# LabWindows/CVI Reviews **Vendor:** NI **Category:** [Other Integrated Development Environments (IDE)](https://www.g2.com/categories/other-integrated-development-environments-ide) **Average Rating:** 3.7/5.0 **Total Reviews:** 12 ## About LabWindows/CVI LabWindows/CVI is an ANSI C integrated development environment (IDE) and engineering toolbox with built-in libraries for measurement, analysis, and engineering UI design. ## LabWindows/CVI Reviews ### 1. Good tool for lab automation **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Yinan Z. | R&D hardware engineer, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 14, 2019 **What do you like best about LabWindows/CVI?** Easy to use, a lot of built in functions, good for test automation purpose **What do you dislike about LabWindows/CVI?** Not good as Labview, lack some features in labview **Recommendations to others considering LabWindows/CVI:** Read the help document, it's useful for beginners **What problems is LabWindows/CVI solving and how is that benefiting you?** I use it to do automated hardware test, it helps to improve test time and efficiency ### 2. Nice IDE platform **Rating:** 2.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Accounting | Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.) **Reviewed Date:** February 10, 2019 **What do you like best about LabWindows/CVI?** reat libraries, active development community, full C language compliance **What do you dislike about LabWindows/CVI?** Forget finding 3rd party hardware driver support for this. I've been grateful to work with some really good vendors that have made me custom C-only driver versions of their C++ drivers. In most cases, you'll encounter a LabView VI driver for your hardware, but nothing for LabWindows. Small market share means blazing a trail alone. You're a bit of an island if you work in CVI. No one, and I mean no one, has ever heard of it. But it's pretty fun to develop in. **What problems is LabWindows/CVI solving and how is that benefiting you?** I write machine automation software for our manufacturing line. We gather performance data for life cycle testing of high-precision, high-vacuum, high-voltage products. It covers most of the technical, hardware layer problems I've encountered. ### 3. Stable, robust C-based IDE development platform **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Rob L. | Electrical Engineer, Manufacturing, Research, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 24, 2018 **What do you like best about LabWindows/CVI?** Great standard libraries, active development community, full C language compliance. **What do you dislike about LabWindows/CVI?** Forget finding 3rd party hardware driver support for this. I've been grateful to work with some really good vendors that have made me custom C-only driver versions of their C++ drivers. In most cases, you'll encounter a LabView VI driver for your hardware, but nothing for LabWindows. Small market share means blazing a trail alone. You're a bit of an island if you work in CVI. No one, and I mean no one, has ever heard of it. But it's pretty fun to develop in. **Recommendations to others considering LabWindows/CVI:** For software developers, you'd probably be better off keeping your options open, since this is a legacy product that doesn't support more "modern" languages, like OOP design, garbage collection, error handling, etc. Still... I love it. What can I say? It's a nice, tight little package, with good library support. I've written some nice slick apps with it for my company, and my users are all very happy. **What problems is LabWindows/CVI solving and how is that benefiting you?** I write machine automation software for our manufacturing line. We gather performance data for life cycle testing of high-precision, high-vacuum, high-voltage products. It covers most of the technical, hardware layer problems I've encountered. ### 4. For everyday development and testing **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Tao S. | Software test engineer , Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** February 21, 2019 **What do you like best about LabWindows/CVI?** Powerful and integration with many many hardware components **What do you dislike about LabWindows/CVI?** Not text based so not easy with version control **Recommendations to others considering LabWindows/CVI:** Try to start from some shipped examples that will make learning curve much shorter **What problems is LabWindows/CVI solving and how is that benefiting you?** Test system development and test automation ### 5. LabWindows or LabView **Rating:** 3.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** James G. | Energy Products Engineering Test Engineer, Mechanical or Industrial Engineering, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** June 12, 2018 **What do you like best about LabWindows/CVI?** If you know a text based programming language, then you can pick up LabWindows pretty easy. It’s very robust and can handle nearly all problems you throw at it. **What do you dislike about LabWindows/CVI?** For simple automation, it takes more steps/effort than it probably should. Although it has been a few generations (2012) since I have used it, so that may jave changed. **Recommendations to others considering LabWindows/CVI:** National Instrument software is fantastic and I cannot recommend it enough. **What problems is LabWindows/CVI solving and how is that benefiting you?** We use both LabView and LabWindows for our design validation in the lab as well as for the manufacturing testers we deploy to our contract manufacturers (CMs). Since NI software is well known and easy to use, our CMs can make chamges on the line without needing one of our engineers to traveling. ### 6. Great experience **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Computer Networking | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 11, 2019 **What do you like best about LabWindows/CVI?** It allows me to manage projects, edit and debug source code, and test code outputs and performance in one streamlined, tabbed workspace. **What do you dislike about LabWindows/CVI?** I think the format could be a little easier to use. Just need to get used to **What problems is LabWindows/CVI solving and how is that benefiting you?** Develop high-quality, shippable applications with tools for advanced debugging, code documentation, and system deployment. ### 7. Great program! **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Accounting | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** January 18, 2019 **What do you like best about LabWindows/CVI?** The LabWindows program was extremely easy to use - would recommend to others **What do you dislike about LabWindows/CVI?** Although this program provided ease of use, it did trigger consistent updates. **What problems is LabWindows/CVI solving and how is that benefiting you?** ease of use ### 8. Automation tool **Rating:** 5.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Information Technology and Services | Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** December 09, 2018 **What do you like best about LabWindows/CVI?** This is excellent too for development of applicationa for any type of USAF. Very good tool for all kind of custors. **What do you dislike about LabWindows/CVI?** Little bit confusion with connections between different modules. Highly technical people required to use this tool **What problems is LabWindows/CVI solving and how is that benefiting you?** To develop automation development ### 9. Easy to use **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Aviation & Aerospace | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** November 26, 2018 **What do you like best about LabWindows/CVI?** Ease of use. Easy to navigate. A lot of help with detailed examples **What do you dislike about LabWindows/CVI?** Not as powerful as regular Labview. Cant adjust settings because its prebuilt **What problems is LabWindows/CVI solving and how is that benefiting you?** Gather data from tests to characterize voltage and current readings from a simulated battery ### 10. Does everything almost **Rating:** 3.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Verified User in Higher Education | Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** July 14, 2016 **What do you like best about LabWindows/CVI?** The software applications are limitless. **What do you dislike about LabWindows/CVI?** This program needs a better incorporation for hard coding. **What problems is LabWindows/CVI solving and how is that benefiting you?** Feedback and instrumentation controls. The built in filtering processes make life easy. ### 11. LabWindows/CVI: If you're a c programmer in an NI-captive lab, this is the back door. **Rating:** 1.5/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Kevin M. | Reliability Engineer, Information Technology and Services, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** May 19, 2015 **What do you like best about LabWindows/CVI?** LabView is great for one or two instruments running one or two tests. The programs are easy to start, stable, good looking and support just about every kind of hardware. I prefer text-based programming environments like like VB, C#, pythion, etc. because I think they handle larger programs better. The main limitation to LabView for larger programs is the schematic based environment. A design with too many wire connections can turn into a hellish self-destructing haystack when a central block moves or changes. For the same reason, programs of all sizes are spacially inefficient - an entire screen of well made LabView can often be reduced to ten text lines of VB. All of that to say this: If you find yourself stuck in a lab where NI software is a mandate, look for CVI. Last I checked CVI was still included with the highest license level of Labview. NI keeps it hushed, I think because it looks like circa 1999 Microsoft MFC. LabWindows/CVI lets you circumvent arbitrary and capricious requirements to use clunky software when Microsoft publishes a perfectly usable, completely free version of C#. LabWindows/CVI is fairly clunky itself, but I believe it's the lesser of two evils. **What do you dislike about LabWindows/CVI?** NI keeps it hushed, I think because it looks like circa 1999 Microsoft MFC. LabWindows/CVI lets you circumvent arbitrary and capricious requirements to use clunky software when Microsoft publishes a perfectly usable, completely free version of C#. **Recommendations to others considering LabWindows/CVI:** Use C# or Python instead. **What problems is LabWindows/CVI solving and how is that benefiting you?** I write hardware test programs for semiconductor characterization and production. I automate water/gas/electric utility hardware testing. ### 12. LabWindows/CVI has a good UI integration, but it's just an ANSI C tool. **Rating:** 4.0/5.0 stars **Reviewed by:** Hung-Chi L. | Mfg Test Development Engineer, Computer Networking, Enterprise (> 1000 emp.) **Reviewed Date:** May 25, 2015 **What do you like best about LabWindows/CVI?** LabWindows/CVI has a good UI integration which allows you to design your GUI and have the codes generated very easily. Most people used it to create instrument drivers. However, it can be used to beyond this scope. Since it's an ANSI C IDE, you can use it like a regular IDE tool for simple C projects. **What do you dislike about LabWindows/CVI?** It's just an ANSI C IDE and compiler, period. There is no C++ features available. Hence, the nice exception handling and object-oriented programming (OOP) features are missing. The traditional error-code scheme really lacks the ability for the program to pass important error information in details, and hence, hampers the debug efforts when things fail. C++'s exception handling really helps simplifying the error handling and retains the failure details. The OOP feature can simplify the coding structure and complexity, making the codes more intuitive and readable. I wished that LabWindows/CVI can be upgraded to a C++ IDE/compiler. If for some reason some people just wanted the pure C features, the C++ compiler can always be restricted into the C-only mode. **Recommendations to others considering LabWindows/CVI:** Simple but good UI integration. ANSI C only, period. **What problems is LabWindows/CVI solving and how is that benefiting you?** I had developed a Manufacturing test framework using TestStand with LabView as the working layer. However, LabView manages its own objects in its own memory space. This makes the object passing between TestStand and LabView very inefficient. The result was a slow and memory hungry monster. Later, I had to rewrite the Laview part into multi-threaded C codes using LabWindows/CVI. The binary produced LabWindows/CVI is run in the same process space of TestStand making it more efficient to share and manage objects. The C version resulted in 33% decrease in memory usage and 33% faster than the LabView version. - [View LabWindows/CVI pricing details and edition comparison](https://www.g2.com/products/labwindows-cvi/reviews?section=pricing&secure%5Bexpires_at%5D=2026-05-14+02%3A23%3A49+-0500&secure%5Bsession_id%5D=80abcf8f-f604-4ba4-af3d-f51fb965e6a3&secure%5Btoken%5D=949a1f06cdb30dd0771e9010e0f7486b7891d259a53b65471c36ab7f4f61a7fa&format=llm_user) ## Top LabWindows/CVI Alternatives - [WebStorm](https://www.g2.com/products/webstorm/reviews) - 4.5/5.0 (495 reviews) - [Studio 3T](https://www.g2.com/products/studio-3t/reviews) - 4.5/5.0 (190 reviews) - [Coder](https://www.g2.com/products/coder/reviews) - 4.3/5.0 (191 reviews)