# Visual Studio Code Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is Visual Studio Code the right Source Code Management solution for you? Explore 1692 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/186634/Visual-Studio-Code/reviews --- Visual Studio Code 4.8 (1692) [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 March 13th, 2026 # Reviews of Visual Studio Code Ease of use 4.6 Customer Service 4.2 ## Pros and Cons in Reviews Versatile language compatibility 96% positive reviews out of 167 Most users report programming languages are well-supported, enabling seamless coding across numerous languages with helpful extensions and customization. Khaled G Software Engineer, 2 - 10 employees. "VS Code has empowered me to learn and experiment with new programming languages and technologies, thanks to its extensive library of extensions and resources." Frequent bugs and glitches 60% negative reviews out of 229 Most reviewers indicate bugs and issues are common, mentioning crashes, plugin conflicts, update problems, and occasional loss of unsaved work. Yash W Teaching Assistant, 10,001+ employees. "I have to manually update them. And sometimes it crashes which is very frustrating." Comprehensive web development support 97% positive reviews out of 136 Most reviewers find web development efficient, citing built-in tools, language support, and real-time preview features for various frameworks and technologies. Miranda C Director of IT, 51 - 200 employees. "Overall I will continue to use this product because it has proven to be a value to my ability to write code for simple web pages." Sluggish performance on large projects 63% negative reviews out of 158 Most users report performance and speed issues, experiencing slowdowns, lag, and longer load times with big files, many tabs, or extensive extensions. Arpon G Executive Manger., 201 - 500 employees. "This can cause the editor to lag or slow down on less powerful machines." Free, open-source code editor 98% positive reviews out of 123 Most users comment pricing is a major advantage, appreciating that Visual Studio Code is free, open-source, and offers full features without requiring a paid license. High memory and CPU usage 56% negative reviews out of 88 Most reviewers describe memory and resource consumption as problematic, noting significant RAM and CPU usage, especially with large projects or many extensions. Aggrey K Ceo, 1 employee. "Takes up alot of memory space and sometimes it slows down the computer." ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 1-25 of 1692 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Enock N. Software developer Computer & Network Security Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The review" April 7, 2026 5.0 Pros General productivity while using Visual Studio Code is top. I love how one can integrate other extensions Cons I really dont like the new 2026 default theme the previous Dark modern was the best. You should allow someone to decide if they want it not just update it automatically one they update VS Code 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 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 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 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 MG Mike G. Member of Technical Staff Computer Hardware Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The best IDE, full stop." August 28, 2025 5.0 Great software that I work with every single day. I have used VSCode to replace JetBrains product suite and never looked back. Great extension integration, and easily integrates with everything imaginable. At Cerebras we have built tooling tightly integrated with VSCode and it is our default development tool. Pros Phenomenal product. Great integration with Github and all AI coding assistant, great flow when I want to add an extension and works flawlessly with any programming languages, eco system, or platforms. Cons Very hard to reach out to people from microsoft when there is bug; most VSCode internal plugins like Pylance are still close sourced. Difficult to track down bug when it is inside one of the binaries. VSCode SSH / container plugin needs more work, it still frequently disconnect for me for no obvious reason. Switched from [CLion](https://www.capterra.com/p/246695/CLion/) More configurable, more extensible, works better for my current workflow. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Teaching Assistant Education Management Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Versitile and powerful IDE" August 13, 2025 5.0 It is a very good IDE that is great for a bunch of different workflows and uses. It is highly configurable, and that makes it very good for coding. Pros It is very versatile for code editing; it supports a bunch of different languages and is very accessible. Cons It isn't as powerful as some heavier IDEs, since it doesn't always have the full feature suite that other programs have. Switched from [IntelliJ IDEA](https://www.capterra.com/p/136010/IntelliJ-IDEA/) VS Code is a bit more beginner friendly and is a lot more versatile 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 RR Rachel R. Coder Computer Software Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Excellent!" May 8, 2026 5.0 Overall, I am very satisfied with this product. It allowed me to learn coding, and it a great tool for editing not just specific code, but even for working with complex JSON inputs and outputs. I would liken this software to a very robust word processor. Pros There are so many customization options! You can really make this your own, and there are plenty of extensions that will help you be more productive. I would liken the extensions to the Google Extensions Store - you can browse Visual Studio Code extensions as well. Cons As a new coder, it took me a little while to get acquainted, but I can't comment on the learning curve difficulty because it was one of the first coding programs I learned. 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 JG James G. IT Engineer Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Number One" June 5, 2025 5.0 Overall extremely well. I will choose Visual Studio Code over any other IDE due to its flexibility and support. Pros No matter what language I need to write a script in, Visual Studio Code will support it and automatically will help me with syntax. Cons The debugger I believe is the weakest part of Visual Studio Code. Not to say that it is bad, it does it job well, but I have preferred other debuggers. 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 Iman G. Student Computer Software Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Highly Recommended IDE" January 20, 2025 5.0 Would recommend this IDE to anyone who's getting into programming. Once you set it up, you'll love using it. Also Professionals too can use it for lot of customizability options. Pros It's ability to work with multiple languages, and its vast library user-submitted and official plugins to work with your various projects. Very user-friendly UI too with a huge community support available oline. Cons Not really any complaints from this IDE, just needs a bit of initial setup to fit your needs. Review Source MH Mitch H. Developer Computer Software Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "VS Code intuitiveness" March 26, 2025 5.0 Very easy and intuitive to use. It allows users to start at an entry level if they want but also offers very advanced features. It could easily be the only code editor used during an entire career. Pros The color coded data type styles are really nice. It integrates seamlessly with git and is very intuitive. I also love the integration of GitHub copilot and the customizable shortcuts. Cons I wish the extensions were clearer to use. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Software Developer Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A very good swiss coding knife" February 1, 2025 5.0 Pros Is like a lite version of Visual Studio, with all his strong points, but VS Code is better if we talk about multiplatform, since is a web IDE, you can use VSCode in any device with internet connection, also is more complete since you can just add plugins to support some specific programing Languages Cons While VS is for .NET and support execution/debug, VSC is more for others programming languages, making the learning curve bigger than VS 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 JF Jon F. Manager Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Visual Studio Code is a beast " October 16, 2024 5.0 Visual studio has been a godsend to our teams. Highly recommend for everyone. Pros Visual studio code is the BEST development tool out there. The extensions are amazing. The customization options are great. Simple, intuitive user experience. Cons Not too many cons here. Has everything I would expect it to have. Review Source FM Florian M. IT-Berater extern Insurance Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best Editor Ever." August 19, 2024 5.0 Its my major working tool, the best IDE in my case. I can do all my stuff in different programming languages in it. Even my work reporting (time tracking) of my business. Pros Its a very versatile, fast feature rich editor without the bloat of the old IDEs. Everything can be advanced with addons to customize the editor to your own needs. Cons Sometimes a bit strange to get correct documentation e.g. for configs etc. because of changes made to them. Switched from [Microsoft Visual Studio](https://www.capterra.com/p/80230/microsoft-visual-studio/)[Rider](https://www.capterra.com/p/10004294/Rider/)[WebStorm](https://www.capterra.com/p/231557/WebStorm/) Because of the flexibility VSCode offers. Review Source Yash P. Project Engineer E-Learning Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The Ultimate Coding Companion" July 25, 2024 5.0 Pros User-friendly UI with themes that may be changed. Easy access to functions and commands. large array of add-ons to improve functionality. Version control is made easy with Git. Cons Extensive Extensions: Certain extensions may cause a decrease in performance. Extension Conflicts: Interactions between extensions can occasionally lead to instability. Review Source WW Wayne W. Software Developer Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The best IDE in the world." August 6, 2024 5.0 My experience with Visual Studio Code has been wonderful, cutting my development time in half. Pros Easily link and use data resources, allowing seamless development. Cons Organization of tools and functionality. Review Source MD Marc D. Software engineer Apparel & Fashion Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best IDE for front end " August 1, 2024 5.0 Pros It has all the plugins you need to make your workflow run smoothly Cons It can be pretty heavy on my graphics card when I’m working on larger files and projects Review Source JD Justin D. Cloud engineer Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Fantastic free software" July 23, 2024 5.0 Easily the best SDK I have used. I even use it for JSON or reading logs due to the way it colour codes Pros Ease of use Great error feedback Great UX Cons No obvious way to turn on word wrap Installing dependencies could be easier Review Source GS Gagan S. Associate Software Developer Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Easy to use product with support of multiple extensions and plugins" June 30, 2024 5.0 My overall experience while using Visual Studio Code was quite amazing. The various customizations and supports multiple plugins and extension which makes it easier to use. Pros The best thing about Visual Studio Code is that it provides a lot of extensions and plugins which makes it easier to write code. Its user interface is also quite appealing which makes it engaging. Cons Visual Studio Code requires a system with decent or good specs, while using it in systems with low specs it does not works efficiently. Review Source VR Verified Reviewer FrontEnd developer Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "vscode is the best code editor" August 15, 2023 4.0 After two years of consistent use, I can confidently say that my overall experience with VSCode has been highly positive. Pros The best thing I appreciate about VSCode is how effortlessly it can be utilized and personalized. Its user-friendly interface and intuitive design make navigation and coding a breeze, even for those new to the editor Cons While there's a lot to appreciate about VSCode, one aspect that can occasionally be frustrating is its extension system and the associated reload issue. Review Source Similar Products Featured ## Related categories [Source Code Management](https://www.capterra.com/source-code-management-software/)