Where to Launch a VS Code Extension: Marketplace, Open VSX and Developer Communities
Publish a VS Code extension to the Visual Studio Marketplace with the vsce tool, and also to Open VSX so editors that do not read Microsoft’s marketplace can install it. Neither listing sends people to you by itself, so follow with developer channels: Show HN, a developer newsletter that reviews tools, and a free launch page. Plan your publishing credentials now, because Azure DevOps retires global tokens on 1 December 2026.
Why does a VS Code extension need two registries?
Visual Studio Code and the editors built from its open-source code do not all share one extension store. Microsoft’s marketplace serves its own builds; other VS Code-compatible editors commonly point at an open registry instead. Which one a given editor reads is that editor’s choice, so check the one your users run before you decide that one listing is enough.
Both registries below were read from their own documentation on 13 November 2026. Neither charges for a listing in anything we read, but we did not see a pricing statement for either, so treat that as unconfirmed.
01 Visual Studio Marketplace
The marketplace inside VS Code’s own extensions view, published with the vsce command.
- Tool
vsce packagebuilds a VSIX file;vsce publishuploads it- Account
- A publisher id, created through Azure DevOps, which hosts the marketplace services
- Credentials
- Global Personal Access Tokens retire on 1 December 2026; Microsoft points to federated identity for automated publishing
- Verified badge
- Needs an extension on the marketplace for at least 6 months and a domain registered for at least 6 months
The README.md in your package becomes the listing page, so write it like a landing page: one sentence on what the extension does, then a GIF or screenshot. Image links in README and CHANGELOG must resolve to https URLs, and SVG images are refused unless they come from a trusted badge provider.
If you automate releases from CI, read Microsoft’s page on secure publishing before you store a token in your pipeline, since the token route has an end date. The VS Code Marketplace listing requirements cover the manifest fields one by one.
02 Open VSX Registry
A public registry, run by the Eclipse Foundation, for editors that do not use Microsoft’s marketplace.
- Sign-up
- An Eclipse account, a matching GitHub login and a signed Publisher Agreement
- Tool
- The
ovsxcommand with an access token you generate on open-vsx.org - Token habit
- One token per environment: laptop, cloud IDE, CI
The guide is explicit that the Eclipse account and your open-vsx.org login must use the same GitHub username, and that you sign the Publisher Agreement before the first upload. Do both on a quiet afternoon, not on release day.
The same VSIX file you built for Microsoft’s marketplace can usually go here, which makes this a few minutes of work per release. A token is shown once, so save it in your secrets store when you create it.
How do developers find out an extension exists?
Search inside the editor rewards extensions that already have installs and ratings, which is the one thing a new extension lacks. Early installs come from a link in a place developers read. These are the free ones with rules we could check.
01 Show HN
Hacker News’s space for things you built that readers can try.
- Fits when
- The extension solves a problem a reader will recognise from their own week
- Skip when
- It is a theme or a small snippet pack; the guidelines ask for non-trivial work
An extension is awkward to try without installing, so put a short screen recording and the install command in your first comment. A reader who can see it work in ten seconds will often try it.
Expect questions about telemetry, permissions and performance. Answer them plainly in the thread and fix what people find; the Show HN post templates show how to open.
02 Console (console.dev)
A free weekly newsletter that reviews developer tools and beta releases.
- How to suggest
- Email the address on its selection-criteria page
- What it looks for
- Developer as the primary user, self-service sign-up, active maintenance, good docs
- Cadence
- 2–3 tools reviewed per issue, per its criteria page
Its criteria read like a checklist you can run on your extension first: is it built for developers, can one person try it without talking to anyone, is it maintained, is it fast and does it respect privacy. A tool that fails two of those is unlikely to be picked.
It also lists pre-1.0 and clearly labelled beta releases, so an early version is not disqualified for being early. No fee to suggest a tool is mentioned on the page.
03 DevHunt
A launchpad where developers vote for developer tools.
- Free route
- A free permanent page; free-listing links are nofollow
- Paid step
- Choosing a launch week
Its FAQ lists IDEs and editors among the accepted tool types, so an editor extension qualifies. Voters sign in with GitHub or Google.
Use the free page for the permanent URL and decide on the paid week only after you know your install numbers from the marketplace dashboard.
04 Post your build ideas (our board)
A free, account-free launch board with a developer tools category.
- Setup
- One form and one emailed link; the link publishes the launch
- Honest limit
- A small audience, so bring your own readers
Use it for the permanent page that links to both registries and your repository. The outbound link is a normal followed link, and links inside the description are nofollow.
Browse the developer tool ideas for a sense of what other builders post, and see what gaps in editor tooling are still open.
What should be ready before you publish anywhere?
- A README that stands alone. It is the marketplace page, so lead with the result, not the build instructions.
- A CHANGELOG.md. The marketplace page shows it, and it tells early users you ship updates.
- A public repository, so Open VSX and curious readers can see the source and file issues.
- A publisher id you will keep. It appears in the extension’s identifier, so choose a name you will not regret.
- A plan for tokens. Decide now how releases authenticate, given the retirement of global tokens.
The VS Code extension launch playbook puts these on a calendar, and how to build an app with Claude Code is useful if you are scaffolding the extension with an agent.
What is a sensible order?
Publish to the Visual Studio Marketplace first, since your target editor most likely reads it. Publish the same VSIX to Open VSX the same day. Then write your launch page and one Show HN or Console suggestion, a week apart, so each gets your full attention. Leave the verified-publisher badge for later: it needs months of marketplace history by design.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an Azure account to publish a VS Code extension?
Microsoft’s publishing guide says the marketplace uses Azure DevOps for authentication, hosting and management, so you create your publisher there. From 1 December 2026 global personal access tokens are retired, and the guide points to federated identity for automated publishing. Read that page before you set up CI.
What is the difference between the Marketplace and Open VSX?
The Visual Studio Marketplace is Microsoft’s and is published with vsce. Open VSX is a public registry managed by the Eclipse Foundation and is published with the ovsx tool after you sign a Publisher Agreement. Which one a user sees depends on the editor they run, so many authors publish to both.
How do I get the verified publisher badge?
Microsoft’s documentation says you verify ownership of a domain tied to your brand. A publisher needs at least one extension on the marketplace for six months, and the domain registration must also be at least six months old. So it is a milestone for later, not something to plan your launch around.
Post your build ideas publishes this page and runs a free launch board that competes with some of the sites it names. Facts about other sites came from their own pages on the date shown above; terms, queues and prices change, so confirm on their sites before you decide. About the publisher.