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# Visual Studio Code vs Xcode Comparison - What are their main differences?

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Visual Studio CodeXcode[+ Add Product](#)

Reviews

**Visual Studio Code** [

4.7/5(2,740)

](https://www.g2.com/products/visual-studio-code/reviews#reviews)

**Xcode** [

4.2/5(1,042)

](https://www.g2.com/products/xcode/reviews#reviews)

Pricing

**Visual Studio Code**
No pricing available

**Xcode**
No pricing available

**Pricing Insights**
from reviews

Time to Implement

**Visual Studio Code**
2 monthsFaster

Based on 64 responses

**Xcode**
3 months

Based on 39 responses

Return on Investment

**Visual Studio Code**
13 months

Based on 48 responses

**Xcode**
9 months4 months sooner

Based on 33 responses

Perceived Cost

**Visual Studio Code**
$$$$$

**Xcode**
$$$$$

Average Discount

**Visual Studio Code**
19%11% more

**Xcode**
8%

Pros & Cons

**Visual Studio Code**
[
Ease of Use (112)
](https://www.g2.com/products/visual-studio-code/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1430770&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Extensions (95)
](https://www.g2.com/products/visual-studio-code/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1430742&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Extension Issues (67)
](https://www.g2.com/products/visual-studio-code/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1429876&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Slow Performance (37)
](https://www.g2.com/products/visual-studio-code/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1428647&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)

**Xcode**
[
Ease of Use (36)
](https://www.g2.com/products/xcode/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1662846&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
App Development (25)
](https://www.g2.com/products/xcode/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1664779&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Slow Performance (17)
](https://www.g2.com/products/xcode/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1662873&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)[
Performance Issues (15)
](https://www.g2.com/products/xcode/reviews?filters%5Bsentiment_snippet%5D=1664721&qs=pros-and-cons#reviews)

Integrations

**Visual Studio Code**
[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_0ef656e3330e2a5b8e59939185859257/1password.png "Product Avatar Image")

1Password

](https://www.g2.com/products/1password/reviews)[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_500f006999599d70e6215663a9c124c4/amazon-q-developer.jpg "Product Avatar Image")

Amazon Q Developer

](https://www.g2.com/products/amazon-q-developer/reviews)[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_92678e42a1cad1b80e7d257e3636e25e/android-studio.jpg "Product Avatar Image")

Android Studio

](https://www.g2.com/products/android-studio/reviews)[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_98d4e0320aa8550aeeda473f45903fd3/angular.jpg "Product Avatar Image")

Angular

](https://www.g2.com/products/angular/reviews)[
View all
](https://www.g2.com/products/visual-studio-code/integrations)

**Xcode**
[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_98d4e0320aa8550aeeda473f45903fd3/angular.jpg "Product Avatar Image")

Angular

](https://www.g2.com/products/angular/reviews)[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_e369fa2434bfed6434dea757dc661c25/chatgpt.jpg "Product Avatar Image")

ChatGPT

](https://www.g2.com/products/chatgpt/reviews)[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_8dd78dbc186962a0fd7eb7304e30b254/firebase.png "Product Avatar Image")

Firebase

](https://www.g2.com/products/firebase/reviews)[

 ![Product Avatar Image](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/large_detail/large_detail_8ec3c17e3fb1df25b6a8bd7cc69cf2d1/github.png "Product Avatar Image")

GitHub

](https://www.g2.com/products/github/reviews)[
View all
](https://www.g2.com/products/xcode/integrations)

Screenshots

**Visual Studio Code**
 ![Visual Studio Code screenshot](https://images.g2crowd.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=600,height=600,fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,/https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/attachment/file/44889/expirable-direct-uploads_2F646c36c5-06e5-4c48-9429-e56d7a29c718_2FVisual_Studio_Code_Screen_Shot_1.png)

**Xcode**
 ![Xcode screenshot](https://images.g2crowd.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=600,height=600,fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,/https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/attachment/file/20647/uploads_2Fe8dba348-0a9a-4d19-b0ab-4879e8d8da4d_2FScreen_Shot_2015-07-10_at_10.27.05_AM.png)

Ratings

Meets Requirements

**Visual Studio Code**

9.3

9.32,224

**Xcode**

8.8

8.8848

Ease of Use

**Visual Studio Code**

9.2

9.22,246

**Xcode**

7.8

7.8851

Ease of Setup

**Visual Studio Code**

9.3

9.3646

**Xcode**

8.1

8.1200

Ease of Admin

**Visual Studio Code**

9.0

9.0232

**Xcode**

8.0

8.0138

Quality of Support

**Visual Studio Code**

8.7

8.71,838

**Xcode**

7.7

7.7751

Has the product been a good partner in doing business?

**Visual Studio Code**

9.2

9.2203

**Xcode**

8.1

8.1128

Product Direction (% positive)

**Visual Studio Code**

9.6

9.62,148

**Xcode**

8.0

8.0818

Features

Application Development Platforms[Hide 57 FeaturesShow 57 Features](javascript:void(0);)

Not enough data

8.5

73

Additional Functionality

Continuous Integration

Not enough data

Not enough data

Drag & Drop

Not enough data

Not enough data

Backup and Recovery

Not enough data

Not enough data

Multiple Programming Languages Supported

Not enough data

Not enough data

Continuous Deployment

Not enough data

Not enough data

Code Development

Not enough data

Not enough data

For No-Code Development

Not enough data

Not enough data

Version Control

Not enough data

Not enough data

Configurable Workflow

Not enough data

Not enough data

Graphical User Interface

Not enough data

Not enough data

For Low-Code Development

Not enough data

Not enough data

Activity Dashboard

Not enough data

Not enough data

Generative AI

Not enough data

Not enough data

UI Prototyping

Not enough data

Not enough data

Source Control

Not enough data

Not enough data

Software Development

Not enough data

Not enough data

API

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Import/Export

Not enough data

Not enough data

Web App Development

Not enough data

Not enough data

Custom Development

Not enough data

Not enough data

Code Repository Integration

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Security

Not enough data

Not enough data

Mobile Development

Not enough data

Not enough data

Access Controls/Permissions

Not enough data

Not enough data

Game Development

Not enough data

Not enough data

Collaboration Tools

Not enough data

Not enough data

Application Security

Not enough data

Not enough data

Alerts/Notifications

Not enough data

Not enough data

Automated Testing

Not enough data

Not enough data

Integrated Development Environment

Not enough data

Not enough data

Offline Access

Not enough data

Not enough data

Debugging

Not enough data

Not enough data

AI Copilot

Not enough data

Not enough data

Reporting/Analytics

Not enough data

Not enough data

Compatibility Testing

Not enough data

Not enough data

Pre-built Templates

Not enough data

Not enough data

Third-Party Integrations

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Modeling

Not enough data

Not enough data

Customizable Branding

Not enough data

Not enough data

Data Visualization

Not enough data

Not enough data

Code Editing

Not enough data

Not enough data

Functionality

Ease of Use

Not enough data

8.7(won by default)

67

File Management

Not enough data

8.6(won by default)

63

Multi-Language Support

Not enough data

8.3(won by default)

60

Customization

Not enough data

8.3(won by default)

64

Straight-Out-the-Box Functionality

Not enough data

8.8(won by default)

67

Help Guides

Not enough data

8.4(won by default)

64

Patching & Updates

Not enough data

8.7(won by default)

66

Workflow Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Change Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Deployment Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Performance Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Compliance Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Lifecycle Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Task Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Document Management

Not enough data

Not enough data

Database Support

Not enough data

Not enough data

Text Editor[Hide 12 FeaturesShow 12 Features](javascript:void(0);)

9.1

1,880

Not enough data

Coding

Syntax highlighting

9.5(won by default)

1654

Not enough data

Autocompletion

9.0(won by default)

1659

Not enough data

Find and replace

9.3(won by default)

1618

Not enough data

Code folding

9.1(won by default)

1539

Not enough data

Editing

Collaborative editing

8.6(won by default)

1262

Not enough data

Language Support

9.3(won by default)

1597

Not enough data

Selection Methods

9.0(won by default)

1479

Not enough data

Functionality

Extensibility

9.3(won by default)

1616

Not enough data

Cross-platform support

9.2(won by default)

1495

Not enough data

Plugins and integrations

9.3(won by default)

1682

Not enough data

Security

8.9(won by default)

1245

Not enough data

Agentic AI - Landing Page Builders

Cross-system Integration

9.1(won by default)

166

Not enough data

C/C++ Integrated Development Environments (IDE)[Hide 7 FeaturesShow 7 Features](javascript:void(0);)

Not enough data

8.7

70

Functionality

Ease of Use

Not enough data

9.0(won by default)

64

File Management

Not enough data

8.8(won by default)

62

Multi-Language Support

Not enough data

8.7(won by default)

56

Customization

Not enough data

8.5(won by default)

62

Straight-Out-the-Box Functionality

Not enough data

8.8(won by default)

62

Help Guides

Not enough data

8.6(won by default)

60

Patching & Updates

Not enough data

8.6(won by default)

60

Mobile App Testing[Hide 6 FeaturesShow 6 Features](javascript:void(0);)

Not enough data

8.7

110

Functionality

Test Feedback

Not enough data

8.7(won by default)

93

Test Variety

Not enough data

8.6(won by default)

90

Emulation

Not enough data

9.0(won by default)

99

Management

Test History

Not enough data

8.3(won by default)

87

Automation

Not enough data

8.6(won by default)

85

Organization

Not enough data

8.8(won by default)

86

Mobile Development Platforms[Hide 3 FeaturesShow 3 Features](javascript:void(0);)

Not enough data

8.7

13

Agentic AI - Mobile Development Platforms

Adaptive Learning

Not enough data

8.7(won by default)

13

Natural Language Interaction

Not enough data

8.7(won by default)

13

Proactive Assistance

Not enough data

8.6(won by default)

12

User Insights

Reviewers' Company Size

[![Visual Studio Code](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/thumb_square/thumb_square_13aba37ae908d9cf29a2452925257ccc/visual-studio-code.jpeg "Visual Studio Code")](https://www.g2.com/products/visual-studio-code/reviews)

Visual Studio Code

Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)

44.8%

Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)

29.8%

Enterprise(\> 1000 emp.)

25.5%

[![Xcode](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/1487565953/xcode.svg "Xcode")](https://www.g2.com/products/xcode/reviews)

Xcode

Small-Business(50 or fewer emp.)

55.4%

Mid-Market(51-1000 emp.)

23.2%

Enterprise(\> 1000 emp.)

21.5%

Small-Business

(50 or fewer emp.)

44.8%

55.4%

Mid-Market

(51-1000 emp.)

29.8%

23.2%

Enterprise

(\> 1000 emp.)

25.5%

21.5%

Reviewers' Industry

[![Visual Studio Code](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/thumb_square/thumb_square_13aba37ae908d9cf29a2452925257ccc/visual-studio-code.jpeg "Visual Studio Code")](https://www.g2.com/products/visual-studio-code/reviews)
Visual Studio Code

Computer Software

34.6%

Information Technology and Services

25.0%

Program Development

3.3%

Financial Services

2.6%

Computer & Network Security

2.3%

Other

32.2%

[![Xcode](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/1487565953/xcode.svg "Xcode")](https://www.g2.com/products/xcode/reviews)
Xcode

Computer Software

36.0%

Information Technology and Services

18.2%

Internet

5.6%

Higher Education

3.3%

Financial Services

2.3%

Other

34.6%

Alternatives

**Visual Studio Code Alternatives**

 ![Notepad++](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/1487566090/notepad.png "Notepad++")

[
Notepad++
](/products/notepad/reviews)

 ![Sublime Text](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/1487566128/sublime-text.png "Sublime Text")

[
Sublime Text
](/products/sublime-text/reviews)

 ![UltraEdit](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/thumb_square/thumb_square_0a47f56c0ae08c2bbc1cd48dbe10ab43/ultraedit.png "UltraEdit")

[
UltraEdit
](/products/ultraedit/reviews)

 ![Brackets](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/image/thumb_square/thumb_square_89f9b71139b003b6eafc8bfd35e08665/brackets.jpg "Brackets")

[
Brackets
](/products/brackets/reviews)

**Xcode Alternatives**

 ![Visual Studio](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/646c72569089375221819d6efbe819a0/visual-studio.svg "Visual Studio")

[
Visual Studio
](/products/visual-studio/reviews)

 ![Qt](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/6bdeb47f0a8b262682037eeeb975ef1f/qt.svg "Qt")

[
Qt
](/products/qt/reviews)

 ![Eclipse](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/99f6b354a419d817b55329e62b0ea83f/eclipse.svg "Eclipse")

[
Eclipse
](/products/eclipse/reviews)

 ![NetBeans](https://images.g2crowd.com/uploads/product/hd_favicon/1487565581/netbeans.svg "NetBeans")

[
NetBeans
](/products/netbeans/reviews)

## Visual Studio Code vs Xcode

When assessing the two solutions, reviewers found Visual Studio Code easier to use, set up, and administer. Reviewers also preferred doing business with Visual Studio Code overall.

- Reviewers felt that Visual Studio Code meets the needs of their business better than Xcode.
- When comparing quality of ongoing product support, reviewers felt that Visual Studio Code is the preferred option.
- For feature updates and roadmaps, our reviewers preferred the direction of Visual Studio Code over Xcode.