--- title: "Visual Studio Code Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra" description: "Is Visual Studio Code the right Source Code Management solution for you? Explore 1694 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice." source_url: "https://www.capterra.com/p/186634/Visual-Studio-Code/reviews/" page_type: "reviews" language: "en" --- Visual Studio Code 4.8 (1694) [View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/186634/Visual-Studio-Code/alternatives/) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated July 20th, 2026 # Reviews of Visual Studio Code Ease of use 4.6 Customer Service 4.2 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews JC Jerrid C CEOComputer Software, Self-employedUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “TypeScript, JavaScript, and Python support is excellent, with intelligent code completion, inline errors, and quick fixes that help me catch issues early rather than chasing them down later.“ April 17, 2026 JC Jerrid C CEOComputer Software, Self-employedUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “On larger projects or in heavily customized workspaces, I’ve also noticed occasional slowdowns and minor bugs, such as the editor feeling less responsive or certain language features not behaving as expected until I restart.“ April 17, 2026 JC Jerrid C CEOComputer Software, Self-employedUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “Security and reliability are largely in my control: by being selective with extensions and keeping an eye on updates, I’ve been able to avoid major issues, though there are occasional bugs or performance hiccups that come with a highly customizable editor.“ April 17, 2026 SC Stephen C Systems EngineerInformation Technology and Services, 1,001 - 5,000 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Not a lot of cons but I have noticed that the user interface is not very smooth, and you can get lost easily inside it.“ March 7, 2026 JC Jerrid C CEOComputer Software, Self-employedUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “Security-wise, I appreciate that I can control which extensions I install, how they access workspaces, and how my projects connect to external services like GitHub.“ April 17, 2026 MG Mike G Member of Technical StaffComputer Hardware, 201 - 500 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “Very hard to reach out to people from microsoft when there is bug; most VSCode internal plugins like Pylance are still close sourced.“ August 28, 2025 JC Jerrid C CEOComputer Software, Self-employedUsed the software for: 1-2 years. “I often jump between clients, stacks, and codebases, and VS Code makes that context switching surprisingly manageable.“ April 17, 2026 VH Vaja H Frontend engineerInformation Technology and Services, 51 - 200 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years. “It does not provide much support for refactoring code when it comes to language like java or like when refactoring object oriented programming languages“ December 20, 2024 ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 1694 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Mahbubul A. Owner Computer & Network Security Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Excellent and lightweight tool for web development" July 4, 2026 5.0 From my experience, VS Code is the absolute best code editor I have ever used. It has made my coding workflow much faster and more structured. Seeing as it is totally free and decidedly customizable, I highly propose it to all students and professional developers. Pros Visual Studio Code's extension marketplace is admirable. It allows me to effortlessly install the essential plug-in. additionally, its built - in terminal is extremely useful, and the software runs quickly with no lag. Cons Every so often, if I open very large project files or install too many extension, the software can consume a bit higher RAM memory. Aside from this, it is a great software. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Software Engineer Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The absolute standard for modern software development (and it's free)" January 7, 2026 5.0 We required an editor that could support multiple languages in one project (client side as well as server side). VS Code hit the right spot in terms of being lightening fast and feature-rich; it has now become an essential tool in our daily workflow right from documentation writing to debugging code in production environments Pros The ecosystem for extensions is second to none; whether it be some programming language or framework I'm working on (Python, JS, Go, Docker), a plugin for it exists. The integration with Git is excellent for working with merge conflicts right within the editor. Additionally, the capabilities of Remote Development (WSL/SSH) enable me to code on a remote Linux machine as if I were on localhost. Cons While it starts lightweight, it can become very resource-heavy (RAM) if you install too many extensions. The initial setup for some specific debuggers-like C++ or specialized PHP configs-requires fiddling with the launch.json files, which has a steeper learning curve compared to full-blown IDEs like Visual Studio or IntelliJ that work out of the box. Switched from [Sublime Text](https://www.capterra.com/p/179535/Sublime-Text/) VS Code offers better IntelliSense and integrated debugging while remaining fast. Review Source DL Dave L. Senior Consultant Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "It's definitely a slimmed down version with lots of kinks that are done differently to the full blown Visual Studio" April 24, 2025 3.0 I had to install this to use and create SPFX solutions. SPFX was frustrating in itself, and then trying to figure out features and functionality of VS Code. I've been using VS for years that doing the switch to VS Code wasn't hard, but not straight forward either. Pros I like that it has a somewhat more simplified interface than the full blown Visual Studio Cons It is lacking in a lot of features. IN some cases, I felt like they (Microsoft) are trying to change the way people do things between Visual Studio and VS Code. Review Source JC Jerrid C. CEO Computer Software Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "My Go-To Environment for Building and Deploying Client Prototypes" April 17, 2026 5.0 Overall, Visual Studio Code has become my default environment for almost all of my client work. As a solo founder and developer, I need tools that let me move quickly without getting bogged down in setup or configuration, and VS Code generally delivers on that. The core code editing experience is strong—especially for TypeScript, JavaScript, and Python. The built-in Git integration, debugger, and terminal let me go from idea to a running prototype and then to a deployable version without constantly switching tools. In terms of features, the extension ecosystem fills most of the gaps I run into, whether that’s working with specific frameworks, improving testing, or integrating with deployment workflows. Security and reliability are largely in my control: by being selective with extensions and keeping an eye on updates, I’ve been able to avoid major issues, though there are occasional bugs or performance hiccups that come with a highly customizable editor. Customer support is more community- and documentation-driven than traditional ticket-based help, but between official docs, GitHub issues, and third-party resources, I can usually find an answer. From a value-for-money perspective, VS Code is excellent. The fact that the core product is free yet powerful enough to support professional client work and rapid prototyping makes it an easy choice. For my use case, building and iterating on prototypes, then moving them toward client deployment, it has been a reliable, high-leverage tool I use every day. Pros What I like most about Visual Studio Code is how well it supports me as a solo founder and developer who’s constantly building client prototypes. I often jump between clients, stacks, and codebases, and VS Code makes that context switching surprisingly manageable. It starts up quickly, feels lightweight, and still provides the features I’d expect from a full IDE. Day to day, a few things stand out. TypeScript, JavaScript, and Python support is excellent, with intelligent code completion, inline errors, and quick fixes that help me catch issues early rather than chasing them down later. The built-in Git and GitHub integration lets me manage branches, commits, and pull requests directly from the editor, and the integrated terminal and debugger make it easy to run and troubleshoot my prototypes without leaving the environment. The extension ecosystem and workspace settings let me tailor VS Code to each client’s stack and deployment setup, whether I’m targeting simple web apps or more complex services. From a value-for-money perspective, it’s hard to beat: the core product is free, and I get a professional-grade code editing experience with a rich feature set. Security-wise, I appreciate that I can control which extensions I install, how they access workspaces, and how my projects connect to external services like GitHub. Overall, VS Code has become the backbone of my development workflow and a reliable tool for quickly getting client-facing prototypes into a deployable state. Cons What I like least about Visual Studio Code is that its flexibility can sometimes work against you. With so many extensions and configuration options, it’s easy to end up with a cluttered setup or conflicting plugins if you’re not disciplined about managing your environment. I’ve had situations where an extension degraded performance or introduced odd behavior, and tracking down the root cause took longer than I would have liked. On larger projects or in heavily customized workspaces, I’ve also noticed occasional slowdowns and minor bugs, such as the editor feeling less responsive or certain language features not behaving as expected until I restart. These aren’t showstoppers, but they do add overhead to keeping VS Code stable. Customer support is mostly handled through documentation, community resources, and GitHub issues rather than direct, high-touch support, so resolving edge cases can require some digging. Overall, these issues are manageable, but they’re the main trade-offs of such a flexible, extension-driven tool. Review Source Osama A. Full Stack Developer Government Administration Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Reliable code editor" January 23, 2026 4.0 Overall experience with Visual Studio Code is very positive. It is reliable and flexible for both beginners and experienced users. Pros It's interface is clean and simple, so even beginners can understand it quickly. Supports many coding languages and has a lot of useful extensions.Has multiple features like auto-complete,syntax highlighting reduce mistakes.The best part is that it is free and regularly updated. Cons Visual studio code is sometimes confusing because of too many extensions. Some extension can cause a bug or slow performance. Alternatives considered [Sublime Text](https://www.capterra.com/p/179535/Sublime-Text/) Reason for choosing Visual Studio Code Because sublime gives more useful features without extra effort. Review Source Chuck K. Software Engineer Financial Services Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Easy, flexible, and extensible" August 30, 2025 5.0 Overall VS code is a great tool. I use it for multiple software development languages and it does a great job support each one. Pros VS Code is so easy to install and start using. And it has a multiple of plugins available to enhance the tool to make your software development experience better. Cons Its built-in integration with git is pretty basic; I find my self using a terminal window and the git command line more often. Switched from [IntelliJ IDEA](https://www.capterra.com/p/136010/IntelliJ-IDEA/) Lower cost with pretty much all the features I needed for my software development. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Head Of Development Program Development Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Solid code editor" December 2, 2025 4.0 Pros I've been using VS Code for a number of years now and it handles almost anything I've thrown it, after a number of key extensions have been installed. Cons Some basic features missing that extensions are required for but this is improving over time. The extension community is very vast however. Switched from [Sublime Text](https://www.capterra.com/p/179535/Sublime-Text/) I started working with C# and I use a Mac, so I needed something with debugging abilities Review Source Vansh K. SDE Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best Lightweight IDE with Powerful Features" February 17, 2025 5.0 I use it not only for web development but also for building APIs and programming, thanks to its flexibility and integrations. It’s a powerful tool that keeps evolving, making development easier and more efficient. Pros VS Code is one of the best lightweight IDEs out there. It runs smoothly on most systems and offers a huge collection of extensions. It is used by many types of developers —whether it's web, AI, or App. It also gets regular updates and has strong community and support. Cons The extension marketplace is great, but installing too many extensions can slow down performance of vsCode. It’s better to be mindful of what you install to keep things running smoothly. Switched from [Notepad++](https://www.capterra.com/p/185965/Notepad/) I made this switch 5 years ago and I am happy that I made this switch. VSCode offers more coding environment for developers while Notepad is for general purpose tasks related to text. Review Source PT Petru T. Developer Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Reliable And Solid Code Editor." June 16, 2026 5.0 My overall experience with Visual Studio Code has been great, i've been using it for years now and it is go to editor for developement tasks, it also has a wide range of customization options, great value for the money. Pros What i like most about Visual Studio Code is that it continuously evolves based on user needs and almost every aspect of the editor can be adjusted, a reliable,solid product. Cons What i like least about Visual Studio Code is the way it manages extensions, especially when there are many of them , it could become a bit overwhelming. Review Source MY Matthias Y. Student Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A good general IDE" June 4, 2026 5.0 Pros A very good code editor and IDE, it has everything you want and need, you can customize it however you like and just start coding. Cons Its proprietary to Microsoft, there are alternatives like VSCodium that exists but lack some features :/ Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Senior Developer Marketing and Advertising Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Visual Studio Code- Your coding partner" August 5, 2024 5.0 My overall experience with visual studio code has been pretty amazing. I started with sublime text at first but then having seen the workspace folder integrations built-in terminal and extensive extension support I eventually switched to studio code which took a little learning at first but then changed the way i have been developing websites lately. Pros The ability to make use of several extensions really helps me save time while writing code,the auto complete feature enables me to write code for web layouts quite effectively and provides me with a base template to further work on the internal structure and functions. The processing is fast and terminal works effortlessly. Auto-complete Extensions for various Languages and libraries Built-in terminal Easy workspace folder management system. Cons The auto complete sometimes messes up my coding speed by completing code chunks that it expects me to be writing while i might be writing a similar code structure. Having to disable it again and again or having to pay attention to it while working can sometimes become a hassle. Switched from [Sublime Text](https://www.capterra.com/p/179535/Sublime-Text/) Auto-complete Extensions for various Languages and libraries Built-in terminal Easy workspace folder management system. Review Source RR Rodrigo R. Owner Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A strange tool" October 26, 2021 4.0 This is controversial, I know, but I honestly don't understand all the frenzy around VS code, as it's a simplified Visual Studio, heavier (proportionately to what it does) and less capable. We use it several times a week to do tasks that don't fit well in Visual Studio, without an expensive and complete plugin. For example for GO and PHP. In these situations, although we consider less efficient than JetBrains, but for the price the VS Code pays off for us. If we had to do something bigger, it would definitely not be our choice - due to productivity. But for trivial tasks it solves well. It is in the middle for us: big projects we do with VS, medium projects or with non-microsoft languages we use VS code, quick tasks and scripts or external files we use notepad++. Pros It is lighter and simpler than Visual Studio, so it can more easily solve tasks that are too small for VS. The fact that it's free is also great. The sheer amount of plugins is also very nice. Cons Many fragmented plugins (you need to download parts), many low quality plugins, many paid plugins with very expensive prices. The tool is a hybrid app so it doesn't have the same overall performance per screen as the official VS for windows. Project management is confusing and fragmented. Alternatives considered [Xojo](https://www.capterra.com/p/179342/Xojo/) Reason for choosing Visual Studio Code At the time just for the cost of Xojo and the fact that not all the things VS Code does Xojo does too (actually Xojo does a lot less, but what he does, he does very well). For some purposes it turned out to be our choice later, but due to the high cost of Xojo, we ended up keeping our main business flow over VS and VS Code anyway. Really, today, micro companies need to use everything they have at hand to reduce costs or put the cost only when it will bring return on a project. Switched from [Eclipse IDE](https://www.capterra.com/p/205298/Eclipse-IDE/) Eclipse is great, it's free, it has a lot of plugins, but it's too Java-based, and in a way that makes everyday use less productive for us, and it has frequent errors. When VS Code came out we opted for this lighter and less error-prone solution. Visual Studio is great in a lot of ways, but it's getting slower with each release. VS Code also has more integration options for non-microsoft stuff. So when we create desktop apps or UWP we use Visual Studio, when we need server languages like GO or PHP we switch to VS Code. Review Source UD Umesh D. Software Developer Government Administration Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A Powerful, Lightweight, and Customizable Code Editor" May 1, 2025 5.0 I have enjoyed using VS Code immensely. I now use it as my primary code editor for web development, Python scripting, and certain data science work. Regular updates and strong community support make the tool improve with time. The tool has the perfect blend of features and usability, making it suitable both for beginners and professional programmers. Pros Visual Studio Code is customizable, speedy, and flexible. The various extensions, Git integration and intelligent code completion (such as IntelliSense) simplify and expedite development. The interface is lightweight and clean, and it supports almost every programming language natively. Cons Some of the extensions can slow down performance or conflict with each other, and it takes some time to have everything in your setup fine tuned. Review Source JI Jack I. IT Development Lead Insurance Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Powerful suite of development tools for the modern developer" July 9, 2025 5.0 Overall, VSCode provides me with the toolset I need to ensure I can develop code at speed and to the best of my ability. Pros The extensibility of VSCode really helps with my workflow. Using tools like GitHub and also being able to access and manage databases from within VSCode is super useful. Cons If anything, the only con I would say is the layout can be overwhelming, it would be good to have a simple view. Review Source EH Emilie H. Head of Operations and Social Media Computer Games Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "What all ITs need to use" September 6, 2025 5.0 Pros Visual Studio Code is a really good tool for code editing and application development/deployment, with an incredible plugin compatibility and a lot quality of life features. It also a safe space to work with, even more with GitHub integration, solving a lot of bugs and issues. Cons Actually nothing. Visual Studio Code it is the best program to work with for me and my boyfriend (who is a computer engineer student), for the reasons mentioned above. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer PHP Developer Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best Software for Coding in Web Development" December 21, 2024 5.0 I have very good experience with this we can easily mange code and also manage version control . easily find thing in overall project actully It is provide so work friendly environment. Pros first of all UI is so friendly and installed extension of related to coding. now if taking about the coding experience is so smooth easy to maintain code. Cons nothing to dislike because personally I am working with this from last 3 years and getting my work so easy using this. Review Source EC Eric C. Software Developer Financial Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Fast and mature IDE" February 8, 2025 5.0 Pros Fastest start up time and most responsive IDE that I use. Has a mature ecosystem with a vast array of plugins available. Cons Not much! There are specialised IDE that are more suitable for specific languages and tech stacks eg. IDEA for Java stacks Review Source PB Prakash B. Software Engineer Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Visual Studio Code: My Go-To Editor" January 5, 2025 5.0 My overall experience with Visual Studio Code has been positive. I started using it as a student and continue to rely on it in my professional journey. It has become my go-to editor. Pros I have been using Visual Studio Code for over four years. Although it's a lightweight code editor, it can be configured to deliver IDE-like features using its extensions system. Cons It can become sluggish when working with very large projects. Review Source TT Tommy T. AV Technician Construction Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Amazing and always improving." January 3, 2025 5.0 One of the best text editor software in the world. This software is one of the leading industry that shows free software can be amazing and should not cost consumers. Pros It's a free software that has one of the most plug-ins. The plug-ins makes the software experience elevated. Cons Nothing yet. Have not used every features since there was no need to. Review Source NRWW Nanita Rica Winniewski W. Customer care management specialist Market Research Used the software for: I used a free trial ### "Coding platform " March 6, 2025 4.0 Pros Easy for coding because it allows installing many extensions. Cons No dislike so far by the time of using.. Review Source Rakesh K. Senior Engineer Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The Best Free Code Editor for Developers of All Levels" September 14, 2024 5.0 It is versatile and supports extensive customization options. it supports various languages and frameworks Pros VS Code has a vast marketplace of extension Lightweight and Fast Integrated Git Cross-Platform Compatibility Cons UI feels boring sometimes because we just see codes and nothing else Review Source SS Shanky S. Software developer Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Maximum Software developer used visual studio code" October 14, 2023 5.0 Excellent Pros Visual studio code most like search filter Extensions Bug detectedUsing git easy to downlod and use Code format pattern light and dark mode Go live server run project code styling are good using the cmd good source and direct open the project folder are easy to work and save your time uses the small amount of dataAnd preview the images Cons Light dark mode changes the alphabet text colors Review Source rB ryan B. SEO Manager Financial Services Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Visual studio code review" August 24, 2024 4.0 i use this tool often for SEO tasks such as schema or Hreflang It allows me to review html in a cleaner format Pros Simple to use lots of languages to choose from Helpful visual cues Debugging Cons An improvement might be some visual learning cues similar to what regex101.com has so you have a basic go to when starting out Review Source Suyogya G. General Manager Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "My experience with Visual Studio Code" August 15, 2023 5.0 Overall, I have had an amazing experience with VS Code. I have been using it since the day I started coding. It's free and anyone can use it. Everyone in the industry uses it and I highly recommend all the developers to use VS Code. It would be amazing if they provided support for mobile based applications as well. Pros The fact that VS Code supports most of the programming languages is the best thing about it. From basic level to high level programing languages, VS Code has the support to edit, code and debug. It also has the ability to install third party extensions which make the work easier and faster. Coding in VS Code is very efficient. On top of that, VS Code is completely free which is another major plus point. It also supports GitHub co-pilot which makes our job easier than ever. Cons Although VS Code supports most of the languages, it does not offer much support for development in Mobile based applications. Hence why, developers use other IDEs for mobile development. Review Source KG Kristian G. Software Developer Program Development Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Visual Studio Code: The best editor for front end development;" April 11, 2023 5.0 My overall experience with visual studio code for front end development is 10/10. You can use any functionality you need by just adding it to the (or even write yourself any functionality you need as a plugin),and make a profile so that the editor remembers which plugins you have. This way if you change your working machine, you can still have the same development experience. Pros First of all, the fact that anyone can create new plugins and add new custom functionality is awesome. Secondly, because it is so lightweight there is no lag and hence no irritation. Other factors are it's Cross-platform, it has Powerful features Cons The only thing about the editor I do not like is that for C# or Java projects it does not perform as well as for example Visual Studio/Eclipse for example. Still, I do think it is most suitable for front-end development and it is the top choice in this field. Review Source Similar Products Featured