Visual Studio Express AlternativesIDEs and other similar apps like Visual Studio Express

Visual Studio Express is described as 'Microsoft Visual Studio Express is a set of integrated development environments developed by Microsoft as a freeware and registerware function-limited version of the non-free Microsoft Visual Studio. Express editions started with Visual Studio 2005' and is a IDE in the development category. There are more than 25 alternatives to Visual Studio Express for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Mac, Linux,.NET Framework and Web-based apps. The best Visual Studio Express alternative is Visual Studio Code, which is free. Other great apps like Visual Studio Express are VSCodium, Microsoft Visual Studio, Apache NetBeans and Qt Creator.

Visual Studio Express alternatives are mainly IDEs but may also be Code Editors or Text Editors. Filter by these if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of Visual Studio Express.

Visual Studio Express

Free • Proprietary
IDE

Microsoft Visual Studio Express is a set of integrated development environments developed by Microsoft as a freeware and...

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Visual Studio Code
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Proprietary
Code Editor
Text Editor
IDE
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Chrome OS
193 Visual Studio Code alternatives
Visual Studio Code is a free and extensible code editor for building web, desktop, and mobile applications, using any programming language and framework.
- - Visual Studio Code is the most popular Web-based, Windows, Mac & Linux alternative to Visual Studio Express.
- - Visual Studio Code is the most popular free alternative to Visual Studio Express.
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Visual Studio Code Features
1. Extensible by Plugins/ExtensionsVisual Studio Code can be extended with add-ons, plugins and extensions.
2. AutocompletionVisual Studio Code can predict and complete the rest of a word or phrase you're typing.
3. Syntax HighlightingVisual Studio Code supports syntax highlighting for various programming and markup languages.
4. Git SupportVisual Studio Code supports Git, a free and open source distributed version control system.
5. Support for ThemesYou can use themes and templates to change the look and feel of Visual Studio Code.
6. Dark ModeVisual Studio Code supports dark mode for comfortable usage in low light conditions.
7. Support for MarkDownVisual Studio Code supports MarkDown for document formatting.
8. WYSIWYG HTML EditorVisual Studio Code allows you to make and preview changes to an application or website in real time, without needing to know code.
9. WYSIWYG SupportVisual Studio Code integrates a WYSIWYG editor to edit the look and content of a document, page, or file.
Customizable
Built-in terminal emulation
Code Completion
Multiple languages
GitHub integration
Supports Python
C++
Source code debugging
Graphical User Interface
Auto Update
VSCodium
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Code Editor
Text Editor
IDE
Mac
Windows
Linux
Electron / Atom Shell
184 VSCodium alternatives
This repository contains a build file to generate FLOSS release binaries of Microsoft's Visual Studio Code - Open Source ("Code - OSS") project, the open source core of the proprietary Visual Studio Code.
- - VSCodium is the most popular Open Source alternative to Visual Studio Express.
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VSCodium Features
1. No TrackingVSCodium will not track you or use your personal data.
2. Privacy focusedVSCodium is considered a privacy friendly alternative.
3. Extensible by Plugins/ExtensionsVSCodium can be extended with add-ons, plugins and extensions.
4. Works OfflineVSCodium can be used without the need to connect to the internet.
5. AutocompletionVSCodium can predict and complete the rest of a word or phrase you're typing.
6. No registration requiredYou can use most of the features in VSCodium without registration.
7. Syntax HighlightingVSCodium supports syntax highlighting for various programming and markup languages.
8. Dark ModeVSCodium supports dark mode for comfortable usage in low light conditions.
9. Support for ThemesYou can use themes and templates to change the look and feel of VSCodium.
Prevent telemetry
Customizable
Git integration
MIT License
Minimap
Lightweight
Clean design
Support for MarkDown
Code navigation
Git Support
Microsoft Visual Studio
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free Personal • Proprietary
IDE
Code Editor
Mac
Windows
Online
.NET Framework
105 Microsoft Visual Studio alternatives
Microsoft Visual Studio is an integrated development environment (IDE) from Microsoft. It is used to develop computer programs for Microsoft Windows, as well as web sites, web applications and web services.
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Microsoft Visual Studio Features
1. Syntax HighlightingMicrosoft Visual Studio supports syntax highlighting for various programming and markup languages.
2. Extensible by Plugins/ExtensionsMicrosoft Visual Studio can be extended with add-ons, plugins and extensions.
3. Ad-freeMicrosoft Visual Studio doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
4. Works OfflineMicrosoft Visual Studio can be used without the need to connect to the internet.
5. AutocompletionMicrosoft Visual Studio can predict and complete the rest of a word or phrase you're typing.
6. No registration requiredYou can use most of the features in Microsoft Visual Studio without registration.
Code Completion
Embedded debugger
NET Support
Nuget
C-sharp
NET Framework
C support
VB.NET support
Exe Compiler
Color coding
Apache NetBeans
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
IDE
Code Editor
Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
105 Apache NetBeans alternatives
A free, open-source Integrated Development Environment for software developers. You get all the tools you need to create professional desktop, enterprise, web, and mobile applications with the Java language, C/C++, and even dynamic languages such as PHP, JavaScript, Groovy, and...
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Apache NetBeans Features
1. Code FormattingApache NetBeans supports code formatting for multiple languages and code styles.
2. Git SupportApache NetBeans supports Git, a free and open source distributed version control system.
3. Extensible by Plugins/ExtensionsApache NetBeans can be extended with add-ons, plugins and extensions.
4. Syntax HighlightingApache NetBeans supports syntax highlighting for various programming and markup languages.
Java IDE
Refactoring
Embedded debugger
Built-in terminal emulation
Simple installation
Code Completion
PHP IDE
Multiple languages
Compiled Language
Support for FTP
Qt Creator
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Paid • Open Source
IDE
Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
136 Qt Creator alternatives
Qt Creator is a cross-platform integrated development environment (IDE) built for the maximum developer experience. Qt Creator runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS desktop operating systems and allows developers to create software across desktop, mobile, and embedded platforms.
- - Qt Creator is the most popular commercial alternative to Visual Studio Express.
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Qt Creator Features
1. AutocompletionQt Creator can predict and complete the rest of a word or phrase you're typing.
2. Ad-freeQt Creator doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
3. Syntax HighlightingQt Creator supports syntax highlighting for various programming and markup languages.
4. Works OfflineQt Creator can be used without the need to connect to the internet.
5. Code FormattingQt Creator supports code formatting for multiple languages and code styles.
C++
QT Based
Build system
Visual studio intergration
Debugging
Refactoring
MonoDevelop
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Mac
Windows
Linux
.NET Framework
Xamarin Studio
29 MonoDevelop alternatives
MonoDevelop enables developers to write desktop and web applications on Linux, Windows and Mac OS X. It also makes it easy to port .NET applications created with Visual Studio to Linux and Mac OS X maintaining a single code base for all platforms.
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MonoDevelop Features
1. Syntax HighlightingMonoDevelop supports syntax highlighting for various programming and markup languages.
Code Completion
Unity Integration
NET Framework
Nuget
Visual Programming
Discontinued
As of October 2021, the GitHub repository README has been updated to say "This project has not been built nor maintained since January 2020 and has been archived".
SharpDevelop
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
IDE
Windows
.NET Framework
26 SharpDevelop alternatives
#develop (short for SharpDevelop) is a free IDE for C#, VB.NET and Boo projects on Microsoft's .NET platform. It is open-source, and you can download both sourcecode and executables.
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SharpDevelop Features
C-sharp
NET Framework
GUI Designer
Nuget
C# Scripting
Discontinued
Unfortunately SharpDevelop has been discontinued. It is still a viable alternative for VS for versions until 2016, but it doesn't support C# 7.0 as VS 2017 does. See details: http://www.icsharpcode.net/OpenSource/SD/WhatsNew.aspx
Komodo IDE
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
IDE
Mac
Windows
Linux
77 Komodo IDE alternatives
Code smarter and faster with Komodo IDE, the cross-platform professional development environment for dynamic languages and open technologies. Komodo's award-winning feature set includes standard editor functionality like code formatting, commenting, auto-indent and syntax...
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Komodo IDE Features
1. Syntax HighlightingKomodo IDE supports syntax highlighting for various programming and markup languages.
2. Extensible by Plugins/ExtensionsKomodo IDE can be extended with add-ons, plugins and extensions.
3. AutocompletionKomodo IDE can predict and complete the rest of a word or phrase you're typing.
Multiple Cursors
Code Completion
Python IDE
Package Control
Customizable
Debugging
Embedded debugger
B4X
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Freemium • Proprietary
IDE
Android Development Tool
Windows
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
96 B4X alternatives
Cross platform development tools for native iOS, Android, desktop and server applications. B4X is a Rapid Application Development (RAD) tool for real world apps. The programming language is a modern version of Visual Basic.
- - B4X is the most popular Android, iPhone, iPad & Android Tablet alternative to Visual Studio Express.
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B4X Features
1. AutocompletionB4X can predict and complete the rest of a word or phrase you're typing.
2. Syntax HighlightingB4X supports syntax highlighting for various programming and markup languages.
3. Code FormattingB4X supports code formatting for multiple languages and code styles.
4. Works OfflineB4X can be used without the need to connect to the internet.
5. Dark ModeB4X supports dark mode for comfortable usage in low light conditions.
6. Ad-freeB4X doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
Multiplatform
Code Completion
Native Java Libraries
Rad
LiveCode
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Paid • Proprietary
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
Self-Hosted
Software as a Service (SaaS)
24 LiveCode alternatives
It is Both Under the GPL and it is also Proprietary if using the GPL version the software you make is required to be under the GPL.
- - LiveCode is the most popular SaaS & Self-Hosted alternative to Visual Studio Express.
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LiveCode Features
Live editing
GPLv3
Gambas
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
IDE
Linux
15 Gambas alternatives
Gambas is a full-featured object language and development environment built on a BASIC interpreter. It is released under the GNU General Public Licence. Its architecture is largely inspired by Java. Gambas is made up of: a compiler, an interpreter, an archiver, a scripter, a...
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Gambas Features
GUI Designer
Zend Studio
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Paid • Proprietary
Code Editor
Mac
Windows
Linux
40 Zend Studio alternatives
Zend Studio for Eclipse combines proven capabilities to create the world’s most powerful IDE for Rich Internet Applications (RIAs). Studio's powerful developer tools combined with Adobe Flex Builder and integration with Zend Framework lets developers build RIAs faster and...
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Zend Studio Features
Ruby