[PTVS project lead] Yup, try PyCharm, PyDev, Wing, Komodo, Spyder, ... I did a comparison last year (which I can't unfortunately share :( I can ask) -- bottom

[PTVS project lead] Yup, try PyCharm, PyDev, Wing, Komodo, Spyder, ... I did a comparison last year (which I can't unfortunately share :( I can ask) -- bottom line, all pretty darn good, each has its strengths and weaknesses. Take away: it's a great time to be a Python dev on Windows (finally?). WRT to PTVS itself, the key feature is being VS based; the mixed-mode debug for example takes advantage of support in VS. But at the same time, if you're looking for a cross-platform, very very very lightweight tool, this isn't the IDE you're looking for.