Launched January 3, 2023
Squirrelsong
Light & dark themes for web developers
FreeIDE14,850 impressions#128 of its week
Low-contrast light and dark themes for web developers: low-contrast color schemes with great readability and non-distracting UI themes for your IDE or code editor.
Squirrelsong provides low-contrast light and dark themes designed for comfortable, neurodiverse-friendly coding.
- for
- Web developers and anyone seeking low-distraction editor themes.
- pricing
- free
- license
- MIT
works withJavaScriptTypeScriptHTMLCSSSassMarkdownJSONXMLReactAstroPHPPythonRubyRust
Key features
6 features of Squirrelsong
- Low-contrast readability — Soft colors reduce eye strain while still distinguishing code elements.
- Neurodiverse-friendly design — Colors minimise sensory overload for ADHD, autism, and high-sensitivity users.
- Web-focused syntax highlighting — Tailored highlighting for JavaScript, TypeScript, HTML, CSS, Sass, Markdown and more.
- Monochrome Markdown styling — Gray-scale Markdown rendering reduces visual clutter while writing docs.
- Consistent cross-language highlighting — Same visual style applied across languages like PHP, Python, Rust, etc.
- Broad app support — Themes available for 34+ editors, terminals and apps including VS Code, Vim, iTerm2, Chrome, Slack and more.
Use cases
- Long coding sessions without eye fatigue
- Writing documentation or blog posts in Markdown with minimal distraction
- Creating a calming workspace for neurodiverse developers
Squirrelsong vs alternatives
 Squirrelsong |  Visual Studio Code |  Neovim |  Cursor |  Zed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Low-contrast, neurodiverse-friendly UI themes | Full-featured IDE | Vim power users | AI-assisted coding | Fast, AI-integrated development |
| Pricing | Free | Free | Free | Subscription | Free |
| DevHunt upvotes | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Launched | Jan 2023 | — | — | — | — |
- Squirrelsong vs Visual Studio Code: General purpose code editor, not a dedicated low-contrast theme
- Squirrelsong vs Neovim: Highly extensible Vim-based editor, theme support via plugins
- Squirrelsong vs Cursor: AI-enhanced editor, focuses on code generation rather than UI themes
- Squirrelsong vs Zed: High-performance editor with built-in AI, not a theme pack
Squirrelsong FAQ
How can I install Squirrelsong?+
Download the theme from the Squirrelsong page and apply it in your editor or app via the provided theme package.
Is Squirrelsong compatible with Visual Studio Code?+
Yes, Squirrelsong offers Light and Dark variants for Visual Studio Code.
Does the theme work in terminals?+
Yes, there are Light and Dark themes for terminals such as iTerm2, Warp, and Zsh.
Can I use Squirrelsong with non-web languages?+
The theme includes support for many languages beyond web development, including PHP, Python, Ruby, Rust, Java and Swift.
Who can I contact for support?+
Reach out to the author at artem@sapegin.me or via Mastodon @sapegin.
Summarized by DevHunt from sapegin.me · Oct 4, 2026. Details may change; check the official site.
