# 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 --- 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/) * * * 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 PS Paul S. Software Engineer Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Visual Studio is still the king" February 26, 2026 4.0 Visual Studio gets more powerful with each new version. What it can do is almost endless. Working on enterprise level Windows OS solutions, it is still the tool to use. Sometimes it can take a while to implement a feature, but you never fear that with Visual Studio it cannot be done. It is still the most powerful development environment for our needs. Pros With Visual Studio you can develop the most complex enterprise level applications, especially for Windows operating systems. It provides comprehensive features and third party plugins, great debugging, vast documentation and support, and of course, integration to the Microsoft ecosystem. Cons Visual Studio is resource intensive and requires a decent machine. There is a steep learning curve, even for experienced users, for each new version, as the feature set is so vast. Works great for Windows (obviously) - support for other platforms is limited. Other than the free community edition, the paid versions can be expensive for individuals. 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 VR Verified Reviewer Technical Specialist Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "I love Visual Studio!" May 8, 2025 5.0 Overall, Microsoft Visual Studio is an exceptional IDE that delivers a comprehensive development experience. 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. Highly recommended! Pros I have been using Microsoft Visual Studio for 10 plus years now and I love it. It constantly changes and evolves with what is needed for software development Cons Users may experience slower performance, increased load times, and higher memory usage, especially on machines with limited hardware specifications. This can be frustrating for developers who need a responsive and efficient environment, particularly those working on less powerful computers. Review Source NF Nancy F. Fullstack developer Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Visual studio code is the best for coding" February 25, 2025 5.0 I really like Visual Studio's very clean GUI and it's easy to understand, it gives you the possibility to have different custom themes , I can develop on different programming languages ​​and it is very easy for me to use it also thanks to the plugins that it makes available to you, to get suggestions or more information Pros I like the user interface, the possibility of having various plugins that make your work easier or give you useful advice, I find it very convenient for developing Cons I have not encountered any problems while using visual studio, it's a convenient application Review Source DS David S. Master Developer Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Visual Studio - a must" May 6, 2025 5.0 More than 10 years developing .NET solutions: programs, data-managers, DLL's. Pros By far, the best IDE available for many languages, like C#, C++, VB, MAUI and so forth. Even Cons Controls are very poor in UI and the development of MAUI/XML languages does not provide a kind of "preview" mode. You need to execute the system to see the UI results. Review Source LR Luis R. Risk Analytics Analyst Financial Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Somehow easy to use" December 17, 2024 5.0 I would say have been pretty positive, the bugs or issues have been to a minimum amount, I still have to encounter a bug that breaks the interface or the overall usage of the program, been pretty satisfied with it's features and the ease to use the program. Pros It's simplicity and ease to use, also the interface is very friendly. As well is quite easy to install extensions and manage them, so you can really uninstall them, disable them for a while or pretty much unistall. Cons There is really not much cons about the software, it's pretty straightforward in terms of it's installation, where it gets kinda messy might be when you install compilers, or stuff like that sometimes those installations might mess up the function of the program. Review Source TM Terry M. Senior Analyst Mining & Metals Used the software for: 2+ years ### "best IDE for multiple programming language user" May 20, 2025 4.0 Pros the most popular IDE across all programming languages, compatible with any programming languages, embedded with github copilot Cons the user interface takes time to get used to, some of the python features such as jupyter notebook is not very optimized in visual studio Review Source FV Fernando V. Software Engineer Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "The best IDE for C#" February 27, 2025 5.0 Overall, it is the best IDE for C# development, and one of the best IDEs in general for design and functionality. Pros I like the speed and stability of the IDE, the design and of course the unrivalled support for C# development. Cons The performance is sometimes an issue and the license costs are steep, although VS Community is free. Review Source JB Jeremy B. Offensive Security Consultant Computer & Network Security Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Best Windows App IDE" May 8, 2025 5.0 Solid IDE for Windows, not sure there is anything else out there that compares Pros Best IDE out there for Microsoft Windows application development, IntelliSense and Copilot together make development a breeze Cons Performance impact can be pretty severe, not cross-platform so not great for macos users Review Source SB SREEREKHA B. Senior Developer Computer Software Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Usage of microsoft visual studio" May 3, 2025 4.0 Good to integrate and debug the visual badic coding. Has in built functions and help files Pros Convenient to use for coding visual badic Cons It only supports microsoft tools snd software Review Source VR Verified Reviewer Software Developer Computer Software Used the software for: I used a free trial ### "The original .NET IDE" February 1, 2025 4.0 Pros Good IDE, by microsoft, so it is very fluent Cons Lacks of some tings in comparison with others IDEs, and is no longer compatible with Mac OS 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 vY vivek Y. seo exutieve Computer Software Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Coding makes simple and easy" June 20, 2024 5.0 VS code is called for its extensive feature set, included robust debugging tools, IntelliSense for code completion, built-in Git integration, and provide multiple frameworks and programming languages Pros Microsoft VS code provides varoius tools that Serve to developers across many platforms and languages. Here are some aspects that many developers appreciate Cross-Platform Development Community and Support Rich Feature Set Extensibility Cons there are free versions available like Visual Studio Community some features are only available in paid editions such as Visual Studio Professional and Visual Studio Enterprise, which may costly for single developers or small teams. Review Source RP Ronak P. Senior Software Developer Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great Product, easy to use and extensions are great" June 24, 2024 5.0 Pros UI is best, easy to use. You can find many extensions which you can integrate in VS which is useful. Cons I am using it more than 6 years, but I don't see any cons till now. Review Source Similar Products Featured ## Related categories [Integrated Development Environment (IDE)](https://www.capterra.com/ide-software/)[Application Development](https://www.capterra.com/application-development-software/)[Game Development](https://www.capterra.com/game-development-software/)