Microsoft offers two primary free versions of its development tools: and Visual Studio Code . While they share a similar name, they serve different purposes and have different licensing rules. 1. Visual Studio Community
Downloads of older SQL Server versions and other developer tools. Comparison at a Glance Visual Studio Community Visual Studio Code Lightweight Editor Cost Free (with licensing limits) Free for everyone Platforms Windows (Mac version retiring) Windows, Mac, Linux Best Language C#, C++, F#, VB.NET JS, Python, Go, PHP Project Size Large, complex solutions Modern web/scripting projects The Verdict: Which should you download? which visual studio is free
If you are part of a non-enterprise organization (defined as having fewer than 250 PCs or less than $1 million USD in annual revenue), up to five users can use Visual Studio Community. Building heavy .NET or C++ applications. Creating Windows desktop apps (WPF, WinForms). Game development with Unity or Unreal Engine . 2. Visual Studio Code (VS Code): The Lightweight Powerhouse Microsoft offers two primary free versions of its
Technical Research Division Date: April 14, 2026 Visual Studio Community Downloads of older SQL Server