What are the Differences Between Visual Studio Code and Visual Studio?

Visual Studio Code and Visual Studio are two of the most popular editors used by developers today. Both tools are powerful, feature-rich and offer a wide range of functionality. But what are the differences between them and which one should you choose? This article will answer these questions and provide a comprehensive comparison between Visual Studio Code and Visual Studio.

Visual Studio Code Features

Visual Studio Code is a lightweight, fast and open-source code editor that has a growing community of developers behind it. It has a wide range of features that make it suitable for a variety of development tasks. Some of its key features include:

  • IntelliSense: Visual Studio Code provides smart code completions based on variables, functions, and modules.
  • Git integration: The Git version control system is integrated into Visual Studio Code, making it easy to manage your source code.
  • Debugging: Visual Studio Code has a powerful debugging engine that allows you to step through your code, set breakpoints, and inspect variables.
  • Extensibility: Visual Studio Code has a large and growing library of extensions that add new functionality to the IDE.

Visual Studio Features

Visual Studio is a full-featured IDE that offers a comprehensive set of tools for developers. Some of its key features include:

  • Code analysis: Visual Studio includes a code analysis engine that checks your code for potential issues and helps you fix them.
  • Advanced debugging: Visual Studio provides a more advanced debugging experience than Visual Studio Code, including features such as debugging multiple processes, debugging in the cloud, and debugging server-side code.
  • Team collaboration: Visual Studio includes a range of team collaboration features that make it easier to work with other developers on a project.
  • Deployment: Visual Studio includes a range of tools for deploying your applications, including the ability to publish to the cloud.

Comparable Table

FeatureVisual StudioVisual Studio Code
Editor TypeFull-Featured IDELightweight Code Editor
More suitable for.NET Framework, C++, C#, ASP.NET Web, ASP.NET Web APi and Xamarin projectsWeb based projects on React, Angular, Node.js and other
CrossplatformWindows, macOS, LinuxWindows, macOS, Linux
Min System Requirments1.8 GHz, Min 4 GB RAM, 20-50 GB Free space1.6 GHz, Min 1 GB RAM, 500 MB Free Space
Template OrientationOriented to open project and solutionsOriented to open project directories
Unit Test and DebuggingVisual Studio has its own tools to manage rich debugging and unit testing.VS Code requires finding extensions to make debugging and unit testing similar to Visual Studio.
Competitors/AlternativesJet Brains RiderAtom, Electron, Sublime Text
PricingDepends on plan, for example Professional Subscription can cost $1199 per yearOpen source and free of cost

Visual Studio vs Visual Studio Code – Compare Screenshots

Compare menu possibilities. Click on screenshot to open it on a new tab.

Visual Studio -> Tools -> Options

Visualt Studio Options

Visual Studio Code -> File -> Preference -> Settings

VS Code Settings List

Create the .NET Console Application in the Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code.

Visual Studio -> File-> New Project -> Select the Console App template

New Console Application

Visual Studio Code -> Open Terminal-> Execute: “dotnet new console –framework net7.0

VS Code New Console App Example

Final Word – What to Choose?

Both Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code are powerful and feature-rich IDEs that offer a range of functionality. The choice between the two will depend on your specific needs as a developer. If you need a more comprehensive development environment, with support for a wide range of programming languages and technologies, then Visual Studio may be the better choice. On the other hand, if you need a fast, efficient and extensible code editor, then Visual Studio Code is the way to go. For my personal opinion, if I need a web project written on Angular/React I choose Visual Studio Code and if I need a C# Web API project I choose Visual Studio.

You may also be interested to read my articles:

Leave a Comment