Free Microsoft Visual Studio Alternatives

The best free alternative to Microsoft Visual Studio is VSCodium, which is also Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Microsoft Visual Studio and loads of them is free so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting free alternatives to Microsoft Visual Studio are Eclipse, Apache NetBeans, IntelliJ IDEA and PyCharm.

Microsoft Visual Studio 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 Microsoft Visual Studio.

Microsoft Visual Studio alternatives page was last updated

Microsoft Visual Studio

913

Free Personal • Proprietary
IDE

Microsoft Visual Studio is an integrated development environment (IDE) from Microsoft. It is used to develop computer...

More about Microsoft Visual Studio

VSCodium
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Code Editor
IDE
Text Editor
Mac
Windows
Linux
Electron / Atom Shell
182 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 Windows, Mac & Linux alternative to Microsoft Visual Studio.
- - VSCodium is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Microsoft Visual Studio.
Suggest and vote on features
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. LightweightVSCodium consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
8. Syntax HighlightingVSCodium supports syntax highlighting for various programming and markup languages.
9. Support for MarkDownVSCodium supports MarkDown for document formatting.
Prevent telemetry
Customizable
Git integration
MIT License
Minimap
Clean design
Support for Themes
Code Formatting
Support for 64 bit
C++
Comments about VSCodium as a Alternative to Microsoft Visual Studio
Most users think VSCodium is a great Microsoft Visual Studio alternative.
Guest
its the same but without the useless features that cause more harm than good
Positive comment•
3
Eclipse
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
IDE
Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
154 Eclipse alternatives
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...
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Eclipse Features
1. Extensible by Plugins/ExtensionsEclipse can be extended with add-ons, plugins and extensions.
2. AutocompletionEclipse can predict and complete the rest of a word or phrase you're typing.
3. PortableEclipse can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
4. Syntax HighlightingEclipse supports syntax highlighting for various programming and markup languages.
5. No registration requiredYou can use most of the features in Eclipse without registration.
6. Works OfflineEclipse can be used without the need to connect to the internet.
7. Spell CheckingEclipse can detect and correct all types of grammar and spelling mistakes.
8. Code FormattingEclipse supports code formatting for multiple languages and code styles.
9. Batch EditingEclipse allows you to select multiple items (tasks, files, images etc) and edit their properties all at once.
Java IDE
C++
Refactoring
Debugging
Ruby
Ad-free
Dark Mode
SCM Integration
Java based
Support for Themes
Comments about Eclipse as a Alternative to Microsoft Visual Studio
Most users think Eclipse is a great Microsoft Visual Studio alternative.
maurosoft391
hard to use and poorly designed
Negative comment•
2

Guest
Eclipse supports multiple languages, looks good too
Positive comment•
8

Guest
One is for Java and the other is for C#
Negative comment•
-38
Apache NetBeans
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
IDE
Code Editor
Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
104 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
Comments about Apache NetBeans as a Alternative to Microsoft Visual Studio
Most users think Apache NetBeans is a great Microsoft Visual Studio alternative.
Kristopher Kalish
NetBeans is an IDE, but it doesn't work for .NET languages so it's hard to call it a viable alternative.
Negative comment•
4

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 comment•
0

brandomettout
Free and Open Source Software. Changing leadership from Oracle to Apache Foundation.
Positive comment•
1

Guest
It's for MS-Windows, MacOSX and Linux too! You can make projects independent of the OS.
Positive comment•
-1
IntelliJ IDEA
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Freemium • Open Source
IDE
Code Editor
Mac
Windows
Linux
53 IntelliJ IDEA alternatives
IntelliJ IDEA is the leading integrated development environment that makes Java and Kotlin development a more productive and enjoyable experience. It helps you produce high-quality code more efficiently, provides everything you need out of the box, and takes care of routine...
Suggest and vote on features
IntelliJ IDEA Features
1. AutocompletionIntelliJ IDEA can predict and complete the rest of a word or phrase you're typing.
2. Dark ModeIntelliJ IDEA supports dark mode for comfortable usage in low light conditions.
3. Full-Text SearchIntelliJ IDEA lets you search for specific words or phrases from inside a document or database.
4. Syntax HighlightingIntelliJ IDEA supports syntax highlighting for various programming and markup languages.
5. Spell CheckingIntelliJ IDEA can detect and correct all types of grammar and spelling mistakes.
6. Support for ThemesYou can use themes and templates to change the look and feel of IntelliJ IDEA.
7. Extensible by Plugins/ExtensionsIntelliJ IDEA can be extended with add-ons, plugins and extensions.
8. No registration requiredYou can use most of the features in IntelliJ IDEA without registration.
9. WYSIWYG SupportIntelliJ IDEA integrates a WYSIWYG editor to edit the look and content of a document, page, or file.
Code Completion
Java IDE
Auto Correction
Go to definition
Language/SDK agnostic
Java Support
Static analysis
Graphical User Interface
Real time collaboration
Ad-free
Comments about IntelliJ IDEA as a Alternative to Microsoft Visual Studio
Some users think IntelliJ IDEA is a great Microsoft Visual Studio alternative, some don't.
Guest
This is only designed for Java not .net.
Negative comment•
10
PyCharm
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Freemium • Open Source
IDE
Code Editor
Text Editor
Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
73 PyCharm alternatives
Python and Django IDE with refactorings, code completion, on-the-fly code analysis and other features, including version control integration, deployment, integration with issue trackers, and remote debugging.
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PyCharm Features
1. Code FormattingPyCharm supports code formatting for multiple languages and code styles.
2. No registration requiredYou can use most of the features in PyCharm without registration.
3. Git SupportPyCharm supports Git, a free and open source distributed version control system.
4. File VersioningPyCharm has a version system that lets you view and go back to older versions of the project/file/document.
5. Support for LaTeXPyCharm supports LaTeX for text and math equation formatting.
6. Syntax HighlightingPyCharm supports syntax highlighting for various programming and markup languages.
7. Support for scriptingPyCharm supports scripts and macros to automate or customize tasks.
8. Command line interfacePyCharm either have CLI support or is a CLI-only app.
9. Spell CheckingPyCharm can detect and correct all types of grammar and spelling mistakes.
Code Completion
Python IDE
Refactoring
Embedded debugger
Compare Source Code
WYSIWYG Support
Ad-free
Live Preview
Dark Mode
WYSIWYG HTML Editor
Comments about PyCharm as a Alternative to Microsoft Visual Studio
Some users think PyCharm is a great Microsoft Visual Studio alternative, some don't.
Guest
It supports proper Python.
Positive comment•
0
Code::Blocks
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
IDE
Windows
Linux
BSD
60 Code::Blocks alternatives
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.
Suggest and vote on features
Code::Blocks Features
1. Extensible by Plugins/ExtensionsCode::Blocks can be extended with add-ons, plugins and extensions.
2. PortableCode::Blocks can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
3. No registration requiredYou can use most of the features in Code::Blocks without registration.
4. Support for scriptingCode::Blocks supports scripts and macros to automate or customize tasks.
C++
C support
Leadfeeder integration
Comments about Code::Blocks as a Alternative to Microsoft Visual Studio
Most users think Code::Blocks is a great Microsoft Visual Studio alternative.
Guest
Code::Blocks has 0.1% of the functionality of VS. It looks ugly as well.
Negative comment•
0

maurosoft391
windows forms are missing and it's poorly designed
Negative comment•
0

DayOS
It is faster than VS and the plugins make it a little better, but it doesn't look as good visually.
Positive comment•
-2

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 comment•
0
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.
Suggest and vote on features
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".

Comments about MonoDevelop as a Alternative to Microsoft Visual Studio
Almost everyone thinks MonoDevelop is a great Microsoft Visual Studio alternative.
all • positive • negative relevance • date
Guest
.NET functionality, good code recommendations
Top positive comment•
0

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 comment•
6

Guest
Has to be built from source before it'll run on Windows.
Top negative comment•
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 comment•
0

Guest
It provides not only the most similar interface but also the most similar tools
Positive comment•
-2

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