Microsoft Visual Studio - 2026 Pricing, Features, Reviews & Alternatives

Reviewers appreciate Microsoft Visual Studio's code development capabilities, highlighting features like intelligent code completion, project templates, and code macros. They find the integrated compiler useful for detecting errors and warnings. Users also value the support for multiple programming languages, including C++, C#, Java, and Python, and the ability to develop applications for various platforms like Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. They mention the convenience of auto-completion, code refactoring, and the extensive library of extensions and templates available. Of the 97 Microsoft Visual Studio users who gave detailed accounts of their use of Code Development, 99% rated this feature as important or highly important.

Reviewers indicate that Microsoft Visual Studio's Integrated Development Environment (IDE) is comprehensive and user-friendly. They appreciate the support for multiple programming languages and the seamless integration with tools like Git, TFS, and Azure. Users highlight the IDE's project management capabilities, code editor, and debugging tools. They also value the ability to develop various applications, including web apps, mobile apps, and games, within a single environment. The customization options and vast extension marketplace are also frequently mentioned. Of the 135 Microsoft Visual Studio users who gave detailed accounts of their use of Integrated Development Environment, 99% rated this feature as important or highly important.

Users report that Microsoft Visual Studio offers powerful debugging capabilities, allowing them to set breakpoints, inspect variables, and step through code. They find the interface intuitive and appreciate capabilities like memory dumps, Hot Reload, and advanced data inspection. Reviewers highlight the ability to debug both locally and on remote machines, as well as the integration with various programming languages. They feel that these tools significantly simplify the debugging process and improve code quality. Of the 177 Microsoft Visual Studio users who gave detailed accounts of their use of Debugging, 98% rated this feature as important or highly important.

See related user reviews

Highly relevant

“It provides comprehensive features and third party plugins, great debugging, vast documentation and support, and of course, integration to the Microsoft ecosystem.”

PS

Paul S.

Software Engineer

Highly relevant

“The real time intelli sense helps me to increase my coding speed and accuracy and its integrated debugging tools just makes my life easier to find bugs in shorter time as compared to others.”

Oe

Osama e.

Data

Highly relevant

“it excels in building, debugging, and maintaining complex applications.”

Junaid E.

National IT Manager

“Visual Studio is excellent for debugging a wide variety of programming languages, C# in particular is supported very well with an assortment of useful tools.”

CW

Colter W.

Developer

Reviewers feel that Microsoft Visual Studio's code editing capabilities are robust and efficient. They highlight capabilities like syntax highlighting, code completion, and refactoring. Users appreciate the support for multiple programming languages and the ability to customize the editor with various plugins and extensions. They find the auto-complete and IntelliSense capabilities particularly helpful for improving productivity. The editor's responsiveness, multi-line editing, and embedded terminals are also frequently mentioned as valuable aspects. Of the 109 Microsoft Visual Studio users who gave detailed accounts of their use of Code Editing, 97% rated this feature as important or highly important.

Users report that Microsoft Visual Studio's graphical user interface (GUI) is intuitive and highly customizable. They appreciate the ability to personalize layouts, themes, and shortcuts to suit their preferences. Reviewers highlight the ease of navigating through various capabilities and functionalities, as well as the drag-and-drop capabilities for designing user interfaces. They find the GUI visually appealing and conducive to a comfortable coding environment, although some mention that it can be overwhelming for new users. Of the 170 Microsoft Visual Studio users who gave detailed accounts of their use of Graphical User Interface, 91% rated this feature as important or highly important.

Reviewers indicate that Microsoft Visual Studio excels in deployment management, with seamless integration with Azure and other CI/CD services. They appreciate the ability to deploy applications directly from the IDE, reducing deployment time and simplifying the process. Users highlight the support for various deployment packages, continuous integration, and automated workflows. They find the integration with Git and other version control systems helpful for managing code and delivering software updates efficiently. Of the 109 Microsoft Visual Studio users who gave detailed accounts of their use of Deployment Management, 84% rated this feature as important or highly important.