Getting started with Arduino tools
Get to know the different tools that Arduino have, and how to set up your environment.
Welcome to Arduino! Before you start controlling the world around you, you'll need to set up the software to program your board.
IDE
An Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is a software that allows you to write code and upload it to your Arduino hardware. We have our own [Arduino Software (IDE)](https://www.arduino.cc/en/software application available for Windows, macOS and Linux users. Besides the convenient code editing functions, the Arduino Software (IDE) is equipped with a list of libraries that provide extra functionality for use in sketches, making it easier for you to connect sensors, displays, modules, etc.
Arduino Tools
You can write programs and upload them to your board with the browser IDE (Arduino Web Editor), or the desktop one (Arduino Software IDE). Another option is to use the Arduino Cloud web platform if you are interested in creating IoT systems and have a compatible board. Here are some tips to help you pick the best tool to suit your needs:
1. If you have a reliable Internet connection, you should use the online IDE (Arduino Web Editor). It will allow you to save your sketches in the Cloud, having them available from any device and backed up. Also, you will always have the most up-to-date version of the IDE without the need to install updates or community generated libraries.
2. If you would rather work offline, you should use the latest version of the desktop IDE (Arduino Software IDE).
3. If you wish to create our very own IoT project, you should use the Arduino Cloud. It will allow you to track data in real time, trigger remote devices and build wireless systems.
Suggest changes
The content on docs.arduino.cc is facilitated through a public GitHub repository. If you see anything wrong, you can edit this page here.
License
The Arduino documentation is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 license.