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InVision vs Visual Studio

InVision logo

InVision

Design

Digital product design platform

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Visual Studio logo

Visual Studio

Developer Tools

IDE for .NET and C++ development on Windows

From
Free
Free plan
Yes

The short version

  • InVision is a digital product design platform.
  • Visual Studio is free; InVision starts at $25/mo.
  • Where InVision falls short: service discontinued as of end of 2024; no longer available or supported.
  • Where Visual Studio falls short: A standalone perpetually licensed Visual Studio Professional 2022 costs $499 as a one-time purchase, separate from the subscription tiers.
  • Prices and features on this page were last checked on 13 November 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where InVision and Visual Studio differ
AttributeInVisionVisual Studio
PlatformsWeb, macOS, Windows, iOS, AndroidWeb
CategoryDesignDeveloper Tools

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes).

Not yet recorded: pricing model for InVision, founded for Visual Studio.

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in InVision

  • Interactive prototypes
  • Design collaboration
  • Freehand whiteboarding
  • Design system manager
  • Inspect mode
  • Comments & feedback
  • Version control
  • User testing

Only in Visual Studio

Nothing recorded that InVision does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

InVision

  • Prototype creationnot Visual Studio
  • Design feedbacknot Visual Studio
  • Whiteboarding sessionsnot Visual Studio
  • Design handoffnot Visual Studio
  • User testingnot Visual Studio

Visual Studio

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

Where each one falls short

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

InVision

  • Service discontinued as of end of 2024; no longer available or supported
  • Workflow required constant switching between design software (Sketch/Photoshop) and InVision for prototyping, creating inefficiency
  • Performance issues and glitches reported, especially with larger projects
  • Limited development capabilities; required additional hosting and developer support for deployment
  • Could not export working web or mobile applications without additional development

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

InVision

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the InVision review.

Visual Studio

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Visual Studio review.

Which should you pick?

Choose InVision if

  • You need interactive prototypes.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android.
  • You also want design collaboration.

Choose Visual Studio if

  • You want to start without paying.

Questions people ask

Is InVision or Visual Studio better?
Neither clearly leads. InVision 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, InVision or Visual Studio?
InVision starts at Free and Visual Studio at Free.
Does InVision or Visual Studio run on more platforms?
InVision runs on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android. Visual Studio runs on Web.
Can I use InVision for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is InVision best used for?
InVision is most often used for prototype creation, design feedback, whiteboarding sessions, design handoff. Of those, prototype creation and design feedback are not what Visual Studio is typically brought in for.
What can InVision do that Visual Studio cannot?
InVision covers Interactive prototypes, Design collaboration, Freehand whiteboarding, Design system manager.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

InVision: Is InVision still active and supported in 2026?

No. InVision announced discontinuation of all services by end of 2024. The platform is no longer available or supported.

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
InVision: What were InVision's core features?

InVision allowed designers to transform designs into interactive prototypes and mockups for web and mobile. It supported Craft Player for Sketch, Craft Sync for Photoshop, and preview mode in Studio, enabling design-to-prototype workflows.

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
InVision: What were InVision's pricing plans?

InVision offered Free ($0), Starter ($25/month), Professional ($99/month), and Team plans. Annual billing provided a 10% discount. Free plan included basic prototyping; paid plans added collaboration and file access.

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
InVision: Why did InVision fail in the market?

InVision's market position was disrupted by Figma, which unified design, prototyping, and collaboration in a single web-based platform. InVision required switching between design software and prototyping, creating friction and reducing competitiveness.

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
InVision: What integrations did InVision support?

InVision integrated with design tools like Sketch and Photoshop, and supported sharing and collaboration workflows. The platform did not support deployment or direct development integration.

Source
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