Flex or Flash Builder, etc. What are the differences?

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I just downloaded Flex. Do I also need an IDE to compile my .as files? I don't see any executable files in the Flex SDK that I can load an .as into. Can someone sort me out?

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Mr. Phantom On BEST ANSWER

I will explain the differences:

Flex or Flex SDK: Is a set of components and UI controls for creating desktop, web and mobile applications, inside the Flex SDK there's a bin folder which contains executable files for compiling your .as code to .swf files.

Flash Builder and Flex Builder: Is an IDE based on the Eclipse platform, it comes bundled with the Flex SDK. Flex Builder was the name until version 4.x when it was renamed to Flash Builder. It is the IDE developed by Adobe and it's a good product to get started with ActionScript development.

Adobe Animate is fine for making Flash apps and games, the problem is that it lacks a powerful code editor.

If you are on Windows you can use Flash Develop which is free. If you are on OSX you can try Powerflasher FDT, its free tier allows you to make web and desktop apps.

Regardless of your choice, always keep in mind that you need to download the latest AIR SDK and Flex SDK (both free) to ensure maximum compatibility with the latest versions of Android, iOS, Windows and OSX.