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Developer Tools · head to head

Visual Studio vs Xlinesoft

Visual Studio logo

Visual Studio

Developer Tools

IDE for .NET and C++ development on Windows

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite
Xlinesoft logo

Xlinesoft

Developer Tools

PHPRunner and ASPRunner.NET: low-code builders that turn databases into web apps

From
$599/one-time
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Visual Studio has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • 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; Xlinesoft the purchase includes one year of support and upgrades only; after that, newer versions require a paid upgrade.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 12 November 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Visual Studio and Xlinesoft differ
AttributeVisual StudioXlinesoft
Starting priceFree$599/one-time
Pricing modelfreemiumone-time
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsWebWindows, macOS, Linux, Web

Identical on both: 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 Xlinesoft does not also cover.

Only in Xlinesoft

  • Database to web application
  • Page Designer and themes
  • Events, custom code and AI assistance
  • Security and dynamic permissions
  • Reports, charts and dashboards
  • Wide database support
  • Enterprise authentication
  • Application templates and plugins

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 Xlinesoft
  • Commercial development in small businessesnot Xlinesoft
  • DevOps and automated deployment workflowsnot Xlinesoft
  • Windows/SQL Server developer and tester rolesnot Xlinesoft
  • Short-term or month-to-month IDE access needsnot Xlinesoft

Xlinesoft

  • Building an internal web application on top of an existing SQL databasenot Visual Studio
  • Replacing a Microsoft Access application with a browser-based onenot Visual Studio
  • Creating admin interfaces and customer or partner portals with role-based accessnot Visual Studio
  • Agencies and freelancers delivering self-hosted database applications to clientsnot Visual Studio
  • Teams that need low-code tooling but must keep applications on their own serversnot 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

Xlinesoft

  • The purchase includes one year of support and upgrades only; after that, newer versions require a paid upgrade.
  • Multiple database connections, REST API connections and single sign-on through Active Directory, Okta or SAML are Enterprise-only, which raises the price from $599 to $999 per developer.
  • Self-hosted only. Hosting, database administration, backups, runtime updates and access-control configuration remain the customer's job, as Xlinesoft's own product facts page states.
  • Applications built on Microsoft Access require a Windows web server.
  • PHPRunner and ASPRunner.NET are separate products with separate licences, so moving a project between PHP and .NET is not covered by one purchase.

Pricing, plan by plan

Visual Studio

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Visual Studio review.

Xlinesoft

$599/one-time
  • PHPRunner Professional$599/one-time
    • Single developer licence
    • Core application-building product
    • One year of email support and upgrades
  • PHPRunner Enterprise Edition$999/one-time
    • Single developer licence
    • Multiple database and REST API connections
    • Data encryption
  • PHPRunner MultiDev Edition$3599/one-time
    • Three Enterprise Edition licences
    • Multiple developers working on the same project at the same time
    • One year of email support and upgrades
  • ASPRunner.NET Professional$599/one-time
    • Generates ASP.NET web applications
    • Same database coverage and security model as PHPRunner
    • Enterprise Edition available

Which should you pick?

Choose Visual Studio if

  • You want to start without paying.
Visual Studio review

Choose Xlinesoft if

  • You need database to web application.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux, Web.
  • You also want page designer and themes.
Xlinesoft review

Questions people ask

Is Visual Studio or Xlinesoft better?
Neither clearly leads. Visual Studio starts at Free and Xlinesoft at $599/one-time, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Visual Studio or Xlinesoft?
Visual Studio has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Visual Studio and $599/one-time for Xlinesoft.
Does Visual Studio or Xlinesoft run on more platforms?
Visual Studio runs on Web. Xlinesoft runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Web.
Can I use Visual Studio for free?
Yes. Visual Studio has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Xlinesoft starts at $599/one-time.
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 Xlinesoft is typically brought in for.
What can Visual Studio do that Xlinesoft cannot?
Xlinesoft covers Database to web application, Page Designer and themes, Events, custom code and AI assistance, Security and dynamic permissions.

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
Xlinesoft: How much does PHPRunner cost?

PHPRunner Professional is $599, Enterprise Edition is $999 and MultiDev Edition, which includes three Enterprise licences, is $3,599. Professional and Enterprise prices are per developer, and each purchase includes one year of email support and free upgrades.

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
Xlinesoft: Which databases does PHPRunner support?

MySQL, MariaDB, Microsoft SQL Server, PostgreSQL, Oracle, Microsoft Access, IBM DB2, Informix, SQLite and ODBC-compatible databases. Using multiple database connections in one project is an Enterprise Edition feature.

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
Xlinesoft: Is there a free trial?

Yes. PHPRunner can be downloaded and evaluated for 21 days, and public live demos show the generated applications, with add, edit and delete disabled.

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
Xlinesoft: Where do PHPRunner applications run?

On your own web server. The documented options are Apache and Microsoft IIS with a compatible PHP runtime and database extensions, and a built-in web server is available for local testing. The development application itself runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.

Source
Xlinesoft: What does the Enterprise Edition add?

Multiple database and REST API connections, data encryption, and enterprise authentication including Active Directory, Okta, Azure AD, OpenID and SAML, on top of all Professional features.

Source
Xlinesoft: What is ASPRunner.NET?

Xlinesoft's equivalent builder for ASP.NET. It generates database-driven ASP.NET web applications with the same kind of forms, reports, charts, permissions and Page Designer, and is sold separately from $599.

Source
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