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GNAT Pro vs Visual Studio

GNAT Pro logo

GNAT Pro

Developer Tools

Software development environments and toolchains for Ada, C/C++ and Rust

From
On request
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

  • Only Visual Studio has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: GNAT Pro no pricing published on website; requires contacting AdaCore directly for quotes; 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 GNAT Pro and Visual Studio actually diverge.

Attributes where GNAT Pro and Visual Studio differ
AttributeGNAT ProVisual Studio
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotefreemium
Free tierNoYes

Identical on both: 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.

GNAT Pro

  • Building certified avionics software meeting DO-178B/C standardsnot Visual Studio
  • Developing automotive embedded systems with ISO-26262 compliancenot Visual Studio
  • Integrating Ada, C/C++, and Rust components in single codebasenot Visual Studio
  • Managing software supply chain vulnerabilities and SBOMsnot Visual Studio
  • Supporting long-lived software systems spanning decadesnot Visual Studio

Visual Studio

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

Where each one falls short

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

GNAT Pro

  • No pricing published on website; requires contacting AdaCore directly for quotes
  • Vendor indicates per-user, per-year subscription model but does not disclose specific costs

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

GNAT Pro

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the GNAT Pro review.

Visual Studio

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Visual Studio review.

Which should you pick?

Choose GNAT Pro if

Nothing in the data separates GNAT Pro from Visual Studio on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

GNAT Pro review

Choose Visual Studio if

  • You want to start without paying.
Visual Studio review

Questions people ask

Is GNAT Pro or Visual Studio better?
Neither clearly leads. GNAT Pro starts at On request and Visual Studio at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, GNAT Pro or Visual Studio?
Visual Studio has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for GNAT Pro and Free for Visual Studio.
Does GNAT Pro or Visual Studio run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Visual Studio for free?
Yes. Visual Studio has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. GNAT Pro starts at On request.
What is GNAT Pro best used for?
GNAT Pro is most often used for building certified avionics software meeting do-178b/c standards, developing automotive embedded systems with iso-26262 compliance, integrating ada, c/c++, and rust components in single codebase, managing software supply chain vulnerabilities and sboms. Of those, building certified avionics software meeting do-178b/c standards and developing automotive embedded systems with iso-26262 compliance are not what Visual Studio is typically brought in for.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

GNAT Pro: How much does GNAT Pro cost?

GNAT Pro pricing is not published on the website. Customers must request a pricing quote by contacting AdaCore directly or speaking with a GNAT Pro expert.

Source
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
GNAT Pro: What is GNAT Pro licensing model?

GNAT Pro is sold on a per-user, per-year basis with no license locks. Customers can request pricing for their specific needs.

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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