The Best VS Code Themes for WordPress Developers

The Best VS Code Themes for WordPress Developers (2024 Edition)

As a WordPress developer, your code editor is your daily workspace. The right VS Code theme can reduce eye strain, improve code readability, and boost productivity. Here are the best themes specifically optimized for WordPress/PHP development, including syntax highlighting for PHP, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Twig.

1. One Dark Pro (Most Popular)

https://i.imgur.com/JqQZQ9l.png
🔹 Best for: Developers who love the classic Atom dark theme
🔹 Why WordPress devs love it:

Perfect contrast for PHP tags (<?php ?>) and WordPress functions
Clear distinction between HTML/PHP/JS in mixed files
Includes matching icons (with Material Icon Theme). Our YouTube channel; https://www.youtube.com/@easythemestore

Install: One Dark Pro.

2. Dracula Official (Dark & Elegant)

https://i.imgur.com/8v7YQ9l.png
🔹 Best for: Night owls working late on WordPress sites
🔹 WordPress-specific benefits:

Purple highlights for PHP variables ($post)
Teal for WordPress hooks (add_action())
Soft red for HTML attributes

Install: Dracula Official

3. Winter is Coming (Light/Dark Variants)

https://i.imgur.com/9jKQZ9l.png
🔹 Best for: Developers who switch between light/dark modes
🔹 WordPress advantages:

Blue tones make WordPress template tags stand out
High contrast for div classes in theme files
Optimized for Sass/SCSS in WordPress development

Install: Winter is Coming

4. GitHub Theme (For Clean Code Review)

https://i.imgur.com/7v8YQ9l.png
🔹 Best for: Developers contributing to WordPress Core/plugins
🔹 Why it works for WordPress:

Matches GitHub’s interface (familiar for patch reviews)
Green highlights for WP-CLI commands
Great for diff comparisons when debugging

Install: GitHub Theme

5. Cobalt2 (For JavaScript-heavy WordPress Devs)

https://i.imgur.com/8v7YQ9l.png
🔹 Best for: Block Editor (Gutenberg) development
🔹 WordPress + React benefits:

Neon blue for JSX in WordPress blocks
Orange highlights for REST API endpoints
Designed by a developer (VS Code’s own Wes Bos)

Install: Cobalt2

6. Monokai Pro (Premium, But Worth It)

https://i.imgur.com/9kKQZ9l.png
🔹 Best for: Agency developers working on multiple projects
🔹 WordPress perks:

$10 one-time fee, but includes:
Customizable accent colors for ACF fields
Sublime Text-like syntax for quick scanning
Special highlighting for WooCommerce hooks

Install: Monokai Pro

7. Horizon (Modern & Vibrant)

https://i.imgur.com/7v8YQ9l.png
🔹 Best for: Full-stack WordPress developers
🔹 Why it’s great for WordPress:

Purple/pink hues make PHP namespaces pop
Clear visual hierarchy in template parts
Works great with Vue.js (for headless WP setups)

Install: Horizon Theme

8. Solarized Light (For Daytime Coding)

https://i.imgur.com/JqQZQ9l.png
🔹 Best for: Developers working in bright environments
🔹 WordPress benefits:

Gentle on eyes during long WordPress debugging sessions
Yellow highlights for SQL queries ($wpdb->prepare())
Classic theme with proven readability

Install: Solarized Light

Bonus: Essential VS Code Extensions for WordPress Devs

Pair your theme with these must-have tools:

PHP Intelephense (Auto-complete for WordPress functions)
WordPress Snippet (Quick hooks/template tags)
Twig Language 2 (For Timber-based themes)
ESLint (Gutenberg JavaScript validation)

How to Choose the Best Theme?

Dark themes: Better for night coding (Dracula, One Dark Pro)
Light themes: Ideal for daytime (Solarized, GitHub Light)
Customizable: Monokai Pro, Winter is Coming
Free vs Paid: Most are free, but Monokai Pro is worth the $10

Final Verdict: Top Picks

Best Overall: One Dark Pro
Best for PHP: Dracula
Best for Gutenberg: Cobalt2
Best Light Theme: Solarized Light

🚀 Pro Tip: Use “Window: Zoom Level” (Ctrl +/Ctrl -) to adjust font size with your theme!