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Developer Tools · head to head

Fig vs Visual Studio

F

Fig

Developer Tools

IDE-style autocomplete for your existing terminal

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Visual Studio logo

Visual Studio

Developer Tools

IDE for .NET and C++ development on Windows

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Fig shut down on 1 September 2024. Amazon acquired Fig in August 2023 and folded it into Amazon Q Developer, which now carries the terminal autocomplete; Visual Studio community edition is free only for individual developers, classroom use, academic research and open-source contribution, not general commercial use
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 29 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Fig and Visual Studio actually diverge.

Attributes where Fig and Visual Studio differ
AttributeFigVisual Studio
Founded2020Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Developer Tools).

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Fig

No use cases recorded yet. See the Fig review.

Visual Studio

  • Managing complex, large-scale projects across multiple platformsnot Fig
  • Commercial development in small businessesnot Fig
  • DevOps and automated deployment workflowsnot Fig
  • Windows/SQL Server developer and tester rolesnot Fig
  • Short-term or month-to-month IDE access needsnot Fig

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Fig

  • Shut down on 1 September 2024. Amazon acquired Fig in August 2023 and folded it into Amazon Q Developer, which now carries the terminal autocomplete
  • The standalone desktop app is no longer available or supported
  • The completion specs remain open source on GitHub, but the product that consumed them is gone

Visual Studio

  • Community edition is free only for individual developers, classroom use, academic research and open-source contribution, not general commercial use
  • Monthly subscriptions are $45 per user per month for Professional and $250 per user per month for Enterprise, and do not include perpetual use rights the way annual Standard subscriptions do
  • A standalone perpetually licensed Visual Studio Professional 2022 costs $499 as a one-time purchase, separate from the subscription tiers

Pricing, plan by plan

Fig

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Fig review.

Visual Studio

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Visual Studio review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Fig if

  • You want to start without paying.
Fig review

Choose Visual Studio if

  • You want to start without paying.
Visual Studio review

Questions people ask

Is Fig or Visual Studio better?
Neither clearly leads. Fig starts at Free and Visual Studio at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Fig or Visual Studio?
Fig starts at Free and Visual Studio at Free.
Does Fig or Visual Studio run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Fig for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Visual Studio: What are the pricing differences between subscription types?

Standard subscriptions include access to more benefits, such as Azure dev/test pricing, monthly Azure individual credit, software and download access, services, training, and support. Monthly subscriptions offer flexibility but fewer benefits.

Source
Visual Studio: Are discounts available for startups?

There aren't any discounts available to start-ups, however an unlimited number of users within an organization can use Visual Studio Community for specific scenarios like open source work.

Source
Visual Studio: Who can use Visual Studio Community for free?

In non-enterprise organizations, up to five users can use it. Enterprise organizations (greater than 250 PCs or greater than $1M annual revenue) cannot use it beyond academic/open-source scenarios.

Source
Visual Studio: What's the renewal pricing structure?

Enterprise standard renews at $214.09/month (after initial $499.92); Professional at $66.59/month (after $99.99).

Source
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