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Web Development · head to head

Strikingly vs Visual Studio

Strikingly logo

Strikingly

Web Development

One-page website builder for small businesses and creators

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
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

  • Each has a real cost: Strikingly strikingly is optimized for single-page sites and is not well suited to building large, multi-section websites.; 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 Strikingly and Visual Studio actually diverge.

Attributes where Strikingly and Visual Studio differ
AttributeStrikinglyVisual Studio
CategoryWeb DevelopmentDeveloper Tools
Founded2012Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (freemium), free tier (Yes), platforms (web), 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 Strikingly

  • Drag-and-drop editor
  • Simple Store
  • Blogging
  • Forms and live chat
  • Traffic analytics
  • Social feed integration
  • HTTPS/SSL

Only in Visual Studio

Nothing recorded that Strikingly does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Strikingly

  • Personal portfolio or resume sitenot Visual Studio
  • Single-product or small online storenot Visual Studio
  • Event or landing pagenot Visual Studio
  • Small business brochure sitenot Visual Studio

Visual Studio

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

Where each one falls short

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

Strikingly

  • Strikingly is optimized for single-page sites and is not well suited to building large, multi-section websites.
  • Transaction fees of 2-5% apply to store sales on lower-tier plans in addition to payment processor fees.
  • Design customization is limited compared to code-based site builders, since sites are built from fixed templates.
  • The free plan does not support a custom domain, limiting its use for professional or commercial sites.

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

Strikingly

Free
  • Limited$8/month
    • 2 sites
    • 1 GB storage per site
    • Up to 5 pages
  • Pro$16/month
    • 3 sites
    • 20 GB storage per site
    • Up to 100 pages
  • VIP$49/month
    • 5 sites
    • 100 GB storage per site
    • Up to 500 products

Visual Studio

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Visual Studio review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Strikingly if

  • You need drag-and-drop editor.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web.
  • You also want simple store.
Strikingly review

Choose Visual Studio if

  • You want to start without paying.
Visual Studio review

Questions people ask

Is Strikingly or Visual Studio better?
Neither clearly leads. Strikingly 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, Strikingly or Visual Studio?
Strikingly starts at Free and Visual Studio at Free.
Does Strikingly or Visual Studio run on more platforms?
Strikingly runs on web. Visual Studio runs on Web.
Can I use Strikingly for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Strikingly best used for?
Strikingly is most often used for personal portfolio or resume site, single-product or small online store, event or landing page, small business brochure site. Of those, personal portfolio or resume site and single-product or small online store are not what Visual Studio is typically brought in for.
What can Strikingly do that Visual Studio cannot?
Strikingly covers Drag-and-drop editor, Simple Store, Blogging, Forms and live chat.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Strikingly: Does Strikingly have a free plan?

Strikingly offers a free tier for getting started, with paid plans beginning at $8/month (billed yearly) adding a custom domain, more storage, and lower transaction fees on store sales.

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
Strikingly: Does Strikingly charge transaction fees on store sales?

Yes. The Limited plan charges a 5% transaction fee, the Pro plan charges 2%, and the VIP plan removes the transaction fee entirely, in addition to any payment processor fees.

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
Strikingly: What payment methods can I use to sell products?

Strikingly's built-in Simple Store supports accepting payments through PayPal and Stripe.

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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