In 2026 the default Salesforce developer setup is Visual Studio Code + Salesforce Extension Pack + Salesforce CLI (sf). Developer Console is still useful for in-org triage, and a couple of niche tools fill specific gaps. Here’s the current landscape an interviewer expects you to be familiar with.
VS Code with Salesforce Extensions (primary)
Free, cross-platform, the official tool. Install the Salesforce Extension Pack from the Marketplace — it bundles a dozen extensions including Apex, LWC, Aura, Apex Replay Debugger, SOQL Builder, and the SF CLI integration.
What it does well:
- DX project structure — source-format Apex/LWC/Aura on disk, in Git.
- Apex language server — autocomplete, go-to-definition, inline errors, hover docs.
- LWC support — JS + HTML + CSS with linting, ESLint for
@salesforce/eslint-config-lwc, Jest test runner. - Apex Replay Debugger — capture a debug log, then “replay” it against the source with stepping and variable inspection.
- SF CLI integration — every CLI command is also a Command Palette entry.
- SOQL Builder — visual query builder writes the SOQL for you.
- Salesforce DX — scratch orgs, source push/pull/retrieve/deploy, package versioning.
The standard 2026 setup. Every team that values version control uses this.
Developer Console (built-in)
Browser-based, no install. Best for:
- Quick anonymous Apex in any org you happen to be logged into.
- The Log Inspector — Source/Stack/Limits/Variables view of a debug log.
- Production triage when VS Code isn’t connected.
- Setting checkpoints (heap dumps) without changing code.
Limitations: LWC is read-only, no source control, no diff view.
Illuminated Cloud 2 (JetBrains)
Paid plugin for IntelliJ IDEA / WebStorm / PhpStorm. Popular with developers who already live in the JetBrains ecosystem. Comparable feature set to VS Code’s Salesforce extensions, plus the JetBrains refactoring tools many developers prefer over VS Code’s. Costs around USD 99/year.
The Force.com IDE (deprecated)
The Eclipse-based “Force.com IDE” was retired by Salesforce. If you see it in a senior’s CV from before 2020, it explains a lot about their muscle memory — but it shouldn’t be on a 2026 stack.
Workbench (web tool)
workbench.developerforce.com — a community-maintained web app. Great for:
- Running SOQL/SOSL without opening an org.
- Inspecting REST and SOAP API requests.
- Bulk API jobs from a browser.
- Importing/exporting metadata via the Metadata API.
Not a code editor, but every Salesforce dev has it bookmarked.
Salesforce CLI (sf)
Not an IDE — but the tool that makes everything else work. The unified sf CLI replaces the older sfdx CLI and handles:
- Org auth and switching:
sf org login web. - Source push/pull:
sf project deploy start,sf project retrieve start. - Test runs:
sf apex test run. - Data:
sf data query. - Package management:
sf package version create.
VS Code and Illuminated Cloud both shell out to sf under the hood.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Cost | Best for | Source control? |
|---|---|---|---|
| VS Code + Salesforce extensions | Free | Day-to-day dev, LWC, deployments | Yes |
| Developer Console | Free | Quick anonymous Apex, Log Inspector | No |
| Illuminated Cloud 2 (JetBrains) | Paid | JetBrains shops | Yes |
| Workbench | Free | Quick SOQL, metadata, REST inspection | No |
sf CLI | Free | Scripts, CI/CD, package management | Yes |
What interviewers are really looking for
The expected answer in 2026 is: “VS Code with the Salesforce Extension Pack and the sf CLI, with Developer Console as the in-browser fallback for log inspection and anonymous Apex.” Mention Apex Replay Debugger by name and you’ve shown you actually debug, not just write. If you bring up Illuminated Cloud as a paid alternative, signal that you’ve worked in shops where JetBrains is the standard.
Verified against: Salesforce Developer Tools — VS Code, Salesforce CLI Setup Guide. Last reviewed 2026-05-17.