# Microsoft Visual Studio Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra

> Is Microsoft Visual Studio the right Application Development solution for you? Explore 3005 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice.

Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/80230/microsoft-visual-studio/reviews

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Microsoft Visual Studio

4.6 (3005)

[View alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/80230/microsoft-visual-studio/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/)

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Last updated March 15th, 2026

# Reviews of Microsoft Visual Studio

Ease of use

4.3

Customer Service

4.2

## Pros and Cons in Reviews

Jasmin N

Technical SpecialistInformation Technology and Services, 10,001+ employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years.

“Its powerful features, user-friendly interface, and extensive support for various programming languages make it an invaluable tool for developers. Whether you are building small applications or large enterprise solutions, Visual Studio is undoubtedly a top choice that can help you achieve your development goals efficiently.“

May 8, 2025

DL

Dave L

Senior ConsultantInformation Technology and Services, 10,001+ employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years.

“LIke connecting to GitHub for a source code repository -- forking, branching, and merging development pipelines isn't the easiest and if you don't know what you're doing, you could wipe out important code changes you made.“

April 28, 2025

MR

Mathieu R

Programmeur JouabilitéGambling & Casinos, 1,001 - 5,000 employeesUsed the software for: 6-12 months.

“I really appreciate how smooth the debugger is and how well everything integrates, especially when I’m working on gameplay prototypes or testing behaviors in real time.“

December 7, 2025

Junaid E

National IT ManagerHospitality, 201 - 500 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years.

“Startup time and updates can be slow and the large number of features can be overwhelming for beginners.“

January 22, 2026

Sharduli P

SDE InternComputer Software, 10,001+ employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years.

“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.“

June 26, 2024

Kang R

App DeveloperInformation Technology and Services, 10,001+ employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years.

“Some features can feel bloated, and licensing costs may be high for smaller teams.“

February 8, 2026

NS

Netra S

Senior RPA DeveloperOil & Energy, 10,001+ employeesUsed the software for: 1-2 years.

“Its a great integrated development environment that supports code development and review in almost all coding languages that I use such as python, Javascript and vbscript .“

November 17, 2024

PS

Paul S

Software EngineerComputer Software, 11 - 50 employeesUsed the software for: More than 2 years.

“Other than the free community edition, the paid versions can be expensive for individuals.“

February 26, 2026

## Showing most helpful reviews

Showing 1-25 of 3005 Reviews

Sort by:

Most Helpful

Rating

Company Size

Reviewer's Role

Length of Use

Frequency of Use

Simon S.  
Development and engineering, design and creative, internship and entry roles  
Information Technology and Services  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "Easy and helpful coding app"

March 10, 2026

4.0

My experience with Visual Studio is good. It has guides and helps for learning code. Customer support helps if there is a problem.

Pros

I like Visual Studio because it is easy to use. I can write code and build projects. It helps me learn programming. It has many tools and good features. The interface is easy to understand and use.

Cons

Sometimes it is slow when projects are big. Some advanced features need the paid version. It can be confusing for beginners.

Review Source

KC

Kevin C.  
Computer programmer  
Computer Games  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "My experience with Microsoft Visual Studio"

June 26, 2025

5.0

I have used the free version for my own personal use, and made many programs, including a chess engine, a Mandelbrot fractal explorer, a 3D Rubik's cube simulator, and several beginnings of my own 3D computer games. I also taught myself C++ a number of years ago, using this software.

Pros

The ability to debug your code, including setting breakpoints, observing the current values of variables, and stepping through the code, executing one line at a time.

Cons

Previous versions before Visual Studio 2022 contained some minor bugs, though it did not seriously affect the enjoyment and productivity of working with this software. I can't recall noticing any bugs in the 2022 version.

Alternatives considered

[Easy Coder](https://www.capterra.com/p/80713/Easy-Coder/)

Reason for choosing Microsoft Visual Studio

The alternate program was specifically for making Windows programs in assembly language. Visual Studio supported this, however, it had a bug in which, if there was a large data block declared, the compile time was excessively long. But Visual Studio is my favorite program for C++.

Review Source

MB

Martin B.  
Developer  
Computer Software  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "Borlands' 1983 Turbo Pascal compiler worked better than Visual Studio."

March 12, 2026

2.0

Extremely poor. I've been using compilers and IDEs since the 1980's and I've never worked with one so poorly designed. Borlands Turbo Pascal from 1983 worked better than Visual Studio and it cost way less.

Pros

It looks like a good IDE with most things I need readily available. It's a deception. Plenty of AI agents available to help (again, a deception).

Cons

Too many bugs. Like playing Whacka-Mole. Agents destroy code quick so use Github. You will be restoring constantly. Never use Agent mode, only ask. Verify all code changes before you accept. Push working code frequently or you will waste hours trying to debug.

Switched from

[Red Hat Enterprise Linux](https://www.capterra.com/p/229025/Red-Hat-Enterprise-Linux/)

I've been using Windows since the mid 80's and Linux since the early 90's. I'm comfortable with both and keep switching back and forth. It's time to go back to Linux because it actually works and aids development much more than Microsoft.

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
App Developer  
Information Technology and Services  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Powerful IDE, But Resource-Heavy"

February 8, 2026

3.0

My overall experience with Microsoft Visual Studio has been very productive due to its robust development tools, strong debugging capabilities, and deep integration with Microsoft ecosystems. However, it can feel slow and resource-heavy, and some features may be overwhelming for beginners.

Pros

I liked Visual Studio’s powerful IDE features, including advanced debugging, IntelliSense, integrated testing, and seamless integration with Microsoft tools, which significantly boost developer productivity.

Cons

I find Visual Studio heavy and resource-intensive, with slow startup times. Some features can feel bloated, and licensing costs may be high for smaller teams.

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
CEO  
Information Technology and Services  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Microsoft Visual Studio-Visualize Your Code"

February 3, 2025

5.0

The experience was Great as visual studio provides best environment for coding and web development, it also provides Emmet abbreviations which are very useful for beginners and it also has a built in GitHub support which comes in handy while working on opensource

Pros

The thing I like most in visual studio code is that it provides a good environment for coding in all languages C++, java, TypeScript etc. It also provides live server to see your webpage while you create it.

Cons

The thing I like least is that Visual studio is highly dependent on extensions to support languages and many features, some of these extensions are buggy which sometimes cause problems.

Switched from

[Jira](https://www.capterra.com/p/19319/JIRA/)

more features, live share and good GitHub support

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
developer  
Computer Software  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Uses of Microsoft Visual Studio"

March 17, 2025

5.0

My experience with Microsoft Visual Studio Code (VS Code) has been extremely positive, making it my go-to code editor for web development, scripting, and data analysis. It provides a perfect balance of speed, flexibility, and powerful features, making coding more efficient and enjoyable.

Pros

Microsoft Visual Studio have Features like Remote-SSH, Dev Containers, and WSL make it easy to work on cloud-based or remote projects.

Cons

VS Code can slow down when handling very large projects, especially with thousands of files or heavy extensions.

Switched from

[Sublime Text](https://www.capterra.com/p/179535/Sublime-Text/)

I switched to VS Code because it is fast, customizable, and powerful, while still being easy to use.

Review Source

CW

Colter W.  
Developer  
Automotive  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Fantastic IDE with Many Features"

January 2, 2025

5.0

Visual Studio has been my favorite IDE for some time now, as I have used it for C++, C#, ASP.NET, and even some Python. Overall it is a great experience and vastly improves my efficacy in the workplace as well as at home for personal projects.

Pros

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.

Cons

I wish that some of the UI visual debugging tools were a bit more optimized, particularly for working with WPF. JavaScript can also a bit annoying to work with.

Alternatives considered

[IntelliJ IDEA](https://www.capterra.com/p/136010/IntelliJ-IDEA/)

Reason for choosing Microsoft Visual Studio

IntelliJ, or whichever other JetBrains product it is that supports C#, is great - but since MS created both C# and VS, I feel the tools available are more suited for my line of work.

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Programmer  
Computer Games  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Visual Studio is a good IDE with some issues."

December 18, 2024

3.0

Visual Studio has many useful tools and integrations but its performance with large projects can be problematic.

Pros

Visual Studio has a nice modern UI with a wide set of tools and plugins.

Cons

Visual Studio has huge performance issues when working with large projects.

Alternatives considered

[Rider](https://www.capterra.com/p/10004294/Rider/)

Reason for choosing Microsoft Visual Studio

I was already familiar with Visual Studio and did not have the time to look too deeply into learning the new program. I would consider looking into Rider again in the future though.

Review Source

LB

Laurentiu B.  
Test Engineer  
Retail  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "The best coding platform there is"

March 21, 2025

5.0

It is a great experience overall, i wouldnt change it with another platform.

Pros

Easy to use, the interface is accessible and it comes packed with features that make development easier. Code navigation is also easy to do. I also love the fact that visual studio provides Integrated Git Support and also integrates with so many different programming languages.

Cons

Aside of the occasional bugs and crashes, one minus would be limited support for non-Microsoft languages.

Switched from

[IntelliJ IDEA](https://www.capterra.com/p/136010/IntelliJ-IDEA/)

It was the company's decision but i am very happy with it!

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Software Developer  
Health, Wellness and Fitness  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Good IDE for C#"

March 12, 2026

4.0

Overall good a lot of features are available for advanced programmers and very useful for C# programming.

Pros

Microsoft Visual Studio has been a great IDE for implementing our web app in an ASP.NET MVC pattern framework. This IDE is very helpful with complete features for C# programming.

Cons

Microsoft Visual Studio features are complex which have a high learning curve that is not typical for beginners. It is also consumes higher system resources than other IDE's.

Review Source

DL

Dave L.  
Senior Consultant  
Information Technology and Services  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Visual Studio is my "go to" IDE for software development"

April 28, 2025

5.0

Overall it's my "go to" platform for developing. I prefer it over VS Code and other IDE's. This is one product Microsoft definitely got right when catering to developers from newbies all the way up to advanced users.

Pros

Everything works as intended. It's straight forward to use, with advanced features for those power users who need it. I personally use and prefer the "Community" edition as that doesn't require any licenses or upgrades, and gives users and casual developers most of what they need to utilize all the features of the product.

Cons

Some items are a bit complicated and not as easy to figure out if you haven't used anything like it before. LIke connecting to GitHub for a source code repository -- forking, branching, and merging development pipelines isn't the easiest and if you don't know what you're doing, you could wipe out important code changes you made.

Review Source

DM

Dhaval M.  
Associate Electrical Engineer  
Defense & Space  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Visual Studio is an easy to use learning platform to understand coding languages!"

March 10, 2025

5.0

Overall, this program is great in being a learning resource. I was able to practice coding in C++ and I like playing around with the software to give some cool outputs. It's a fun platform to understand the coding language.

Pros

I like to use Visual Studio to practice my coding for school assignments. I also like to code for fun, just to see if the program can work or not with my script. I used it a lot while in my undergraduate, and I still use it now for fun practice.

Cons

I don't like that the debugging is not always helpful due to the complicated code at times, however, I am eventually about to correct the script with other resources.

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Software Developer  
Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Feature rich IDE with a lot of extensions"

January 10, 2025

5.0

Using VS daily I tried other IDEs but always went back to VS because of the features and extensions

Pros

Feature rich IDE with a lot of extensions

Cons

Performance, especially with a lot of extensions

Review Source

AH

Andrew H.  
Software Developer  
Information Technology and Services  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Best IDE for site and application developement"

February 24, 2025

4.0

I can make my site and all of my various applications with the help of Visual Studio. They can be built into this very application

Pros

I am crazy about Visual Studio, it is the best IDE for me.It has an intuitive design, a beautiful look, and the simplicity is top

Cons

The visual part of variables is complicated for the new users. They are shown in the form of such tables.

Review Source

NB

Norman B.  
Senior Consultant  
Computer Software  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Feature rich coding tool well integrated with git"

April 28, 2025

5.0

Overall I found the product was easy enough to pick up and learn and it has significantly increased my productivity.

Pros

Visual Studio is a feature rich coding tool that is well integrated with git and and is highly customizable.

Cons

The number of features in Visual Studio is a bit overwhelming to start with however it was easy enough to get the hang of.

Review Source

IP

Issac P.  
Senior Engineer  
Automotive  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "IDE for all your code editing"

December 22, 2024

5.0

Visual studio is the IDE I use daily as it is very reliable and has a User friendly interface and supports code editing in every programming language

Pros

I use it as my default IDE For editing code in python .It has options to download extensions example the python extension can be downloaded which helps in auto completing the code as well as for highlighting syntax errors.Any extension can be easily downloaded

Cons

After a new extension is installed you need to restart the code file for the extensions to take effect in the file which is extra effort

Review Source

SS

Stephen S.  
Manager  
Chemicals  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Love Microsoft Visual Studios"

May 6, 2025

5.0

From start to finish it has been easy to use, easy to learn & the results have been amazing.

Pros

I like how easy and efficient the program is to use for every job you put it up against.

Cons

I absolutely love everything about it. I couldn't find one bad thing to say about Microsoft Visual Studio.

Review Source

LH

Lucas H.  
UI UX Designer  
Design  
Used the software for: 1-2 years

### "Powerhouse IDE"

May 5, 2025

5.0

I'm a long‑time VS code‑smith, it's a trusty beast for whipping out C# builds before breakfast

Pros

Visual Studio piles on smart refactors, hot reload, Git baked in. Sweet IntelliSense keeps me flying

Cons

Still, licence fees bite once you leave Community, and the installer loves hogging disk space

Review Source

RS

RICARDO S.  
Sales Representative  
Computer Software  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "The best developing tool"

February 28, 2025

5.0

It is a super value software, we consider it the nucleus of our business.

Pros

The wide range of programming languages that it supports and multiple platforms to develop applications.

Cons

It barely happens but sometimes you have missing code when creating an executable version.

Review Source

VR

Verified Reviewer  
Student  
Education Management  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "Microsoft Visual Studio - Review"

February 5, 2025

4.0

Pros

Easy to use, nice clear user interface and simple setup.

Cons

Largely nothing, integration with git is not the easiest.

Review Source

ECM

Evandro Cláudio M.  
Administrator Assistant  
Accounting  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Microsoft Visual studio since 2021 experience"

November 1, 2024

4.0

Started using Microsoft Visual studio in 2021 at school to write C# applications at first and then to write asp.net web apps

Pros

The ability to code in many languages and frameworks

Cons

The RAM consumption! Consumes an great amount of Ram

Review Source

Raphael P.  
Technical Assistant  
Construction  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "Perfect and flawless to code"

August 22, 2024

5.0

Great software to use in IT. You can code easily with it.

Pros

Visual Studio is dynamic and practical to code. It has a lot of configurations and easy integration with other platforms.

Cons

Nothing, I love using it. I had no problems while working with it.

Review Source

AS

Akshay S.  
Project Engineer  
E-Learning  
Used the software for: 6-12 months

### "The Ultimate IDE or Overkill for Simple Projects"

July 27, 2024

5.0

Pros

Development is substantially accelerated and error rates are decreased by the intelligent code completion and context-aware suggestions. It's a unique characteristic that increases output.

Cons

Certain users, particularly those who update their browsers or use specific extensions, may report crashes or issues. These problems can still impede development even though Microsoft fixes them on a regular basis.

Review Source

aN

abdelkabir N.  
freelancer  
Design  
Used the software for: I used a free trial

### "Feature-Rich IDE for Professional Development"

November 10, 2024

4.0

A powerful IDE that streamlines coding for professional developers.

Pros

Comprehensive toolset, great debugging, and supports many languages.

Cons

Heavy on system resources; can feel overwhelming for new users.

Review Source

PT

Pranay T.  
Analyst software engineer  
Information Technology and Services  
Used the software for: 2+ years

### "VSC editor"

July 4, 2024

5.0

Best editor tool in recent times which supports various features and languages.

Pros

VSC offers best support for multiple languages and is compatible on various platforms and various devices. It has best features like to integrate with GitHub and very flexible and customizable.

Cons

It may be difficult for new beginners to use.

Review Source

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