# Confluence Code Block Themes — Dark Mode, Monaco Editor & 85+ Languages

April 18, 2026 ·

<!-- -->

5 min read

[NGPilot](https://ngpilot.com)

**Confluence code block themes** let you customize how code appears in your documentation. The built-in code macro offers limited theme support, but third-party apps bring dark mode, syntax highlighting, and VS Code-like editing to Confluence.

This guide compares the best **Confluence code block** apps for syntax highlighting, including Modern Code Blocks, Better Code Macro, and Prism Syntax Highlighter. Learn which one fits your team's needs for **Confluence code block themes**, language support, and developer experience.

## The Problem with Confluence Code Block Themes[​](#the-problem-with-confluence-code-block-themes "Direct link to The Problem with Confluence Code Block Themes")

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.

### Native Code Block Theme Limitations[​](#native-code-block-theme-limitations "Direct link to Native Code Block Theme Limitations")

The built-in Confluence code block has limited theme support:

* **No automatic dark/light switching** — Code blocks don't adapt when users toggle Confluence dark mode
* **Limited language support** — Common languages work, but newer or niche languages may not highlight correctly
* **No editor experience** — It's a plain textarea, not a code editor with autocomplete or syntax checking
* **Fixed appearance** — No control over font size, line numbers, or visual style

For developer teams documenting APIs, sharing runbooks, or writing technical guides, these limitations become friction points daily.

## What's Available on the Marketplace[​](#whats-available-on-the-marketplace "Direct link to 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-comparison "Direct link to 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[​](#where-modern-code-blocks-stands-out "Direct link to 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.

**Code block themes that work** — Modern Code Blocks includes multiple VS Code-compatible themes:

| Theme         | Best For                                     |
| ------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| VS Code Dark  | Dark mode Confluence, long coding sessions   |
| VS Code Light | Light mode Confluence, printed documentation |
| High Contrast | Accessibility requirements, low-vision users |

The theme syncs automatically with Confluence's appearance settings. No need to configure code blocks per theme — they just work.

**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[​](#where-we-could-improve "Direct link to 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[​](#why-teams-choose-modern-code-blocks "Direct link to 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.

## Related Posts[​](#related-posts "Direct link to Related Posts")

* [Google Fonts for Confluence — Which Custom Typography App Fits Your Team?](/blog/google-fonts-confluence-custom-typography.md)
* [Markdown Editor for Confluence — Which App Should You Choose for Writing Docs?](/blog/confluence-markdown-editor-comparison.md)
* [Numbered Headings for Confluence — Which Table of Contents App Fits Your Docs?](/blog/confluence-numbered-headings-comparison.md)

## Get Started[​](#get-started "Direct link to Get Started")

* Install Modern Code Blocks for Confluence from the Atlassian Marketplace
* [Read the full documentation](/docs/Modern-Code-Blocks-for-Confluence/user-docs.md)

**Ready to improve your Confluence code blocks?** [Try Modern Code Blocks for Confluence with a free trial →](https://marketplace.atlassian.com/apps/3525717923/modern-code-blocks-for-confluence?hosting=cloud\&tab=overview)

Have questions or feedback? Reach out to us at <service@ngpilot.com> — we'd love to hear from you.

Try <!-- -->Modern Code Blocks for Confluence

Monaco editor, 85+ languages (JSON, XML, YAML, SQL), 50+ themes, diff view, and auto dark/light mode — free for up to 10 users.

[Get it on the Atlassian Marketplace](https://marketplace.atlassian.com/apps/3525717923/modern-code-blocks-for-confluence?utm_source=ngpilot.com\&utm_medium=website\&utm_campaign=modern-code-blocks-for-confluence)

## Related guides

* [How to Create Mermaid Diagrams in Jira](/blog/how-to-create-mermaid-diagrams-jira.md)
* [Export Jira Issues to Excel or CSV](/blog/export-jira-issues-to-excel.md)
* [Bulk Download Jira Attachments](/blog/bulk-download-jira-attachments.md)
* [How to Migrate Confluence Content](/blog/how-to-migrate-confluence-content.md)

Explore NGPILOT[Browse Solutions](/solutions.md)[All Apps](/apps.md)[Atlassian Marketplace →](https://marketplace.atlassian.com/vendors/1226848/?utm_source=ngpilot.com\&utm_medium=blog\&utm_campaign=hub-links)

**Tags:**

* [code-blocks](/blog/tags/code-blocks.md)
* [syntax-highlighting](/blog/tags/syntax-highlighting.md)
* [confluence](/blog/tags/confluence.md)
* [monaco-editor](/blog/tags/monaco-editor.md)
* [developer-tools](/blog/tags/developer-tools.md)
* [code-block-themes](/blog/tags/code-block-themes.md)
* [dark-mode](/blog/tags/dark-mode.md)