What is Visual Studio used for?

Visual Studio is Microsoft's integrated development environment for .NET, C++ and cross-platform apps, with IntelliSense, a debugger and Copilot assistance. It is a good fit for building .NET and Windows applications, C++ development with integrated debugging, and team development with enterprise subscriptions.

How much does Visual Studio cost?

Paid plans for Visual Studio start at $45 per seat per month, and there is no free plan.

Is Visual Studio open source?

No. Visual Studio is proprietary (closed-source) software. Open-source alternatives to Visual Studio include Visual Studio Code, code-server and VSCodium.

What are some alternatives to Visual Studio?

Visual Studio competes with IntelliJ IDEA, WebStorm and Xcode. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source Visual Studio alternatives.

Visual Studio: features, pricing and alternatives

About Visual Studio

Visual Studio is Microsoft's integrated development environment for professional developers. It is primarily associated with .NET and C++ development and also supports other languages and platforms, covering the path from writing code to debugging, testing and deploying applications.

Microsoft highlights IntelliSense for context-aware code completion, a built-in debugger for catching issues before release, and AI assistance through GitHub Copilot, including an agent mode for more complex tasks. The product is offered in several editions and can be extended through a marketplace of extensions, with documentation, a blog and support channels maintained by Microsoft.

Visual Studio is proprietary software installed on the developer's machine, rather than a hosted or self-hosted service. A free edition is available alongside paid professional and enterprise subscriptions, and it suits individual developers, teams and enterprises building Windows and cross-platform software.

Key features

IntelliSense context-aware code completion
Integrated debugger for finding bugs
GitHub Copilot with agent mode
Support for .NET and C++ development
Multiple editions for individuals and teams
Marketplace of third-party extensions

Good fit for

→Building .NET and Windows applications
→C++ development with integrated debugging
→Team development with enterprise subscriptions

Tags: ide; dotnet; cpp; microsoft; debugger; developer-tools; copilot

Visual Studio: questions and answers

What is Visual Studio used for?: Visual Studio is Microsoft's integrated development environment for .NET, C++ and cross-platform apps, with IntelliSense, a debugger and Copilot assistance. It is a good fit for building .NET and Windows applications, C++ development with integrated debugging, and team development with enterprise subscriptions.
How much does Visual Studio cost?: Paid plans for Visual Studio start at $45 per seat per month, and there is no free plan.
Is Visual Studio open source?: No. Visual Studio is proprietary (closed-source) software. Open-source alternatives to Visual Studio include Visual Studio Code, code-server and VSCodium.
What are some alternatives to Visual Studio?: Visual Studio competes with IntelliJ IDEA, WebStorm and Xcode. For open-source options, see Enlisted's ranked list of open-source Visual Studio alternatives.