Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a free source-code editor from Microsoft for Windows, macOS and Linux, with a browser version as well. It combines a fast editor with IntelliSense code completion, debugging, built-in Git, an integrated terminal and a large extension marketplace. Version 1.141 was released on 7 October 2026.

Microsoft develops VS Code in the open in the Code - OSS repository on GitHub, whose source code is available under the MIT licence. The Visual Studio Code product you download is a Microsoft distribution of that code with Microsoft-specific customisations, released under a Microsoft product licence. Recent releases put a lot of weight on AI agents and GitHub Copilot integration.

Key features

• IntelliSense. Context-aware code completion, parameter hints and navigation for many languages, extended by language extensions.
• Debugging and testing. A built-in debugger with breakpoints, call stacks and an interactive console.
• Source control. Built-in Git: stage changes, view diffs, commit and work with branches from the editor.
• Extensions. A marketplace of extensions for languages, linters, themes, frameworks and cloud services.
• Remote development. Work in code on remote machines over SSH or tunnels, inside Dev Containers, in WSL or in GitHub Codespaces.
• AI agents and Copilot. Chat and agent sessions with GitHub Copilot; version 1.141 adds a grid view for comparing agent sessions and sandboxing that limits agent file and network access.
• Integrated terminal. A terminal with shell integration inside the editor, plus themes, profiles and accessibility options.

Who it is for

VS Code is used by students, hobbyists, professional developers and data scientists, from a single person writing scripts to large teams that share recommended extensions and Dev Container settings. It is a common choice for web, JavaScript and TypeScript, Python and cloud work, and for teams that develop inside containers or on remote servers.

Pricing at a glance

VS Code itself is free to download and use. AI help through GitHub Copilot is a separate subscription from GitHub:

• Copilot Free: $0, with limited chat and agent use and 2,000 inline suggestions a month.
• Copilot Pro: $10 per month, with unlimited inline suggestions and $15 of GitHub AI Credits a month.
• Copilot Pro+: $39 per month, with $70 of AI Credits a month.
• Copilot Max: $100 per month, with $200 of AI Credits a month.

Prices as checked on 7 October 2026; confirm on the vendor's pricing page.

Things to consider

• The official build is released under a Microsoft product licence, not the MIT licence of the Code - OSS source; check the licence if this matters to your organisation.
• Much of the functionality comes from extensions, so quality and maintenance vary; review extensions before installing them on work machines.
• VS Code releases often, so features and settings change between versions; read the release notes when you update.
• It is a code editor, not a full IDE for every stack; some languages and platforms are better served by dedicated IDEs.

Getting started

1. Download VS Code for your operating system, or open the web version.
2. Open a project folder and install the extensions recommended for its language.
3. Work through the basics in the documentation.
4. Set up a debug configuration and run your code with breakpoints.
5. Connect your GitHub account if you want to use Copilot or Codespaces.