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Cybersecurity · head to head

Salient CompleteView vs Visual Studio

Salient CompleteView logo

Salient CompleteView

Cybersecurity

Per-camera licensed video management software with unlimited client workstations

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
Visual Studio logo

Visual Studio

Developer Tools

IDE for .NET and C++ development on Windows

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Visual Studio has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Salient CompleteView the third-party integration ecosystem is much smaller than Milestone's, so a specialist analytics, LPR or access control requirement is more likely to need custom integration work.; 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 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Salient CompleteView and Visual Studio actually diverge.

Attributes where Salient CompleteView and Visual Studio differ
AttributeSalient CompleteViewVisual Studio
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquotefreemium
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, Web, iOS, AndroidWeb
CategoryCybersecurityDeveloper Tools

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Salient CompleteView

  • One licence per camera
  • Open camera support
  • Perpetual or subscription
  • Recording server architecture
  • Video wall
  • Cloud Services
  • Forensic search
  • First responder access

Only in Visual Studio

Nothing recorded that Salient CompleteView does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Salient CompleteView

  • A school district where dozens of administrators and resource officers need viewing access without per-seat licencesnot Visual Studio
  • A hospital campus consolidating legacy recorders under one recording architecturenot Visual Studio
  • A city department needing first responder access to specific cameras during an incidentnot Visual Studio
  • An integrator deploying a mid-sized site where an enterprise VMS would be over-engineerednot Visual Studio

Visual Studio

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

Where each one falls short

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

Salient CompleteView

  • The third-party integration ecosystem is much smaller than Milestone's, so a specialist analytics, LPR or access control requirement is more likely to need custom integration work.
  • It is Windows server based with a conventional recording architecture, so it carries the server, storage and maintenance burden that cloud-native competitors remove entirely.
  • International presence is limited and the channel is concentrated in North America, so buyers elsewhere face thin support and few experienced integrators.
  • No current pricing is published; distribution list prices circulate but the actual number depends on the integrator, which makes competitive comparison slow.
  • Brand recognition is lower than the market leaders, which matters in public procurement where specifications are sometimes written around a named competitor and a substitution has to be argued.

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

Salient CompleteView

On request
  • CompleteView$undefined/one-time
    • One licence per IP camera, sold through distribution
    • No charge or licence for client workstations, unlimited clients
    • Perpetual and subscription licensing both available

Visual Studio

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Visual Studio review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Salient CompleteView if

  • You need one licence per camera.
  • You work on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want open camera support.
Salient CompleteView review

Choose Visual Studio if

  • You want to start without paying.
Visual Studio review

Questions people ask

Is Salient CompleteView or Visual Studio better?
Neither clearly leads. Salient CompleteView 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, Salient CompleteView or Visual Studio?
Visual Studio has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Salient CompleteView and Free for Visual Studio.
Does Salient CompleteView or Visual Studio run on more platforms?
Salient CompleteView runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android. Visual Studio runs on Web.
Can I use Visual Studio for free?
Yes. Visual Studio has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Salient CompleteView starts at On request.
What is Salient CompleteView best used for?
Salient CompleteView is most often used for a school district where dozens of administrators and resource officers need viewing access without per-seat licences, a hospital campus consolidating legacy recorders under one recording architecture, a city department needing first responder access to specific cameras during an incident, an integrator deploying a mid-sized site where an enterprise vms would be over-engineered. Of those, a school district where dozens of administrators and resource officers need viewing access without per-seat licences and a hospital campus consolidating legacy recorders under one recording architecture are not what Visual Studio is typically brought in for.
What can Salient CompleteView do that Visual Studio cannot?
Salient CompleteView covers One licence per camera, Open camera support, Perpetual or subscription, Recording server architecture.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Salient CompleteView: Do I pay for client workstations?

No. CompleteView licenses one licence per IP camera with no additional charge or licence for clients and no limit on the number of client workstations.

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
Salient CompleteView: Is licensing perpetual or subscription?

Both are offered. Perpetual suits capital budgets; subscription suits organisations that prefer operating expenditure.

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
Salient CompleteView: Does it have a cloud option?

Yes, Salient Cloud Services, with free registration for an asset dashboard and paid upgrades for remote access, monitoring and first responder connectivity.

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
Salient CompleteView: What version is current?

CompleteView 8.0 is the current release line.

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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