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Software · head to head

Visual Studio vs Ansible

Visual Studio logo

Visual Studio

Software

IDE for .NET and C++ development on Windows

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Ansible logo

Ansible

Software

Simple, agentless IT automation

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Visual Studio community edition is free only for individual developers, classroom use, academic research and open-source contribution, not general commercial use; Ansible the open source project gives the engine and the language; the automation controller, automation mesh, automation hub, analytics and governance all belong to the paid Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Visual Studio and Ansible differ
AttributeVisual StudioAnsible
Pricing modelfreemiumopen-source
PlatformsWebLinux, Windows, Mac, Api
FoundedUnknown2012

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Unknown).

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 Visual Studio

Nothing recorded that Ansible does not also cover.

Only in Ansible

  • Playbooks
  • Inventory management
  • Module library
  • Variables and templating
  • Handlers
  • Roles
  • Async tasks
  • Plugins

What people use each for

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

Visual Studio

No use cases recorded yet. See the Visual Studio review.

Ansible

  • Configuration managementnot Visual Studio
  • Server provisioningnot Visual Studio
  • Application deploymentnot Visual Studio
  • Multi-node managementnot Visual Studio
  • Orchestrationnot Visual Studio

Where each one falls short

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

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

Ansible

  • The open source project gives the engine and the language; the automation controller, automation mesh, automation hub, analytics and governance all belong to the paid Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform
  • Event-Driven Ansible and the AI coding assistant are platform features rather than open source ones
  • Red Hat does not publish platform pricing
  • Running open source Ansible at scale means building the control plane the platform otherwise provides

Pricing, plan by plan

Visual Studio

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Visual Studio review.

Ansible

Free
  • Open SourceFree
    • Community edition
    • Unlimited nodes
    • Full functionality
  • Ansible Automation Platform$5000/year
    • Enterprise support
    • Ansible Tower
    • Advanced features

Which should you pick?

Choose Visual Studio if

  • You want to start without paying.
Visual Studio review

Choose Ansible if

  • You need playbooks.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api.
  • You also want inventory management.
Ansible review

Questions people ask

Is Visual Studio or Ansible better?
Neither clearly leads. Visual Studio starts at Free and Ansible at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Visual Studio or Ansible?
Visual Studio starts at Free and Ansible at Free.
Does Visual Studio or Ansible run on more platforms?
Visual Studio runs on Web. Ansible runs on Linux, Windows, Mac, Api.
Can I use Visual Studio for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What can Visual Studio do that Ansible cannot?
Ansible covers Playbooks, Inventory management, Module library, Variables and templating.
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