When comparing Eric Python IDE vs Eclipse with PyDev, the Slant community recommends Eric Python IDE for most people. In the question“What are the best Python IDEs or editors?” Eric Python IDE is ranked 14th while Eclipse with PyDev is ranked 22nd. The most important reason people chose Eric Python IDE is:
Eric has a python debugger built-in.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Integrated python debugger
Eric has a python debugger built-in.
Pro Good project management
Pro Integration with version control software
Integrates with various VCS.
Pro Integrated class browser
With Eric you can easily browse all classes in your current Python project and display the methods for a given class.
Pro Can be extended to have additional features through plugins
Eclipse has a large and active community, which has resulted in a wide variety of plugins.
Pro Feature rich including Django integration
Django Integration, Auto code completion, Multi language support, Integrated Python Debugging, code analysis, code templates ,smart indent, bracket matching, error markup, source control integration, code folding, UML Editing and viewing, and unit test integration.
Pro Good integration of interactive python console even in debugging mode
Pro Handles non-Python components well
If your project includes non-Python pieces (ie. Javascript, CSS, UML, etc) Eclipse tends to provide much better support for these than IDEs focused exclusively on Python.
Pro Can use different environments for different projects
It's very handy for managing multiple projects that each use their own virtualenv or conda environment, you can assign a different interpreter to each project and they will handle things like code completion correctly.
Pro Good font rendering
Because Eclipse is based on SWT, it uses the native font rendering and thus looks better than other IDEs on some Linux systems, where the Java font rendering is not optimal.
Pro One of the few that can debug Jython code
It handles both Jython and CPython.
Cons
Con Complex interface
Eric has a very complex UI. It overwhelms you with sections and windows and doesn't let you focus on code. Every tool is displayed on the top bars (there are 3) with no logical grouping or structure whatsoever.
Con Auto completion is not very good
The auto completion is not top-notch compared to other IDEs and text editors. In fact, many people recommend installing a third-party plugin to improve the auto completion found in Eric.
Con Just plugin for python, not full editor
It useful only if you use python as additional(secondary) language in your project on Eclipse
Con Plugins can be unstable
Though there are plenty of plugins to choose from, they aren't always reliable. Some aren't maintained, bug fixes can be slow, and you may need to download plugins from multiple sources.