Code Blocks for Confluence — Which Syntax Highlighting App Should You Choose?
Engineering teams document APIs, share runbooks, and write code reviews in Confluence every day. But the built-in code macro hasn't kept up — limited language support, no dark mode, no line numbers, and a bare-bones editing experience.
Several third-party apps try to fill this gap. We built Modern Code Blocks for Confluence to bring the Monaco Editor (the engine behind VS Code) into Confluence pages. In this post we compare it against the alternatives so you can pick the right one.
The Problem
Confluence's default code macro is fine for a quick console.log. But when your team needs to:
- Reference specific lines in code reviews
- Display code in both light and dark Confluence themes
- Navigate long code blocks with a minimap
- Use a proper editor with find/replace and keyboard shortcuts
...the default macro falls short. That's where third-party code block apps come in.
What's Available on the Marketplace
We looked at every code block and syntax highlighting app currently available for Confluence Cloud. Here's the landscape:
| App | Vendor | Installs | Rating | Last Updated | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Better Code Macro | Atlassian Labs | 2,823 | 2.5/5 (30 reviews) | Sep 2025 | Free |
| Advanced Code Syntax Highlighter | Toshihiro Sato | 133 | 2.3/5 (6 reviews) | Dec 2023 | From $10/yr |
| Code Syntax Highlighter | Narva Software Labs | 105 | 3.0/5 (4 reviews) | Apr 2022 | From $80/yr |
| Prism Syntax Highlighter | weweave | 98 | 3.9/5 (7 reviews) | Mar 2026 | Free to 10 users |
| Modern Code Blocks | NGPILOT | — | — | Apr 2026 | Free to 10 users |
Data from Atlassian Marketplace, April 2026.
Better Code Macro (by Atlassian Labs) leads in installs but hasn't had a meaningful update since September 2025 and carries a 2.5-star rating — users report issues with theme support and limited features.
Code Syntax Highlighter claims 300+ languages but was last published in April 2022 — over four years without an update.
Prism Syntax Highlighter is the most actively maintained competitor, updated in March 2026 with a respectable 3.9-star rating.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Modern Code Blocks | Better Code Macro | Prism Highlighter | Advanced Code SH | Code SH |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Editor engine | Monaco (VS Code) | Basic | Basic | Basic | Basic |
| Languages | 85+ | Many | 260+ | 220+ | 300+ |
| Dark/light theme sync | Auto | No | No | No | No |
| Line numbers | On/Off/Relative | No | Yes | No | No |
| Minimap | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Font ligatures | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Auto-height | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Find & Replace | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Word wrap | Configurable | No | No | No | No |
| Copy to clipboard | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Actively maintained | Yes (2026) | Limited (2025) | Yes (2026) | No (2023) | No (2022) |
Where Modern Code Blocks Stands Out
VS Code editing experience — The Monaco Editor gives you autocomplete, multi-cursor, find/replace, and keyboard shortcuts that developers already know. No other Confluence code block app offers this.
Auto dark/light theme — Code blocks automatically match the reader's Confluence theme. When a reader switches to dark mode, the code block switches to VS Code Dark. No manual configuration needed.
Auto-height with scroll — Blocks expand to fit short snippets and scroll when code is long. No fixed-height boxes with wasted whitespace.
Actively maintained — Shipped in April 2026 with regular updates planned.
Where We Could Improve
- Language count — We support 85+ languages compared to Prism's 260+ and Code Syntax Highlighter's 300+. We're adding more with each release.
- New app — We launched recently, so we don't have the install base or review history of older apps yet. We're working on earning that trust.
- No GitHub/Bitbucket embedding — Some apps can embed code directly from Git repositories. This is on our roadmap.
Why Teams Choose Modern Code Blocks
- Familiar editing — Developers already know VS Code. Monaco gives them the same experience inside Confluence.
- Zero configuration for themes — code blocks just look right in both light and dark mode.
- Professional rendering — JetBrains Mono font stack with ligatures, minimap, and line numbers make code blocks feel like a real IDE.
- Fair pricing — Free for teams up to 10 users.
Get Started
- Install Modern Code Blocks for Confluence from the Atlassian Marketplace
- Read the full documentation
Have questions or feedback? Reach out to us at service@ngpilot.com — we'd love to hear from you.