A C/C++ IDE written in C from scratch with zero dependencies
I’ve spent the last ~2 years building a C/C++ IDE for Windows entirely in C99. My goal was to eliminate the bloat of the modern Visual Studio environment keeping its core features. Key Technical Highlights: Zero Dependencies: Just the Windows API Performance: Starts in 0.1ms on a twelve year old machine. It handles projects with 500k+ lines without UI lag or indexing stutters. Integrated Tools: Includes a custom-built debugger, profiler, and Intellisense engine designed for speed. Portability: It’s a single executable. No installer required. I built this because I was tired of waiting…
A C/C++ IDE written in C from scratch with zero dependencies launched on March 22, 2026 with 10 votes, #1,177 of 23,380 launches that month and more than 90% of that year's launches.
In plain words
This is a C/C++ IDE built entirely in C99 for Windows, designed as a lightweight alternative to Visual Studio. It runs as a single portable executable with no external dependencies, starting in milliseconds and handling large projects with thousands of lines of code without lag. The IDE includes an integrated debugger, profiler, and code completion engine optimized for speed. It targets developers who want core IDE features without the resource overhead of conventional development environments.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
Website moved to https://icarus-ide.com/
In the maker’s words, at launch
I’ve spent the last ~2 years building a C/C++ IDE for Windows entirely in C99. My goal was to eliminate the bloat of the modern Visual Studio environment keeping its core features. Key Technical Highlights: Zero Dependencies: Just the Windows API Performance: Starts in 0.1ms on a twelve year old machine. It…
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