The Best Microsoft Visual Studio AlternativesTop IDEs & Code Editors like Microsoft Visual Studio

Microsoft Visual Studio is described as 'IDE used to create programs, apps, websites, and web services using various frameworks. It supports multiple languages and offers tools for coding, debugging, and design' and is a leading IDE in the development category. There are more than 100 alternatives to Microsoft Visual Studio for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Linux, Mac, BSD and Web-based apps. The best Microsoft Visual Studio alternative is Visual Studio Code, which is free. Other great apps like Microsoft Visual Studio are Eclipse, VSCodium, MonoDevelop and Code::Blocks.

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Microsoft Visual Studio alternatives are mainly IDEs but may also be Code Editors or Text Editors.  Filter by these or use the filter bar below if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of Microsoft Visual Studio.
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Microsoft Visual Studio is an IDE used to create programs, apps, websites, and web services using various frameworks. It supports multiple languages and offers tools for coding, debugging, and design.

More about Microsoft Visual Studio
Microsoft Visual Studio alternatives page was last updated Feb 27, 2025
  1. Visual Studio Code icon
     1306 likes

    Free and extensible code editor with built-in Git support, smart IntelliSense, integrated debugger, 30,000+ extensions, works offline, supports markdown and syntax highlighting for numerous languages.

    204 Visual Studio Code alternatives
    Visual Studio Code screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeProprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Chrome OS

    Properties

    1.  Customizable
    2.  Support for Themes

    Features

    1.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    2.  Autocompletion
    3.  Built-in terminal emulation
    4.  Syntax Highlighting
    5.  Code Completion
    6.  Multiple languages
    7. Git icon  Git Support
    8. GitHub icon  GitHub Integration
    9.  Dark Mode
    10.  Supports Python
    11.  Multiple Cursors
    12.  C++
    Visual Studio Code iconMicrosoft Visual Studio Icon

    Visual Studio Code VS Microsoft Visual Studio

    Is Visual Studio Code a good alternative to Microsoft Visual Studio?
     
    Comments about Visual Studio Code as an Alternative to Microsoft Visual Studio
     
       
    Comment summary: There is a consensus that Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is primarily a code editor rather than a full-fledged IDE like Microsoft Visual Studio. While it is lighter and more nimble, several users point out that it lacks certain capabilities of an IDE. However, others highlight its strengths, like being open-source and offering numerous extensions, making it versatile for smaller projects. Despite disagreements, some appreciate its plugin system which can expand its functionality significantly.
    Ola Johansson

    It's maybe not as capable as the real VS. But it's still a great environment and with a couple of extensions it can do a lot of things VS can.

    Top positive commentMay 29, 2019
    8
    Guest

    Visual Studio Code is a text editor based on electron.js just like Atom.

    Top negative commentJul 2, 2018
    27
    alfonsomozkoh

    Visual studio Code is not a IDE (Integrated Development Environment), it's a text and code editor. So it's more an alternative to Sublime text or Atom.

    Negative commentAug 5, 2020
    0
    Show more comments
    3 of 12 comments
    Microsoft Visual Studio Icon
    Visual Studio Code icon
    • Some users think Visual Studio Code is a great Microsoft Visual Studio alternative, some don't.

    • Visual Studio Code is the most popular Web-based, Windows, Mac & Linux alternative to Microsoft Visual Studio.

    • Visual Studio Code is the most popular free alternative to Microsoft Visual Studio.

    • Visual Studio Code is Free and ProprietaryMicrosoft Visual Studio is Free Personal and Proprietary
    • Visual Studio Code is CustomizableMicrosoft Visual Studio is not according to our users
  2. Eclipse icon
     1142 likes

    Eclipse is an extensible development platform with runtimes and application frameworks for building, deploying and managing software across the entire software lifecycle. Many people know Eclipse as a Java IDE, but it is much more than that- Eclipse actually consists of over 60...

    155 Eclipse alternatives
    eclipse on windows 10

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD

    Top Eclipse Features

    1.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    2.  Java IDE
    3.  C++
    4.  Refactoring
    5.  Autocompletion
    6.  Syntax Highlighting
    7.  Portable
    8.  No registration required
    9.  Code Formatting
    10.  Batch Editing
    11.  Works Offline
    12.  Spell Checking
    Eclipse iconMicrosoft Visual Studio Icon

    Eclipse VS Microsoft Visual Studio

    Is Eclipse a good alternative to Microsoft Visual Studio?
     
    Comments about Eclipse as an Alternative to Microsoft Visual Studio
     
    maurosoft391

    hard to use and poorly designed

    Negative commentAug 19, 2022
    2
    Guest

    Eclipse supports multiple languages, looks good too

    Positive commentDec 1, 2018
    8
    Guest

    One is for Java and the other is for C#

    Negative commentJul 29, 2016
    -38
    Microsoft Visual Studio Icon
    Eclipse icon
    • Most users think Eclipse is a great Microsoft Visual Studio alternative.

    • Eclipse is the most popular Open Source alternative to Microsoft Visual Studio.

    • Eclipse is Free and Open SourceMicrosoft Visual Studio is Free Personal and Proprietary
  3. VSCodium icon
     336 likes

    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.

    196 VSCodium alternatives
    VSCodium screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Electron

    Properties

    1.  Customizable
    2.  Privacy focused
    3.  Support for Themes

    Features

    1.  No Tracking
    2.  Prevent telemetry
    3.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    4.  Works Offline
    5.  No registration required
    6.  Autocompletion
    7.  MIT License
    8.  Dark Mode
    9. Git icon  Git integration
    10.  Syntax Highlighting
    11.  Ad-free
    12.  Minimap
    VSCodium iconMicrosoft Visual Studio Icon

    VSCodium VS Microsoft Visual Studio

    Is VSCodium a good alternative to Microsoft Visual Studio?
     
    Comments about VSCodium as an Alternative to Microsoft Visual Studio
     
    Guest

    its the same but without the useless features that cause more harm than good

    Positive commentNov 22, 2020
    3
    Microsoft Visual Studio Icon
    VSCodium icon
    • Most users think VSCodium is a great Microsoft Visual Studio alternative.

    • VSCodium is Free and Open SourceMicrosoft Visual Studio is Free Personal and Proprietary
    • VSCodium is Customizable and Privacy focusedMicrosoft Visual Studio is not according to our users
  4. MonoDevelop icon
     126 likes

    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.

    29 MonoDevelop alternatives
    MonoDevelop screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • .NET Framework
    • Xamarin Studio

    MonoDevelop Features

    1.  Syntax Highlighting
    2.  Code Completion
    3. Unity icon  Unity Integration
    4.  Visual Programming
    5.  NET Framework
    6.  Nuget
    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".

    MonoDevelop iconMicrosoft Visual Studio Icon

    MonoDevelop VS Microsoft Visual Studio

    Is MonoDevelop a good alternative to Microsoft Visual Studio?
     
    Comments about MonoDevelop as an Alternative to Microsoft Visual Studio
     
       
    Guest

    I've used MonoDevelop extensively for C# work in Linux. It can work with Visual Studio projects, and much of the shortcut key mappings match Visual Studio. Support for WinForms is available, but there is no viable GUI layout tool/functionality available. A pity that there's no XAML/WPF support under Linux....

    Top positive commentOct 19, 2017
    6
    Guest

    Has to be built from source before it'll run on Windows.

    Top negative commentJan 2, 2020
    8
    gnusensei

    MonoDevelop's GUI designer is admirable, I've tried it and impressed immediately with how easy and straightforward it to design a window by drag and drop. Try to compare it with Netbeans', Eclipse's or CodeBlocks' GUI designer you will know what I mean.

    Positive commentFeb 5, 2022
    0
    Show more comments
    3 of 7 comments
    Microsoft Visual Studio Icon
    MonoDevelop icon
    • Almost everyone thinks MonoDevelop is a great Microsoft Visual Studio alternative.

    • MonoDevelop is Free and Open SourceMicrosoft Visual Studio is Free Personal and Proprietary
  5. Code::Blocks icon
     253 likes

    Code::Blocks is a free C++ IDE built to meet the most demanding needs of its users. It is designed to be very extensible and fully configurable.

    59 Code::Blocks alternatives
    Code::Blocks screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD

    Code::Blocks Features

    1.  C++
    2.  C support
    3.  No registration required
    4.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    5.  Portable
    6.  Support for scripting
    7.  Leadfeeder integration
    Code::Blocks iconMicrosoft Visual Studio Icon

    Code::Blocks VS Microsoft Visual Studio

    Is Code::Blocks a good alternative to Microsoft Visual Studio?
     
    Comments about Code::Blocks as an Alternative to Microsoft Visual Studio
     
       
    maurosoft391

    windows forms are missing and it's poorly designed

    Negative commentAug 19, 2022
    0
    Guest

    Code::Blocks has 0.1% of the functionality of VS. It looks ugly as well.

    Negative commentSep 7, 2020
    0
    gnusensei

    Faster, smaller, and able to make graphical desktop applications by adding GUI designer plugin wxSmith for C++ language and wxWidgets framework. Also, CodeBlocks is cross platform.

    Positive commentFeb 5, 2022
    0
    Show more comments
    3 of 4 comments
    Microsoft Visual Studio Icon
    Code::Blocks icon
    • Most users think Code::Blocks is a great Microsoft Visual Studio alternative.

    • Code::Blocks is Free and Open SourceMicrosoft Visual Studio is Free Personal and Proprietary
  6. Apache NetBeans icon
     739 likes

    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...

    104 Apache NetBeans alternatives
    Editor

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD

    Top Apache NetBeans Features

    1.  Java IDE
    2.  Refactoring
    3.  Code Formatting
    4. Git icon  Git Support
    5.  Embedded debugger
    6.  Built-in terminal emulation
    7.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    8.  Syntax Highlighting
    9.  Simple installation
    10.  Code Completion
    11.  PHP IDE
    12.  Multiple languages
    Apache NetBeans iconMicrosoft Visual Studio Icon

    Apache NetBeans VS Microsoft Visual Studio

    Is Apache NetBeans a good alternative to Microsoft Visual Studio?
     
    Comments about Apache NetBeans as an Alternative to Microsoft Visual Studio
     
       
    brandomettout

    Free and Open Source Software. Changing leadership from Oracle to Apache Foundation.

    Top positive commentJun 3, 2017
    1
    Kris Regina

    It's not for dotNET languages.

    Top negative commentFeb 27, 2025
    0
    gnusensei

    Netbeans includes built-in GUI designer with drag and drop ability to create desktop applications and they can run on Windows as well as GNU/Linux and macOS.

    Positive commentFeb 5, 2022
    0
    Show more comments
    3 of 5 comments
    Microsoft Visual Studio Icon
    Apache NetBeans icon
    • Most users think Apache NetBeans is a great Microsoft Visual Studio alternative.

    • Apache NetBeans is Free and Open SourceMicrosoft Visual Studio is Free Personal and Proprietary
  7. Qt Creator icon
     108 likes

    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.

    135 Qt Creator alternatives
    Qt Creator screenshot 1

    License model

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD

    Qt Creator Features

    1.  Autocompletion
    2.  Ad-free
    3.  Syntax Highlighting
    4.  Works Offline
    5.  Code Formatting
    6.  C++
    7.  QT Based
    8.  Visual studio intergration
    9.  Debugging
    10.  Refactoring
    Qt Creator iconMicrosoft Visual Studio Icon

    Qt Creator VS Microsoft Visual Studio

    Is Qt Creator a good alternative to Microsoft Visual Studio?
     
    Comments about Qt Creator as an Alternative to Microsoft Visual Studio
     
       
    Guest

    Found everything in Qt Creator for Linux that is in VS for Windows.

    Top positive commentJan 22, 2017
    3
    Guest

    It has A lot of really use full tools and you can install many extensions and even support for other programming languages then python,c++ etc

    Positive commentFeb 5, 2020
    1
    ichimitch

    Does not support C# as they believe "it is not widely used enough" pfft

    Negative commentMar 31, 2019
    -5
    Show more comments
    3 of 5 comments
    Microsoft Visual Studio Icon
    Qt Creator icon
    • Almost everyone thinks Qt Creator is a great Microsoft Visual Studio alternative.

    • Qt Creator is the most popular commercial alternative to Microsoft Visual Studio.

    • Qt Creator is Paid and Open SourceMicrosoft Visual Studio is Free Personal and Proprietary
7 of 108 Microsoft Visual Studio alternatives