# Microsoft Visual Studio Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Is Microsoft Visual Studio the right Application Development solution for you? Explore 3006 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 (3006) [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 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 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 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 3006 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use Junaid E. National IT Manager Hospitality Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Powerful IDE for professional development work" January 22, 2026 5.0 Overall, Microsoft Visual Studio is dependable IDE designed for serious development work. it excels in building, debugging, and maintaining complex applications. Pros Microsoft Visual Studio is a powerful and complete development environment that brings everything you need into one place. User Interface looks great and easy to navigate around. Cons Visual Studio can feel heavy and resource intensive, espacially on lower spec machines. Startup time and updates can be slow and the large number of features can be overwhelming 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 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 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 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 MG Mario G. IT Director Retail Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A well established multi-platform development tool." March 17, 2025 5.0 Have used it since Version 1, probably more than 20 years. No real complaints Pros The IDE is excellent and well organized. Affordable options including a Community edition for learning and single-person developers. Cross platform tools work nicely, and c# is very popular while still supporting legacy C++, MFC, and OLE. Cons The visual layout tools for forms are a little slow, and easily corrupted with text edits. The .Net versions can get confusing at times, and having to upgrade projects. I would not really opt for Xamarin with cross platform development. Alternatives considered [Android Studio](https://www.capterra.com/p/246781/Android-Studio/) Reason for choosing Microsoft Visual Studio I use them all, for various projects depending on the need. Review Source 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 AW Alister W. Developer Information Services Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Reliable and Powerful Once You Get the Hang of It" May 11, 2025 5.0 Overall, it’s been really reliable. I’ve used it for a bunch of different projects and it’s handled everything pretty well. There’s a bit of a learning curve at first, but once you get into it, it’s a great tool to work with day to day. Pros It’s just solid. The debugger is probably my favourite feature. I also like that it handles big projects without falling over, and the Git integration is actually decent. Overall, it just does what I need without getting in the way. Cons It can feel a bit heavy at times, especially on startup. Some updates are also a bit disruptive or take longer than you’d expect. And occasionally, it tries to be too clever with suggestions which gets in the way more than it helps. 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 mL marc L. Product development engineer Industrial Automation Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Product development engineer " May 8, 2025 4.0 Pros Widely used ide for embedded systems development in industry and is dull if features Cons Heavy bloated ide. Has a steep learning curve and is really good with ms products but it ok with third party tools 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 WC Wendy C. Assistant Vice President for Information Technology Higher Education Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Visual Studio: A Powerful Tool But Resource Heavy" December 23, 2024 4.0 My experience has been great with Microsoft Visual Studio. It really helps me to do programming in multi languages effectively because it offers the option to work on different language. Also I can debug code easily because its simple. Pros I like the most about Microsoft Visual Studio is its large size of community whenever I get into any trouble I can easily find different solution. It offers to add as much extensions as I want to work smoothly on my project. Cons I noticed it takes a while to get load which is not a pleasure thing in my view also it uses a large junk of my memory and CPU which cause slower down the rest of the computer. Review Source LL Luca L. Programmer and IT analyst Packaging and Containers Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Ide for coding" January 17, 2025 5.0 Pros "I have been using Visual Studio for a long time to develop desktop applications for Windows in a business environment. With .NET and Visual Studio, I believe it is easy to create graphical user interfaces and implement even complex operational logic." Cons Probably functions/menu are bit too complex and confusing when you have to search something. The search in "settings" is useful Review Source NS Netra S. Senior RPA Developer Oil & Energy Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "A well designed IDE" November 17, 2024 5.0 Overall a great IDE for complete end to end code deployment. It can be easily linked with github for version control and backing up code.It supports download an installation of a wide variety of extensions through the extensions marketplace search which is very useful for importing custom packages Pros 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 . The debug console displays all errors encountered on execution of the code which is very useful in fixing errors Cons It just takes some time to get used to the interface for first time users 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 KT Keith T. Student Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great Code Editor" April 9, 2025 4.0 My experience with Visual Studio has been great so far. Pros It is one of my favorite code editors to work in because of how easy it is to use. Cons I prefer the UI of Visual Studio Code better because of the UI layout. Review Source ES Elena S. Marketing manager Biotechnology Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Efficient tool for website development " March 20, 2025 4.0 Interesting tool for programming, I worked with Power Apps (no code website developer) and was able to customize a lot of features with coding. Pros Since is a Microsoft tool you can find various information on the internet if there is something you don't understand. It supports multiple programming languages. Cons As an inexperienced person in website development it can get extremely hard trying to understand. I was working with Microsoft Power Apps and wanted to customize certain features that could only be done with Visual Studio. The AI feature I found that didn't work very much, but maybe because I wasn't specific. 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 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 KJ Kyle J. Software Engineer Defense & Space Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A worthy Product for Microsoft’s Lineup" August 9, 2024 4.0 This IDE is nothing to ignore. It’s simple, plugins are easy to manage, and it boasts a worthy list of languages that it can compile. Well done Microsoft. Pros Like all Microsoft-funded projects, this ODE boasts a whole list of convenience features with developers in mind. Cons Admittedly slightly bias, I have grown to prefer writing software on other OS systems besides Windows. I believe VS has a version for Mac, but as a Linux developer, that doesn’t help me either. 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 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/)