I'm using Microsoft Visual Studio for developing mobile applications using Xamarin. It's similar to a software development kit (SDK).
Mobile Engeneer at ServiceLInk inc
Beneficial UI functionality, complete development kit, and performs well
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable features of Microsoft Visual Studio are the UI functionality where you can do software development. Everything is available there that you need. You can create the UI, and code, develop and compile it."
- "Microsoft Visual Studio can improve by adding more features to the Mac version. There are a lot of features lacking in the Mac version, there are limitations. I can install Microsoft Visual Studio on the Mac operating system, but it is not the same as if I installed it on a Microsoft Windows system. The Microsoft Windows version has a lot of features available in Microsoft Visual Studio."
What is our primary use case?
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features of Microsoft Visual Studio are the UI functionality where you can do software development. Everything is available there that you need. You can create the UI, and code, develop and compile it.
What needs improvement?
Microsoft Visual Studio can improve by adding more features to the Mac version. There are a lot of features lacking in the Mac version, there are limitations. I can install Microsoft Visual Studio on the Mac operating system, but it is not the same as if I installed it on a Microsoft Windows system. The Microsoft Windows version has a lot of features available in Microsoft Visual Studio.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft Visual Studio for approximately nine years.
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Visual Studio
May 2025

Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Visual Studio. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2025.
857,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of Microsoft Visual Studio is good.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Microsoft Visual Studio is scalable. I can write a lot of code and there is not any problem with performance.
We have approximately 200 IT department people using this solution in my organization.
How are customer service and support?
When we have an issue we generally put it in the online forum or email to receive a reply. They provide a response within 24 hours, which is good.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price of Microsoft Visual Studio is approximately $400 annually.
What other advice do I have?
My advice to others is Microsoft Visual Studio is a good tool for development. It is easy to handle and use, and it has a clean UI design. Overall it is not complicated. Anyone can use it to develop any web application or mobile application. It's cross-platform, it can run on Microsoft Windows and macOS. The cross-platform features are good.
I rate Microsoft Visual Studio a nine out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

Advisor Cloud Master Architecture Azure AWS (USA, UK, Argentina) at cstechlab
Enables seamless cloud-native migration and robust debugging features
What is our primary use case?
I use Microsoft Visual Studio to deploy and migrate different solutions from monolithic to 100% cloud-native solutions in Azure. When I have a client-server solution that is very monolithic, I can perfectly migrate it to Azure to create backends in different Kubernetes environments and utilize modern frontend technologies like React for a more efficient solution in cloud platforms.
What is most valuable?
Microsoft Visual Studio is a very robust application. I can read and analyze logs in C#. It's friendly with JavaScript, TypeScript, and Java, making many deployments guided for different solutions possible. The .NET library, although very old, is a very robust application for deployment in cloud settings, being friendly for working with functions and logic apps, which are best used for deploying .NET services. Visual Studio offers a great debugging tool where I can debug quickly and resolve issues efficiently with specific solutions designed for strong debugging.
What needs improvement?
The patching aspect can continue to be improved. Although Visual Studio has very expressive refactor solutions and efficient, reliable patching for code, there is always room for enhancement in these areas.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft Visual Studio for more than twenty years.
What was my experience with deployment of the solution?
The deployment depends on the project as I use methodologies like Agile or Kanban, allowing the creation of very structured steps in projects. A big deployment can start for three to six months. Locally, when working with Azure, I deploy with Visual Studio on my local machine, integrating with the cloud when I publish.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Microsoft Visual Studio is a very robust and stable application, especially when I have integration with Azure DevOps.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Microsoft Visual Studio is scalable in integrating with various cloud platforms and solutions for effective deployment.
How are customer service and support?
Microsoft's support is very strong, with good resources available when creating support tickets. They respond quickly and have professional resources for resolving different software or deployment issues. A very big library is available at dev.microsoft.com with many solutions for investigation.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Microsoft Visual Studio is not complex. I have been using it for maybe 10 to 15 years and it is the most robust application software for deployment.
What was our ROI?
The ROI depends on the contract I have with Microsoft. For example, in an Enterprise Agreement (ELA), Microsoft might provide free licenses for deployment. The ROI varies based on the company's agreements, and different subscription licenses are available like basic, standard, and business premium.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing for Microsoft Visual Studio is favorable. While many open-source solutions are available, none offer the robustness of Visual Studio, which includes a Marketplace for creating different add-ons and integration solutions for quality assurance.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I have knowledge of NetBeans, an open-source solution, but it does not have the robustness of Microsoft Visual Studio which offers a Marketplace to create different add-ons.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend Microsoft Visual Studio for different clouds as it can integrate with AWS, GCP, Huawei, and Red Hat OpenShift due to its add-ons. I rate Microsoft Visual Studio a nine out of ten. Despite rating it a nine, all features align well with my personal experience, reflecting no dissatisfaction on my part.
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 does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Last updated: May 6, 2025
Flag as inappropriateBuyer's Guide
Microsoft Visual Studio
May 2025

Learn what your peers think about Microsoft Visual Studio. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: May 2025.
857,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Software Engineer at Varian Medical Systems, Inc.
A stable solution that provides advanced design and reporting features
Pros and Cons
- "We can use different .NET features."
- "The solution must provide user-friendly features."
What is our primary use case?
We use the solution for Windows applications and different .NET features. We also use the BI tools.
What is most valuable?
I like the design tools. Nowadays, it is very advanced. We can use different .NET features.
What needs improvement?
We have different platforms available for web development. The solution must provide user-friendly features. We get updates frequently. Multiple versions are released within a short period. We need to keep updating the solution.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using the solution for more than ten years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I rate the tool’s stability an eight out of ten. We need to consider a lot of things while creating projects on Visual Studio. There are a lot of dependencies to add and maintain.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The tool is scalable. There are more than 1000 users in our organization.
How are customer service and support?
We have used Microsoft’s support for SQL Server Reporting Services. Sometimes, we do not receive prompt responses. We have to work with different teams and need to wait for resolutions.
How was the initial setup?
The setup is straightforward. We update the product when we get information from our teams.
What about the implementation team?
The deployment can be done in-house.
What was our ROI?
The solution has benefited us. The users are really happy to use the product for reporting purposes. It has many features.
What other advice do I have?
I recommend the solution to others. Overall, I rate the tool an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Intuitive database technology with robust integrated development environment, offering high scalability, excellent collaboration features and strong stability
Pros and Cons
- "Notably, the Enterprise version facilitates seamless integration with Microsoft products, leveraging the ease of connectivity within the Microsoft ecosystem."
- "Despite its advantages, challenges in diverse cloud environments may prompt the uninstallation of the application or entire development environment for resolution."
What is our primary use case?
We use it for comprehensive support in software development, encompassing tasks such as code writing, unit testing, and deployment to both cloud and on-premises services.
How has it helped my organization?
It proved versatile for diverse purposes, serving as a valuable tool for developing solutions across web, desktop, and mobile platforms. It facilitated not only coding activities but also aided in managing repositories and deploying applications to various environments, whether they be cloud-based or on-premises infrastructure.
What is most valuable?
Within Visual Support, there are three versions available, each housed in distinct containers. I'm focusing on the Enterprise version due to its customizable nature. This version boasts additional features, such as a pricing application for enhanced functionality and comprehensive unit testing coverage. The testing capabilities extend to diverse features, providing a thorough examination of different aspects. Notably, the Enterprise version facilitates seamless integration with Microsoft products, leveraging the ease of connectivity within the Microsoft ecosystem. Moreover, it supports integration with open-source products, including Python, allowing for a flexible and inclusive approach to development.
What needs improvement?
When using Visual Support for web development, challenges arise when specific components require hardware configurations beyond the application's scope. Efforts are directed at enhancing the IDE and introducing features for seamless collaboration, extending to Azure with the Explore version. This version incorporates "live share," enabling real-time code collaboration among team members. Despite its advantages, challenges in diverse cloud environments may prompt the uninstallation of the application or entire development environment for resolution.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with it for approximately thirteen years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability is noteworthy because Visual Studio offers both a release and a preview version. The release version is reliable, free of issues, and suitable for general use. However, for those seeking additional features and improvements, the preview version is available. This version allows users to test new features directly and report any issues to the community for resolution. While encountering some issues in the preview version, they are typically addressed promptly through community feedback, resulting in a stable and refined release version shortly thereafter. I would rate it eight out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
High scalability makes it a strong recommendation, especially for enterprise-level development, given its robust capabilities as an integrated development environment. I would rate it ten out of ten.
How are customer service and support?
I've interacted with Microsoft support, but the community support for Visual Studio testing has been particularly outstanding. Unlike conventional support, the community channels provide an open and collaborative environment, similar to open-source platforms. This allows users to easily report issues, open discussions, and communicate effectively, making it a gateway to a more responsive and interactive support experience.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Having used various products at different companies, I must highlight that Microsoft's development technology, particularly in the realm of databases, has proven to be more intuitive and superior. It demonstrated a higher level of user-friendliness and efficiency.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is straightforward. Simply download the controller and proceed with the installation, selecting the desired options for a new environment and clicking through the prompts. I would rate it nine out of ten.
What about the implementation team?
Setting it up in the initial stages used to be a time-consuming process, often taking more than an hour. This was primarily due to the need to download setup data, often distributed on CDs or DVDs, and then proceed with the installation. Additionally, a decade ago, machines were not as swift, further extending the setup time. However, in recent years, there's been a more efficient option. Users now have two options: an online installation and an offline installation. For the online version, users simply download it and direct it to the storage directory on their machines.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing varies depending on the version, and with three options available (Community, Professional, and Enterprise), you can choose based on your needs. While the enterprise version can be relatively expensive due to its comprehensive features, I find the license I currently possess to be reasonable, considering it includes the full suite without additional activations or charges.
What other advice do I have?
Overall, I would rat it ten 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.
Director at Herdian Informatika
Helps with creating and managing projects, and writing code
Pros and Cons
- "Microsoft Visual Studio helps my company improve efficiency in software development suites."
- "Microsoft Visual Studio can improve integration with the Microsoft Office suite; this was only implemented in 2022."
What is our primary use case?
The early use of Microsoft Visual Studio was for developing and creating software applications. Then, with technology development, I used Microsoft Visual Studio to create cross-platform software applications such as web, mobile, and desktop applications.
Microsoft Visual Studio also provides debugging tools, project management tools, and source control which makes project management easier for me - especially after I combine it with Git.
Microsoft Visual Studio allows me to create and manage projects, write code, and debug and test applications. Also, it helps me with advanced features to develop applications for the cloud, IoT, and AI.
How has it helped my organization?
Microsoft Visual Studio helps my company improve efficiency in software development suites.
It includes various features, such as an integrated development environment, source control, debugging, and deployment tools.
Visual Studio also enables teams to collaborate and share code more efficiently. This can help companies streamline development processes and reduce time spent on repetitive tasks.
Additionally, Visual Studio provides a comprehensive set of debugging tools that can help enterprises quickly identify and resolve issues.
Finally, Visual Studio offers a suite of features that allow companies to customize their development environment, such as templates and extensions, that can help them optimize their workflow.
What is most valuable?
Sometimes being able to complete one line of code with many functions and lines requires a lot of mental and physical precision. However, Microsoft Visual Studio helped me with IntelliSense. IntelliSense helped me with autocomplete and code snippets to help speed up development. It also helps me quickly find and deploy the right code.
Apart from that, in terms of development, my team and I sometimes continue to improve and perfect the website or application that is being worked on so that everything is neat and well-tracked. For that, I use version control. Version control is a feature built into Visual Studio that helps me manage and track changes to the code I'm working on. This helps ensure that teams work from the same codebase and can quickly roll back to a previous version if needed.
What needs improvement?
Microsoft Visual Studio can improve integration with the Microsoft Office suite; this was only implemented in 2022. Why this is important is that almost all companies have MS Office to work with, and nowadays, automation is becoming an effective role model to increase company efficiency and can save operational costs and purchase technology licenses.
Microsoft Visual Studio can be used to create applications that integrate directly with the Microsoft Office suite. This includes Office applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. With this integration, enterprises can create powerful applications that utilize existing Office features and capabilities.
For example, I can use Visual Studio to create a custom Excel add-in that adds new features and capabilities to a spreadsheet application. Then I can also create Outlook add-ins that provide additional functionality to the email client. Additionally, Visual Studio could be used to create applications that interact with Office documents, enabling companies to develop sophisticated applications that interact with Office documents in new and exciting ways.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using Microsoft Visual Studio for about four years for code editing, debugging, test tracking, and GUI development.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Microsoft Visual Studio is a very stable development environment. It's been around for years and has a proven track record of reliability.
It is updated regularly with new features and bug fixes and is designed to be highly customizable and expandable.
With a comprehensive set of tools and debugging capabilities, Visual Studio provides the ideal development environment for me or company interns. Overall, Microsoft Visual Studio has a very stable and reliable development environment.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Microsoft Visual Studio is a comprehensive development environment with tools for various development needs.
It is designed to scale easily across projects running in companies of all sizes and complexities.
Visual Studio is highly scalable and provides developers with powerful features that help me build robust and efficient applications.
Visual Studio supports multiple languages and technologies, such as .NET, C#, C++, HTML, JavaScript, and more. It also provides an intuitive interface for quickly building, debugging, and deploying applications. Plus, Visual Studio is highly extensible, letting me customize the IDE to suit my particular needs.
Visual Studio also includes various integrations with popular third-party tools and services, such as GitHub, Azure, and others. With its scalability, Visual Studio is a great choice for teams.
How are customer service and support?
Technical support is very helpful for directing our problem to a solution precisely and quickly.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I didn't switch from another platform or vendor. That said, I combined something with Visual Studio Code. There are some plugins that only I can use in Visual Studio Code and the Visual Studio Code community is more active.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is a little complex and needs to be adjusted to the device used.
What about the implementation team?
With an in-house team, we could handle the setup ourselves.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
For setup costs, I suggest making Microsoft Visual Code the main tool for final testing before releasing it to the public. Subscribing to Microsoft Visual Studio will be quite expensive for a small company. Therefore, other teams can use open-source coding tools.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I did evaluate Eclipse IDE.
What other advice do I have?
I like the price-sharing method and direct support for developers from Microsoft.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Private Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
Product Design Engineer at Cummins Inc.
Intelligent, good UI design, and useful developing .NET applications
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of Microsoft Visual Studio is the good intelligence and UI."
- "The stability of Microsoft Visual Studio could improve. There are times it hangs or stops working and I have to restart the program."
What is our primary use case?
I am using Microsoft Visual Studio for developing WPS applications.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of Microsoft Visual Studio is the good intelligence and UI.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using Microsoft Visual Studio for approximately five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The stability of Microsoft Visual Studio could improve. There are times it hangs or stops working and I have to restart the program.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability of Microsoft Visual Studio is good.
We have approximately 10 people in our company's automated department using the solution.
How are customer service and support?
Our manager has spoken to the technical support from Microsoft Visual Studio.
How was the initial setup?
Microsoft Visual Studio is easy to set up. The deployment took approximately 30 minutes.
What about the implementation team?
We did the deployment in-house of Microsoft Visual Studio.
What other advice do I have?
This is a good solution for developing .NET applications and other applications.
I rate Microsoft Visual Studio an eight 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.
Senior Soft Engineer at SECP
A solution that is easy to access all the basic templates for development but may be cost prohibitive for smaller organizations
Pros and Cons
- "The most valuable feature of Microsoft Visual Studio is how easy it is to access all the basic templates for development. There are so many features you get with Visual Studio that it's really helpful for the deployment, the development, and the intelligence behind it."
- "I would like to see more on-premise tips and tools along with development time so that I don't need to go to a third-party site."
What is our primary use case?
We use Microsoft Visual Studio for development.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature of Microsoft Visual Studio is how easy it is to access all the basic templates for development. There are so many features you get with Visual Studio that it's really helpful for the deployment, the development, and the intelligence behind it.
What needs improvement?
The product and its features have come a long way over the years. There are so many features available that you can't use them all. I would like to see more on-premise tips and tools along with development time so that I don't need to go to a third-party site. It would be better if Microsoft Visual Studio familiarized me with all the updates and new feature sets. Help tips would be really helpful.
I would like to see a design preview feature. In the 2013 version and partially in the 2015 version, there was a design screen within Visual Studio. Now, you can't really see the design elements during development without deploying the whole design template. The design preview would be beneficial in future updates.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for 10 years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The solution is stable. It has not crashed.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Microsoft Visual Studio is scalable enough for us. Teams work on it and can collaborate on their work. The number of users depends on the strength of the team and the requirements of the project.
How are customer service and support?
The support for Microsoft Visual Studio is good. All the templates for different types of development like Windows, APIs, and Angular development are all supported.
Other than the Microsoft line-up, you can work on the open source languages as well. They support open source languages like Angular and Node.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Previously we worked with different IDEs. We use Visual Studio in parallel with VS Code in parallel with Atom. We also work with Eclipse.
I prefer Visual Studio because I am also working with Microsoft Teams.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup of Visual Studio is straightforward for anyone familiar with the solution. Newer users will experience a learning curve, but it is not because of the GUI, the user experience is good.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
We have an enterprise-level license. The cost is expensive for small to medium-sized organizations.
What other advice do I have?
Microsoft Visual Studio is an excellent IDE, but the features are more of VS Code. For small to medium-sized organizations, the licensing for Visual Studio may be too expensive. It is really suited for companies that work on the cloud, or have large teams working on Microsoft Stack. Many open-source tools provide similar feature sets.
On the other hand, you will find Visual Studio more user-friendly than open source. It has a better GUI and is more plug-and-drop compared to other IDEs.
It is also a personal preference. If you are comfortable with command terms, then Visual Studio provides that. If you require a TFS repository, you do need Visual Studio as an IDE, as they are really tightly coupled and easy to do all your CI/CD. Lastly, if you use a version control other than TFS, then you may prefer a different IDE, like VS Code or an open-source IDE.
The main factor is going to come down to cost.
I would rate Microsoft Visual Studio an eight out of ten overall.
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.
CEO at Konus
Useful, easy to set up, and quick to deploy, but its user interface needs improvement
Pros and Cons
- "What I like the most about Microsoft Visual Studio is that it's useful. It's also a very stable solution, and is scalable as well. It's quick to set up as it only took me a few seconds to do it."
- "What I don't like about Microsoft Visual Studio is its user interface. It could be better. WebStorm is a better solution for me as it has a good user interface and is more user-friendly, though my friends like Microsoft Visual Studio. I worked with WebStorm for the web layer, and for the server layer, I worked with IBM Eclipse which is my favorite software. I also dealt with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS through Angular."
What is our primary use case?
I use Microsoft Visual Studio to develop software.
What is most valuable?
What I like the most about Microsoft Visual Studio is that it's useful. It's also a very stable solution, and is scalable as well. It's quick to set up as it only took me a few seconds to do it.
What needs improvement?
What I don't like about Microsoft Visual Studio is its user interface. It could be better. WebStorm is a better solution for me as it has a good user interface and is more user-friendly, though my friends like Microsoft Visual Studio. I worked with WebStorm for the web layer, and for the server layer, I worked with IBM Eclipse which is my favorite software. I also dealt with JavaScript, HTML, and CSS through Angular.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using Microsoft Visual Studio for four years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Microsoft Visual Studio is a very stable solution.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Microsoft Visual Studio is a scalable solution.
How are customer service and support?
We use the internet, for example, YouTube sites to solve issues about Microsoft Visual Studio. We don't contact their support team.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup for Microsoft Visual Studio wasn't complex. It was very easy. The process was easy to understand. It only took me five seconds to deploy Microsoft Visual Studio.
What about the implementation team?
I implemented Microsoft Visual Studio myself. You can do it in-house.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Microsoft Visual Studio is free. It's freeware, so you don't have to pay for its license.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I evaluated WebStorm, IBM Eclipse, and Angular.
What other advice do I have?
In my company, three users work with Microsoft Visual Studio.
I would recommend WebStorm to others, rather than Microsoft Visual Studio.
My rating for Microsoft Visual Studio is six out of ten, though my friends would probably rate the solution a ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.

Buyer's Guide
Download our free Microsoft Visual Studio Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.
Updated: May 2025
Product Categories
.NET Development ServicesPopular Comparisons
Microsoft Silverlight
SharePoint Designer
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Microsoft Visual Studio Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros
sharing their opinions.