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Developer Tools · head to head

Visual Studio vs Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio logo

Visual Studio

Developer Tools

IDE for .NET and C++ development on Windows

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Visual Studio Code logo

Visual Studio Code

Developer Tools

Code editing. Redefined.

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; Visual Studio Code requires extension installation for language-specific features and tooling
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code differ
AttributeVisual StudioVisual Studio Code
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
PlatformsWebWindows, macOS, Linux, Web (via GitHub Codespaces)
FoundedUnknown2015

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

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 Visual Studio Code does not also cover.

Only in Visual Studio Code

  • IntelliSense
  • Debugging
  • Built-in Git
  • Extensions
  • Integrated terminal
  • Syntax highlighting
  • Code refactoring
  • Snippets

What people use each for

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

Visual Studio

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

Visual Studio Code

  • Code editingnot Visual Studio
  • Web developmentnot Visual Studio
  • Debuggingnot Visual Studio
  • Version controlnot Visual Studio
  • Remote developmentnot 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

Visual Studio Code

  • Requires extension installation for language-specific features and tooling
  • Performance can degrade with very large codebases (100,000+ files)
  • Git integration is basic; requires extensions for advanced version control workflows

Pricing, plan by plan

Visual Studio

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Visual Studio review.

Visual Studio Code

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Visual Studio Code review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Visual Studio if

  • You want to start without paying.
Visual Studio review

Choose Visual Studio Code if

  • You need intellisense.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux, Web (via GitHub Codespaces).
  • You also want debugging.
Visual Studio Code review

Questions people ask

Is Visual Studio or Visual Studio Code better?
Neither clearly leads. Visual Studio starts at Free and Visual Studio Code at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Visual Studio or Visual Studio Code?
Visual Studio starts at Free and Visual Studio Code at Free.
Does Visual Studio or Visual Studio Code run on more platforms?
Visual Studio runs on Web. Visual Studio Code runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Web (via GitHub Codespaces).
Can I use Visual Studio for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Visual Studio best used for?
Visual Studio is most often used for managing complex, large-scale projects across multiple platforms, commercial development in small businesses, devops and automated deployment workflows, windows/sql server developer and tester roles. Of those, managing complex, large-scale projects across multiple platforms and commercial development in small businesses are not what Visual Studio Code is typically brought in for.
What can Visual Studio do that Visual Studio Code cannot?
Visual Studio Code covers IntelliSense, Debugging, Built-in Git, Extensions.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Visual Studio Code: Is Visual Studio Code free?

Yes. Visual Studio Code is completely free to use under the MIT license. There are no subscription fees or paid tiers.

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 Code: Can I use VS Code for remote development?

Yes. The Remote Development extension pack allows development on remote machines via SSH, in containers, or in Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) while using the full VS Code feature set.

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 Code: How many extensions are available?

The VS Code Marketplace contains thousands of extensions from Microsoft and the community for language support, debuggers, themes, formatters, and productivity tools.

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
Visual Studio Code: Does VS Code support debugging?

Yes. VS Code includes built-in debugging for JavaScript, TypeScript, and Node.js, and supports debugging for Python, C++, C#, Java, Ruby, Go, PHP, and other languages via extensions.

Source
Visual Studio Code: What operating systems does VS Code support?

VS Code runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux with identical features and keybindings across all platforms.

Source
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