code without the branding and data collection associated with the Microsoft-branded version. Because it is a decentralized open-source project, it is not manufactured in a traditional sense; instead, its binaries are built using automated scripts (CI/CD) hosted on global platforms like GitHub, involving contributors from around the world.

As a community project, VSCodium is not owned by a single corporation. It is maintained by a group of independent developers and is legally protected under the MIT License. This ensures the software remains free and accessible to the public, independent of the commercial interests of any specific tech giant.