CodeSpotlight
Make your code impossible to miss.
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>log in to comment👋 Hey everyone! I'm Karan, the developer behind CodeSpotlight. I built CodeSpotlight to make selected code easier to follow during tutorials, live coding, presentations, and screen recordings. It adds customizable animated visual effects directly to code selections in IntelliJ IDEA — without changing your source code. I'd love to hear what you think and whether this would be useful in your workflow. 🔌 https://plugins.jetbrains.com/plugin/34323-codespotlight/
CodeSpotlight is an IntelliJ IDEA plugin that adds animated visual highlights to selected code.
- for
- Developers creating tutorials, live-coding demos, or needing visual focus in the IDE.
- pricing
- freemium · free trial
- license
- open source
Key features
- Animated selection highlighting — Shows glowing borders and moving lights around selected code without changing source files.
- Multiple animation styles — Traveling Border, Pulse, Breathing Glow, Static Glow and Pro-only modes like Energy Sweep and Aurora.
- Customizable appearance — Adjust colors, border thickness, glow radius, corner radius and intensity via Settings.
- Focus Mode (Pro) — Dims surrounding editor while keeping selected code prominent for recordings or live demos.
- Saved presets — Store up to two presets for free users and unlimited for Pro.
- Editor color-scheme integration — Optional dark scheme that blends with the IDE theme.
Use cases
- Live coding streams where the presenter wants the audience to follow selected snippets.
- Screen-recorded tutorials that need visual emphasis on code changes.
- Technical presentations that highlight key sections without altering the code.
CodeSpotlight pricing
- Monthly Subscription$2.00/monthFlexible monthly payment · Perpetual fallback license after 12 months
- Yearly Subscription$20.00/year20% discount vs monthly · Perpetual fallback license included
CodeSpotlight vs alternatives
 CodeSpotlight |  Saas UI |  NestJS File Generator for VSCode |  Virtual Keyboard SDK |  FocuSee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Animated code highlights for presentations | Reusable UI component libraries | NestJS scaffolding | Custom virtual keyboards | Screen-recording video automation |
| Pricing | Freemium | Free | Free | Subscription | One time fee |
| DevHunt upvotes | 1 | 54 | 21 | 34 | 14 |
| Launched | Jul 2029 | Jan 2023 | Mar 2024 | Apr 2024 | Jan 2023 |
- CodeSpotlight vs Saas UI: Provides UI components, not animated code highlighting.
- CodeSpotlight vs NestJS File Generator for VSCode: Generates NestJS files in VSCode, unrelated to visual code focus.
- CodeSpotlight vs Virtual Keyboard SDK: Virtual keyboard SDK, no code-highlighting features.
- CodeSpotlight vs FocuSee: Automates video creation from recordings, not IDE visual effects.
CodeSpotlight FAQ
Do I need to modify my code to use CodeSpotlight?+
No, the plugin adds visual effects without changing any source files.
Can I try the Pro features before buying?+
Yes, a 30-day free trial gives full access to the plugin.
What IDEs are supported?+
CodeSpotlight works with IntelliJ IDEA, Android Studio, and 13 other JetBrains IDEs.
Is there a free version?+
A free tier is available with basic animation modes and limited presets.
How are saved presets handled in the free tier?+
Free users can store up to two presets; Pro users have unlimited presets.
What does the perpetual fallback license mean?+
After a continuous subscription period (12 months monthly or any yearly), you retain a permanent license even if you stop paying.
Summarized by DevHunt from plugins.jetbrains.com · Sep 28, 2026. Details may change; check the official site.
