My main use case for Microsoft Visual Studio is coding and looking at the logs. Whenever I have a log file which is very large, I open it in Microsoft Visual Studio because it can handle big files and then make it easy to search and scroll.
Partner Engineer at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Coding has remained smooth and large custom log analysis is now fast and manageable
Pros and Cons
- "Microsoft Visual Studio is one of the main tools that has impacted my organization positively."
- "I give it a nine because it does not support Android."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The best features Microsoft Visual Studio offers include being smooth in coding, allowing the opening of large projects and large files. Microsoft Visual Studio is smooth because it can handle large projects and open large files without hanging, and it still allows large search functionality.
Microsoft Visual Studio is one of the main tools that has impacted my organization positively. We can create custom plugins in Microsoft Visual Studio which are specific to our company and our organization, and use them, which is quite useful, and this has helped our team and projects.
What needs improvement?
Allowing coding for more formats in Microsoft Visual Studio could be an improvement. It should allow more formats when it comes to APLR coding and what I would like to see improved or added in this area.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft Visual Studio for about five years.
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What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I think Microsoft Visual Studio is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Millions of users use Microsoft Visual Studio worldwide, so I think it is quite stable in terms of scalability.
How are customer service and support?
I haven't interacted with customer support at all.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We have been using Microsoft Visual Studio for some time, and I did not previously use a different solution.
How was the initial setup?
The IT team handles the pricing, setup cost, and licensing of Microsoft Visual Studio, so I have no idea about that.
What about the implementation team?
The IT team handles the pricing, setup cost, and licensing of Microsoft Visual Studio, so I have no idea about that.
What was our ROI?
I don't have insights into a return on investment, including relevant metrics, like time saved or fewer employees needed.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The IT team handles the pricing, setup cost, and licensing of Microsoft Visual Studio, so I have no idea about that.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I don't think I evaluated other options before choosing Microsoft Visual Studio, as I was not part of the team which does that. I have no visibility into that.
What other advice do I have?
On a scale of one to ten, I would rate Microsoft Visual Studio a nine overall. I give it a nine because it does not support Android. The one thing that would make it a ten for me is related to the formats I mentioned. I think others looking into using Microsoft Visual Studio should use it, as it is a good tool. I would rate this product nine out of ten.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Last updated: Dec 5, 2025
Flag as inappropriateSenior technical project manager at net solutions
Debugging applications efficiently with versatile features and integrations
Pros and Cons
- "The features available in Microsoft Visual Studio are beneficial for making builds, deployments, and everything related to dot net projects with C#, which provides great efficiency in my work."
- "A very valuable feature of Microsoft Visual Studio is the debugger, which is helpful for debugging applications line by line, and the features available in Microsoft Visual Studio are beneficial for making builds, deployments, and everything related to dot net projects with C#, which provides great efficiency in my work."
- "I am facing some problems with technical support."
What is our primary use case?
I use Microsoft Visual Studio primarily for development. It has a code analyzer with various options to analyze the code that I have written. It provides intelligence for whatever language I am using and offers DevOps integrations.
What is most valuable?
A very valuable feature of Microsoft Visual Studio is the debugger, which is helpful for debugging applications line by line. Additionally, the integration with various services is easy, and with Copilot, it becomes easier to learn and understand Microsoft Visual Studio features. It has many useful features for development purposes. The features available in Microsoft Visual Studio are beneficial for making builds, deployments, and everything related to dot net projects with C#. This provides great efficiency in my work. We frequently handle dot net projects with C#, utilizing all sorts of features to facilitate building and deploying, which add significant value.
What needs improvement?
I found something that I am facing challenges with: Docker integration within Microsoft Visual Studio. I think there is an option for this, but I have not explored it yet. Furthermore, if AI could be integrated into more features, it would expedite my work and would be very helpful.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the product gradually since around 2005.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Microsoft Visual Studio is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The solution is scalable, depending on my client's demand.
How are customer service and support?
I am facing some problems with technical support. I'm working with a client account, and I'm not able to create a support ticket for some issues. Previously, I used to create a ticket on the Azure portal and get help from the support team, but now it's not working as it used to.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup has resolved a lot year on year. It's straightforward and has improved more from time to time.
What about the implementation team?
IT permission is needed, so I cannot install it myself.
What was our ROI?
In terms of expedited development, Microsoft Visual Studio features have saved me maybe five percent of time.
What other advice do I have?
If AI can help expedite tasks, that would be helpful because now AI is going everywhere. I'd rate my overall experience with Microsoft Visual Studio at eight to nine points.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Visual Studio
May 2026
Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Visual Studio. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2026.
894,998 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Senior System Engineer at Confiz Solutions
User-friendly interface enables seamless development and significant time savings
Pros and Cons
- "Using Microsoft Visual Studio has saved me considerable time and effort during development, with savings between twenty and fifty percent in terms of both time and money."
- "Using Microsoft Visual Studio has saved me considerable time and effort during development, with savings between twenty and fifty percent in terms of both time and money."
- "When Microsoft shifted their service to regions like China and India, the support team there was not professional and lacked adequate knowledge."
What is our primary use case?
I am using Microsoft Visual Studio for development purposes for my different clients in the USA and other regions. I use it in developing applications, web applications, and mobile Android applications.
What is most valuable?
Microsoft Visual Studio is very easy to use with an excellent graphic interface. It is easy to understand for both experienced users and new users. The availability of the community edition allows users to access the tool without cost, and if needed for production, they can opt for the paid version.
What needs improvement?
User authentication with the local database creates some problems. Integration with a local database on a VM server may also create issues, though connecting with a Cloud VM works well.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft Visual Studio for about one and a half years.
What was my experience with deployment of the solution?
Maintenance is very easy. There is no significant maintenance requirement after installation. The process is straightforward, and one person is enough to handle it.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Microsoft Visual Studio is stable, and I haven't encountered significant performance issues.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The version of Microsoft Visual Studio I use is scalable. Even with the community edition, it provides scalable options.
How are customer service and support?
When Microsoft shifted their service to regions like China and India, the support team there was not professional and lacked adequate knowledge. Creating multiple support tickets was required to get a proper response. In contrast, the Microsoft team provided appropriate guidance.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
The installation process was straightforward. You can simply download the software and use the Cloud Auto Installer to get all the required tools. One person can handle the installation process.
What was our ROI?
Using Microsoft Visual Studio has saved me considerable time and effort during development. The savings are between twenty and fifty percent in terms of both time and money.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing for Microsoft Visual Studio is expensive. The charges are $499 per user per month for the 2022 version, and the professional version costs $29. This is particularly costly in the South Asia region due to currency differences. Microsoft should consider regional pricing adjustments to make it more affordable.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend Microsoft Visual Studio for new users because it provides a simple and effective user interface which is beneficial for learning development. I rate the solution eight out of ten. My overall product rating is eight.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Other
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
Vice President for Cloud Application Developement and Genereative AI Solutions at Systems Limited
Comprehensive coverage for seamless development across platforms
Pros and Cons
- "The versatility and platform coverage of Microsoft Visual Studio make it a standard and stable product across Linux, Windows, and Mac."
- "The versatility and platform coverage of Microsoft Visual Studio make it a standard and stable product across Linux, Windows, and Mac, providing countless features, being lightweight, and offering extensive extensions coverage as a one-stop shop no matter the platform or language I use."
What is our primary use case?
I use Microsoft Visual Studio across the entire software development lifecycle, mainly for development, testing, analysis, deployment, and monitoring.
What is most valuable?
The versatility and platform coverage of Microsoft Visual Studio make it a standard and stable product across Linux, Windows, and Mac. It provides countless features, is lightweight, and offers extensive extensions coverage. It serves as a one-stop shop no matter the platform or language I use.
What needs improvement?
Microsoft Visual Studio offers a strong ecosystem, with its own marketplace for third-party solutions. There is room for improvement in search by extension, but the integration of AI through extensions like GitHub Copilot is a well-thought-out approach.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft Visual Studio for more than a decade, maybe at least twelve to thirteen years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Microsoft Visual Studio is very stable, scoring around nine to nine point five out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Choosing the right version of Microsoft Visual Studio can address any scalability concerns. While Visual Studio Code may present limitations, upgrading to the enterprise version resolves these.
How are customer service and support?
Support centers are available, and it is generally adequate, but I may not be the best person to comment on technical support interactions.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Once I used Microsoft Visual Studio, I have never moved on to any other solutions.
How was the initial setup?
The installation of Microsoft Visual Studio provides a seamless experience for everyone, regardless of the version or platform.
What was our ROI?
Microsoft Visual Studio provides value for money, enabling time and cost savings. Its features are unmatched at this price range.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing of Microsoft Visual Studio is competitive from an organizational perspective, both for smaller and larger organizations.
What other advice do I have?
The rating for Microsoft Visual Studio would be nine since it is one of the finest tools I have used. It provides a seamless experience and comprehensive coverage of the development process. Some might argue that AI should be integrated directly within Visual Studio itself, but the extension approach is a decent solution.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
Software Engineer at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
Using an intuitive IDE has boosted project productivity and supported flexible plugin workflows
Pros and Cons
- "Microsoft Visual Studio has positively impacted my organization because it's very easy to use, very easy for the people to pick up on, and we can all have the same configuration or personalize it as needed."
- "I don't see a return on investment with Microsoft Visual Studio."
What is our primary use case?
My main use case for Microsoft Visual Studio is as an IDE and code editor for my personal, academic, and professional projects.
For a class project recently, I used Microsoft Visual Studio to pull down the repo, make changes, review the code, and get data as needed, which was a memorable project for me. They also have really nice plugins that integrate very well with the work I'm doing.
What is most valuable?
The best features Microsoft Visual Studio offers include the shortcut commands that are pretty efficient and easy to pick up, and the baked-in plugins that they have, which are pretty nice.
I find the Copilot feature to be a very nice plugin, and for any plugins, I need any language support, like Java, Go, Gradle, and Maven. Really, any coding language or tool that I need has a plugin, which is very nice.
Microsoft Visual Studio has positively impacted my organization because it's very easy to use, very easy for the people to pick up on, and we can all have the same configuration or personalize it as needed. It has improved productivity for sure, and when someone is onboarded, we know exactly what settings to get them and what plugins to recommend, which makes it easier for them to use the tool in the future.
What needs improvement?
I don't have any suggestions for improvements for Microsoft Visual Studio; I like the general look. Figuring out how to hide the plugins on the side would be useful, and just having more clear documentation, perhaps, could help.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft Visual Studio for about six years, and four years, actually.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Microsoft Visual Studio is stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of Microsoft Visual Studio is good.
How are customer service and support?
I'm not sure about the customer support for Microsoft Visual Studio.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used other IDEs before, and I use Microsoft Visual Studio for my personal projects because it's free and it's pretty easy to use, and then for work, I use whatever IDE is best suited for the team.
What was our ROI?
I don't see a return on investment with Microsoft Visual Studio.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
My experience with the pricing, setup cost, and licensing for Microsoft Visual Studio is that I was able to expense it through my company, so it wasn't bad, and it was pretty easy to get a license for it. I'm also pretty sure it's free; I'm not sure.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
Before choosing Microsoft Visual Studio, I did not evaluate other options.
What other advice do I have?
Microsoft Visual Studio deserves a nine on a scale of one to ten.
I choose a nine for Microsoft Visual Studio because I like the way it works, but some of the UI in other IDEs like IntelliJ I prefer a little more.
My advice for others looking into using Microsoft Visual Studio is that it's a great tool to start with if you're new to IDEs, and I would say to just jump right in.
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Last updated: Dec 5, 2025
Flag as inappropriateIT Specialist at a financial services firm with 501-1,000 employees
Supports multi-language development and improves workflow tracking through version control
Pros and Cons
- "Microsoft Visual Studio provides a positive return on investment."
- "Microsoft sometimes has outsourced people with less knowledge on their support team. When we open a ticket, it often needs to be escalated to the next level to reach an expert, rather than being resolved at the first level."
What is our primary use case?
Microsoft Visual Studio is used for development, including recent work with AI applications across many different areas of the organization.
What is most valuable?
The language is easy to use for linking with other databases and software. As a Microsoft product, it provides native integration, making it straightforward to communicate with Azure or any database within Azure through built-in integration capabilities.
The version control feature helped us easily retrieve previous versions and track logs to see where changes occurred and when they happened.
The ability to use multiple coding languages in one place is valuable, providing a comprehensive environment for everything.
What needs improvement?
AI integration is something that every company is trying to incorporate. While Microsoft Visual Studio is working very well currently, there is still room to improve the AI functionality.
For how long have I used the solution?
More than 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Microsoft Visual Studio is very stable.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Scalability rates about seven out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
Microsoft sometimes has outsourced people with less knowledge on their support team. When we open a ticket, it often needs to be escalated to the next level to reach an expert, rather than being resolved at the first level. This sometimes wastes our time, but eventually they fix the issue for us.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
The installation process is very easy and straightforward.
What was our ROI?
Microsoft Visual Studio provides a positive return on investment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The setup cost rates about eight out of ten.
What other advice do I have?
Different divisions in the organization may use AWS, though this is not something I am aware of directly. The organization primarily bases its operations on Azure. My overall rating for Microsoft Visual Studio is ten out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
Last updated: Nov 24, 2025
Flag as inappropriateSoftware Developer Advisor at NTT DATA Services
Application development becomes streamlined with intuitive features and comprehensive debugging tools while integration needs refinement
Pros and Cons
- "Microsoft Visual Studio provides comprehensive development capabilities; you can create any type of application, including mobile applications, console applications, Windows applications, WPF, ASP.NET MVC, and .NET Core."
- "Microsoft Visual Studio provides comprehensive development capabilities and is very user-friendly, allowing you to create any type of application, including mobile applications, console applications, Windows applications, WPF, ASP.NET MVC, and .NET Core, while also offering intelligence features that automatically identify issues and help avoid coding errors."
- "Sometimes crashes happen and occasionally there might be hanging issues."
What is our primary use case?
Recently, I have been working with the Power Platform, which is a Microsoft product. Currently, I am exploring and doing one project as well. Power Platform is looking promising, and it provides various features. It is very easy to learn Power Platform. Power Platform may only be applicable to small size to mid-size applications, so I think it will not be applicable to enterprise level applications.
What is most valuable?
Power Platform provides workflows and database functionality. The database application is very good. When creating an entity, based on that entity, you can create views and pages automatically based on the table. That is one good feature in Power Platform. It also supports customization features, though it takes some time to understand as there are many steps for customization. If any system exposes functionality using REST API, we can get the URL and environment details such as headers. In Microsoft Visual Studio, if a system exposes services, we can consume those services by getting their proper URL/URI and header information. If they have any authentication mechanism using tokens, we can utilize those in Microsoft Visual Studio to invoke and call the REST APIs provided by external systems.
What needs improvement?
Microsoft Visual Studio provides almost all features. When adding classes, if references to class files or namespaces are missing, improvements could be made. Sometimes when missing namespaces and calling functionalities in other classes, Microsoft Visual Studio shows errors. While clicking on the cursor shows which particular namespace is missing, when adding new namespaces, it still shows some errors. Microsoft Visual Studio should avoid these errors.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft Visual Studio for almost five years.
What was my experience with deployment of the solution?
Issues with Microsoft Visual Studio are very rare. Sometimes crashes happen and occasionally there might be hanging issues. We close Microsoft Visual Studio and once opened again, the issue resolves automatically.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Regarding stability issues, the system makes sure it should be up and running throughout the day. In case of any downtime issues, the system will notify us about the timing so we can take appropriate actions beforehand. These informations are automatically provided by the system, so we don't need to manage this ourselves. The system helps keep the server up and running.
How are customer service and support?
In the frontend, we need to download Microsoft Visual Studio, which is available in different versions including community editions and professional editions. You can download any edition of the latest version. Once downloaded, you need to provide login credentials and set up the code. They will provide the link from wherever your code is located, and you have to clone it.
How was the initial setup?
Microsoft Visual Studio provides entity framework which supports both code-based and database-first approaches. Based on these options, we can proceed with implementation. If you choose the database-first approach, all the tables from your SQL database and related components will be created as classes in your C# implementation.
What was our ROI?
The ROI involves a one-time payment. Once you have the license, the return depends upon how many projects you are acquiring and how many clients you have. If you develop three to four projects, you can achieve ROI within four or five months. With more projects, ROI can be covered within six months or one year based on your investment. After that, you will get more benefits. It is purely based on the projects in the pipeline.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Regarding maintenance, if you have the Microsoft Visual Studio license, Microsoft will support your product. If you encounter any downtime, Microsoft will notify you in advance so you can take respective actions. They provide temporary solutions to ensure applications do not go down. A backup system ensures end users are not affected. The maintenance is provided by Microsoft.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
For .NET development, I haven't used any other tools besides Microsoft Visual Studio, but we have used third-party controls to display information, such as Telerik controls. We obtained the license and integrated Telerik controls into Microsoft Visual Studio to create data tables and combo boxes. The main competitors to .NET are OutSystems, low-code technologies, and Java.
What other advice do I have?
Debugging tools are very important. In Microsoft Visual Studio, we can use debugging by placing debug points where we need to execute particular functions or code. When you run the application, Microsoft Visual Studio automatically triggers the debugging point. From there, you can check the particular code in the below window where you can see all values, variables, and written statements. You can track everything. Microsoft Visual Studio provides detailed debugging options to see how the application flows with calling functions and working functions. You can identify exactly where data is not loading and what errors are occurring. This information helps resolve issues quickly. Microsoft Visual Studio provides comprehensive development capabilities. You can create any type of application, including mobile applications, console applications, Windows applications, WPF, ASP.NET MVC, and .NET Core. It provides many benefits and can create reusable components. During coding, it provides intelligence features that automatically identify issues. It is very user-friendly and helps avoid coding errors.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
NA
If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?
NA
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Developer and Head of Application and Data Management Office at UniversitĂ degli Studi di Roma Tre
Integration with AI and a powerful debugger supports efficient application development for university needs
Pros and Cons
- "One valuable feature of Microsoft Visual Studio is its powerful debugger, which is the only feature I primarily use."
- "One valuable feature of Microsoft Visual Studio is its powerful debugger, which is the only feature I primarily use."
What is our primary use case?
I develop applications and work at Roma Tre University. We develop applications ranging from student career management to employee and HR office functions.
What is most valuable?
One valuable feature of Microsoft Visual Studio is its powerful debugger, which is the only feature I primarily use. Another significant advantage is the integration with Copilot and AI support. Additionally, the ease of integration with solutions is worth mentioning.
What needs improvement?
Some improvements could include a more visual interface for automating common tasks in application development. Introducing this feature would enhance productivity.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Microsoft Visual Studio for almost ten years.
What was my experience with deployment of the solution?
It is very easy to install Microsoft Visual Studio.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Microsoft Visual Studio is stable overall.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
As of now, I have not encountered any limitations in the use of Microsoft Visual Studio. It is scalable for our purposes.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support from Microsoft is very good.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
In my past, I used Mirth Connect while working in a hospital for HL7 integrations using JCAPS and Mirth and Rhapsody Data, which are old products.
How was the initial setup?
It's very easy to install.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I do not know the pricing or costs as we have a global agreement with Microsoft for all universities in Italy.
What other advice do I have?
I am searching for an enterprise service bus product, so if Microsoft Visual Studio could have a plugin or an extension in this direction, it would be great. I rate my overall experience with Microsoft Visual Studio as nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
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