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What is Visual Studio Code?

Visual Studio Code is a code editor developed by Microsoft that runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. This open-source software provides developers working with JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, C++, and more with features such as code completion and debugging using built-in Git commands..

Who Uses Visual Studio Code?

Visual Studio Code helps developers, programmers, software engineers, web developers, and students run, debug, and edit codes.

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Reviews of Visual Studio Code

Average score

Overall
4.8
Ease of Use
4.6
Customer Service
4.2
Features
4.7
Value for Money
4.8

Reviews by company size (employees)

  • <50
  • 51-200
  • 201-1,000
  • >1,001
Vasilis
Vasilis
Web Developer in Greece
Verified LinkedIn User
Information Technology & Services, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

A superstar editor which sometimes shows that's still too young.

5.0 3 weeks ago New

Comments: The overall experience with Visual Studio Code is very positive but most of the time I find my self missing the maturity of other heavier IDEs.

Pros:

It's lightweight with basic features but if you want to extend it to fit your needs there are tons of plugins you can use. The community around Visual Studio Code has become huge. Almost every developer out there uses it.

Cons:

Sometimes I feel that the developer experience is not optimal when using Visual Studio Code. Especially when I compare it with some other legendary IDEs. I wish it had more features pre-installed, like for example code formatting, database GUI, ftp connections etc.

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Computer Software, 1,001–5,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Well-designed for developers

5.0 4 weeks ago New

Comments: I really enjoy using VS Code for coding. The start was not as straightforward as other coding environment, but over time, I realized how powerful it is and it is truly a coding environment designed for developers.

Pros:

A light-weight, all-in-one integrated development environment that makes my coding life efficient

Cons:

There are a lot of features that can be confusing. Once you are familiar with them, you will realize how powerful VSCode is

Yusril
Game Designer in Indonesia
E-Learning, 501–1,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Best Text Editor for Developer

3.0 last year

Pros:

easy to use, user-friendly UI, and integrated with many plugins.

Cons:

not stable with plugin version, big size plugin size

Arpon
Executive Manger. in Bangladesh
Computer Software, 201–500 Employees
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Versatile, Powerful, and Customizable

5.0 4 months ago

Comments: My overall experience with Visual Studio Code has been highly positive. It's a lightweight yet feature-rich code editor that supports multiple programming languages and provides an excellent development environment for both small projects and large-scale applications. The ease of installing and managing extensions allows you to tailor it to your specific needs, and the integrated Git support makes version control seamless. Its user interface is intuitive, and productivity-enhancing features like IntelliSense, debugging, and code refactoring tools make coding more efficient. However, with many extensions running simultaneously, it can become resource-intensive. Still, its versatility and powerful features far outweigh this minor drawback, making it a go-to editor for most development needs.

Pros:

I like most about Visual Studio Code is its flexibility and customization options. It's lightweight yet powerful, supporting a wide range of programming languages through extensions. Features like IntelliSense, Git integration, and an extensive plugin ecosystem make it great for both beginners and professionals, offering smooth workflows across different types of projects. The interface is clean, and the real-time collaboration tools are useful for team projects.

Cons:

I like least about Visual Studio Code is that it can sometimes become resource-intensive, especially when using multiple extensions. This can cause the editor to lag or slow down on less powerful machines. Additionally, its built-in terminal, while useful, isn't as robust as standalone terminal applications, and managing extensions can sometimes be overwhelming due to the sheer volume available. Despite these, it's still a highly functional and versatile tool.

Ed
Service Desk Manager in US
Construction, 501–1,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

VS Code Makes Plaintext Pleasant

5.0 2 weeks ago New

Comments: Visual Studio Code is our preferred text editor due to the support it has for virtually all plaintext documents and language tools.

Pros:

The open-source extensions and community support.

Cons:

It takes a bit of customization for less supported languages to run, but works very well after.

bruno
ceo in Luxembourg
Computer Software, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

VS code review

5.0 last month New

Comments: Working more than 10 years with this IDE, a lot of custumization and extensions allow the be one of the best IDE on the market

Pros:

It is a great tool, with for example a mutli language support, I'm working with serveral language and it is very usefuel to stay in the same interface There is also a lot of custimuzaiton and extensions which allow me to enhance the power of it

Cons:

the learning curve can be difficult because of the multitude of features which is difficult for beginner

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Computer Software, 201–500 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Best Software for Coding in Web Development

5.0 last month New

Comments: I have very good experience with this we can easily mange code and also manage version control . easily find thing in overall project actully It is provide so work friendly environment.

Pros:

first of all UI is so friendly and installed extension of related to coding. now if taking about the coding experience is so smooth easy to maintain code.

Cons:

nothing to dislike because personally I am working with this from last 3 years and getting my work so easy using this.

Prakash
Software Engineer in Nepal
Computer Software, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Visual Studio Code: My Go-To Editor

5.0 2 weeks ago New

Comments: My overall experience with Visual Studio Code has been positive. I started using it as a student and continue to rely on it in my professional journey. It has become my go-to editor.

Pros:

I have been using Visual Studio Code for over four years. Although it's a lightweight code editor, it can be configured to deliver IDE-like features using its extensions system.

Cons:

It can become sluggish when working with very large projects.

Khaled
Software Engineer in US
Information Technology & Services, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Best compatible browser for every coders.

5.0 2 months ago New

Comments: VS Code has empowered me to learn and experiment with new programming languages and technologies, thanks to its extensive library of extensions and resources.

Pros:

I appreciate the cross-platform compatibility of VS Code; it works seamlessly on Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it perfect for any developer.

Cons:

Occasionally, I encounter conflicts between extensions, which can be frustrating to troubleshoot.

Vaja
Frontend engineer in India
Information Technology & Services, 51–200 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

My personal and professional experience working with visual studio code

5.0 last month New

Pros:

It gives us so much ability work with different programming language support and we can customise it as our need for the user experience and it comes with many different extentions for different use cases

Cons:

It does not provide much support for refactoring code when it comes to language like java or like when refactoring object oriented programming languages

Ramu
Embedded engineer in India
Aviation & Aerospace, 10,000+ Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Best lite tool for source code management

4.0 12 months ago

Comments: It’s fabulous application that works on both windows and linux

Pros:

Easy to use interface Portability with any os Good themes Good inbuilt extensions Code highlighting Auto code snippet Good colours Inbuilt terminals Debugging tools Compilation kits Error highlighting Search capabilities Version control Line ,column selection numbers Split terminals Overall it’s a great lite weight highly useful application

Cons:

It has less provision to setting debuggers to use for projects.it needed good debugging capability.

Chai
Chai
Python developer in Thailand
Verified LinkedIn User
Construction, 201–500 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Simple and highly customizable editor

5.0 last year

Pros:

Ease of use and wide range of extensions allow setting it up very quickly on an advanced level. Synchronization is very handy sometimes too.

Cons:

Sometimes plugins don't work correctly or you have to customize them manually. And it requires a good computer to run on, as it is written in JavaScript.

Seif
Flutter instructor at MSB in Egypt
Program Development, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

My experience using Visual Studio Code

4.0 7 months ago

Comments: Overall, I find Visual Studio Code to be a powerful and flexible tool that suits programmers of all levels. Its multiple features and extensive integrations make it the ideal choice for many programming projects, from simple to complex. I highly recommend it to any programmer looking for a reliable and customizable code editor.

Pros:

Visual Studio Code is easy to use and customize, supports a wide range of programming languages, has built-in Git integration, benefits from a large community, and receives regular updates.

Cons:

It can consume system resources when running multiple extensions, and the initial setup might take some time to adjust to personal needs.

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Computer Software, 501–1,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

User friendly code editor with amazing featuers

5.0 10 months ago

Comments: Visual Studio Code has been the only code editor I have used since 2020 when I started learning to code. I have never had issues with this editor and its simplicity and at the same time its complexity has allowed me to learn a lot about programming, source code managing, version control, and more. I've tried Visual Studio Code on Windows and Linux (Ubuntu) and I had zero issues on both OS.

Pros:

You can integrate it wih anything you like: plugins, themes, extensions etc. You can manage versions of your project integrating Git and GitHub. You can customize the UI with the hundreds of plugins available. One of my favorite features is "Open with VS Code" so you can open up your folders/files directly with Visual Studio Code.

Cons:

The bug tracking feature still confuses me and I have not been able to use it at its finest.

Claudio
Embedded Software Engineer in Italy
Wireless, 51–200 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

VS Code review

5.0 last year

Comments: Personally, VS Code has almost no weak points.
It is a very powerful, light-weight Software which facilitates users in programming at any language, with a user-friendly interface, a clear window organization, a fast research algorithm, together with the possibility of integrating external software engines through the usage of extensions

Pros:

What I really like about VS Code is the possibility of programming and, at the same time, exploiting external software engines through the usage of very powerful extensions. Without doubt, the best feature is the SSH extension, which allows an ssh access to remote servers

Cons:

Perhaps, a possible feature that VS Code might improve should be

Michael
Michael
Customer Support Manager in UK
Verified LinkedIn User
Media Production, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Unless your code NEEDS a specific IDE, Visual Studio Code is the way forward.

5.0 last year

Comments: Most of the team have been using VSC since they started learning to code, and those that predate it's release have all had really positive things to say about switching.

Pros:

Switching between languages is a breeze, it recognises the language and swaps the markups automatically. Combined with the stellar third party plugin market. VSC is now the companies preferred IDE.

Cons:

The only thing we haven't enjoyed in the web version. This was easily mitigated by installing it locally on our laptops. I'm sure the web client will be great in the coming years, but for now, we're happy to have it running locally.

Peter
Software engineer in Kenya
Computer Software, 10,000+ Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

"MY CODE MANAGER"

4.0 7 months ago

Comments: Vs code has helped me complete many projects within the time frame set for me,it motivates me to create more and more projects using it as my partner in this. Full stars to VS code.

Pros:

Visual studio has an organized dashboard enabling easy navigation from one point to another, It is also easy to work with since it has extensions that make work easier and faster. It works as my partner in coding by highlighting error codes making it easy to me to identify and rectify them. VS code has made coding easier.

Cons:

It is a little challenging to work with for beginners but once you get used to it, it's the best

GABRIELE
Founder, FullStack Developer in Sweden
Alternative Medicine, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Still the best IDE on the market

5.0 5 months ago

Comments: The only IDE I use, even thought there are some upcoming fiery competitors

Pros:

It is the best IDE out there (in my opinion and I've tried many). Unfortunately it is a Microsoft product, so I'm sure sooner or later they'll find the way to ruin it, like the did with many other product they acquired (Skype, Linkedin, etc.). But for now it is still amazing.

Cons:

Too many yearly updates and lots of uncertainty about how data protection and data management is really implemented.

Donald
Executive Technical Director in US
Construction, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

My Overall Experience with VSC

5.0 6 months ago

Comments: Running, editing and debugging codes is made easy by Visual Studio Code.

Pros:

Visual Studio Code allocates builtin Git commands capabilities which makes it easy to develop codes.

Cons:

Whenever I encounter issues, vendor technical team offers free support rapidly.

Gagan
Associate Software Developer in India
Computer Software, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Easy to use product with support of multiple extensions and plugins

5.0 7 months ago

Comments: My overall experience while using Visual Studio Code was quite amazing. The various customizations and supports multiple plugins and extension which makes it easier to use.

Pros:

The best thing about Visual Studio Code is that it provides a lot of extensions and plugins which makes it easier to write code. Its user interface is also quite appealing which makes it engaging.

Cons:

Visual Studio Code requires a system with decent or good specs, while using it in systems with low specs it does not works efficiently.

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
E-Learning, 10,000+ Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

VS Code Review

5.0 12 months ago

Pros:

1. VS Code is very easy to use and very user friendly. 2. It provides an excellent support for a wide range of programming languages. It includes syntax highlighting, autocompletion etc. 3. The built-in Git support, terminals and extensions help the developers and coders to code smoothly, without any problem. 4. It's also a very lightweight editor that launches quickly and doesn't consume excessive RAM & ROM.

Cons:

I personally don't like the initial setup of VS Code. Also the it has huge options that sometimes make me confused.

Wayne
Software Developer in US
Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

The best IDE in the world.

5.0 6 months ago

Comments: My experience with Visual Studio Code has been wonderful, cutting my development time in half.

Pros:

Easily link and use data resources, allowing seamless development.

Cons:

Organization of tools and functionality.

Marc
Software engineer in US
Apparel & Fashion, 10,000+ Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Best IDE for front end

5.0 6 months ago

Pros:

It has all the plugins you need to make your workflow run smoothly

Cons:

It can be pretty heavy on my graphics card when I’m working on larger files and projects

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Computer Software, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

vscode is the best code editor

4.0 last year

Comments: After two years of consistent use, I can confidently say that my overall experience with VSCode has been highly positive.

Pros:

The best thing I appreciate about VSCode is how effortlessly it can be utilized and personalized. Its user-friendly interface and intuitive design make navigation and coding a breeze, even for those new to the editor

Cons:

While there's a lot to appreciate about VSCode, one aspect that can occasionally be frustrating is its extension system and the associated reload issue.

Emanuele
Emanuele
Consultant / developer in Italy
Verified LinkedIn User
Information Technology & Services, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

An editor you can make what you want

5.0 last year

Comments: I tried different editor before setting to VS Code, in my opinion it is the best compromise between lightness, features and possibility of customization. You can use as a lightweight text editor or as a fully IDE via extensions. With WSL2 integration, for me it is a must on Windows os.

Pros:

I use Visual Studio Code for web development on a daily basis, using the docker engine on the Windows Subsystem for Linux. It integrates well with Docker and Docker Compose and all the languages I need are fully supported. It launches very fast with about 15 extensions enabled, so you can use it to quickly open some text files in your system as well. I can customize everything I need in the UI (natively or through extensions), so it's an editor that everyone can adapt to their needs

Cons:

Using the remote server in the WSL2, you find yourself at having two different set of extensions enabled, one set locally and the other one on the remote server.