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Visual Studio Code Pros and Cons: Top 5 Advantages and Disadvantages

Quick AI Summary Based on G2 Reviews

Generated from real user reviews

Users find Visual Studio Code's ease of use to be a perfect blend of simplicity and powerful features. (95 mentions)
Users love the extensive extension marketplace of VS Code, boosting customization and enhancing their coding experience. (79 mentions)
Users value the seamless Git integration in VS Code, enhancing their development experience and efficiency. (67 mentions)
Users value the productivity improvements of Visual Studio Code, enhancing workflows with efficient tools and customization options. (61 mentions)
Users commend the lightweight and powerful features of Visual Studio Code, enhancing productivity and streamlining development tasks. (59 mentions)
Users experience extension issues that can slow down performance and lead to conflicts, especially for newcomers. (52 mentions)
Users experience slow performance with Visual Studio Code when managing multiple extensions or large projects, which impacts efficiency. (33 mentions)
Users often face plugin issues that lead to conflicts, slowdowns, and overwhelming choices, impacting their experience. (27 mentions)
Users experience performance issues with Visual Studio Code, especially under heavy workloads or with numerous extensions active. (25 mentions)
Users experience complex configuration issues that can hinder performance, particularly with large projects and multiple extensions. (22 mentions)

5 Pros or Advantages of Visual Studio Code

1. Ease of Use
Users find Visual Studio Code's ease of use to be a perfect blend of simplicity and powerful features.
See 95 mentions

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ARSHAD A.
AA

ARSHAD A.

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

4.5/5

"Effortless Library Access and Clean Coding Experience"

What do you like about Visual Studio Code?

Easy to access libraries and write clean code

Tanmay  G.
TG

Tanmay G.

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

4.5/5

"Extensions Make Coding Effortless in VS Code"

What do you like about Visual Studio Code?

I have been using vs code for many years. I love the extensions it provides to make the work and coding really comfortable and easy. The extensions re

2. Extensions
Users love the extensive extension marketplace of VS Code, boosting customization and enhancing their coding experience.
See 79 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Verified User
U

Verified User

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4.5/5

"Lightning-Fast, Versatile, and Packed with Powerful Extensions"

What do you like about Visual Studio Code?

Visual Studio Code is lightweight and starts quickly, even with multiple projects open. The extension ecosystem is extremely strong - automation frame

Hemant M.
HM

Hemant M.

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Number of Features"

What do you like about Visual Studio Code?

extensions make it do any task. Any cloud, any language

3. Git Integration
Users value the seamless Git integration in VS Code, enhancing their development experience and efficiency.
See 67 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Thimo B.
TB

Thimo B.

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

5.0/5

"The Ultimate Developer Companion – Fast, Extensible, and Intuitive"

What do you like about Visual Studio Code?

Visual Studio Code combines speed, flexibility, and modern development features in one lightweight package. The extension marketplace is outstanding—a

Verified User
U

Verified User

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4.5/5

"Lightning-Fast, Versatile, and Packed with Powerful Extensions"

What do you like about Visual Studio Code?

Visual Studio Code is lightweight and starts quickly, even with multiple projects open. The extension ecosystem is extremely strong - automation frame

4. Productivity Improvement
Users value the productivity improvements of Visual Studio Code, enhancing workflows with efficient tools and customization options.
See 61 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Verified User
U

Verified User

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Efficient, lightweight and fully customisable-the ultimate code editor"

What do you like about Visual Studio Code?

What I like, best about visual studio code is its age of use and the fact that it’s lightweight, but full of features that may coding past and more e

Shubham S.
SS

Shubham S.

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Highly Customizable and Perfect for DevOps Engineers"

What do you like about Visual Studio Code?

VScode is open source and highly customizable, offering excellent extensions for everything I need as a systems, cloud, or DevOps engineer.

5. Features
Users commend the lightweight and powerful features of Visual Studio Code, enhancing productivity and streamlining development tasks.
See 59 mentions

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Verified User
U

Verified User

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4.5/5

"Lightning-Fast, Versatile, and Packed with Powerful Extensions"

What do you like about Visual Studio Code?

Visual Studio Code is lightweight and starts quickly, even with multiple projects open. The extension ecosystem is extremely strong - automation frame

Hemant M.
HM

Hemant M.

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Number of Features"

What do you like about Visual Studio Code?

extensions make it do any task. Any cloud, any language

5 Cons or Disadvantages of Visual Studio Code

1. Extension Issues
Users experience extension issues that can slow down performance and lead to conflicts, especially for newcomers.
See 52 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Thimo B.
TB

Thimo B.

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

5.0/5

"The Ultimate Developer Companion – Fast, Extensible, and Intuitive"

What do you dislike about Visual Studio Code?

There's very little to criticize. Occasionally, extensions can conflict or cause performance lags, especially when too many are installed. Some settin

Verified User
U

Verified User

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4.5/5

"Lightning-Fast, Versatile, and Packed with Powerful Extensions"

What do you dislike about Visual Studio Code?

Installing too many extensions can slow down performance over time. Some extensions conflict with each other and require manual tuning. After updates,

2. Slow Performance
Users experience slow performance with Visual Studio Code when managing multiple extensions or large projects, which impacts efficiency.
See 33 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Verified User
U

Verified User

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4.5/5

"Lightning-Fast, Versatile, and Packed with Powerful Extensions"

What do you dislike about Visual Studio Code?

Installing too many extensions can slow down performance over time. Some extensions conflict with each other and require manual tuning. After updates,

Sunil sai Y.
SY

Sunil sai Y.

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

4.5/5

"Empowering Developer Growth with Visual Studio Code"

What do you dislike about Visual Studio Code?

At times, VS Code simply freezes, and when I'm working with dev containers, it can feel as slow as being on a 3G network. The experience can be quite

3. Plugin Issues
Users often face plugin issues that lead to conflicts, slowdowns, and overwhelming choices, impacting their experience.
See 27 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Verified User
U

Verified User

Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)

4.5/5

"Lightning-Fast, Versatile, and Packed with Powerful Extensions"

What do you dislike about Visual Studio Code?

Installing too many extensions can slow down performance over time. Some extensions conflict with each other and require manual tuning. After updates,

Shubham S.
SS

Shubham S.

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Highly Customizable and Perfect for DevOps Engineers"

What do you dislike about Visual Studio Code?

At times, when I have several windows open, VScode consumes a significant amount of memory without any clear reason. It might be due to background pro

4. Performance Issues
Users experience performance issues with Visual Studio Code, especially under heavy workloads or with numerous extensions active.
See 25 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Sunil sai Y.
SY

Sunil sai Y.

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

4.5/5

"Empowering Developer Growth with Visual Studio Code"

What do you dislike about Visual Studio Code?

At times, VS Code simply freezes, and when I'm working with dev containers, it can feel as slow as being on a 3G network. The experience can be quite

Ravi K.
RK

Ravi K.

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

5.0/5

"Unmatched Customization and Extensions in VS Code"

What do you dislike about Visual Studio Code?

Overall it is a great product for me, one thing that i may dislike about it is, when i install more than 10-12 extensions, it becomes sometimes laggy

5. Complex Configuration
Users experience complex configuration issues that can hinder performance, particularly with large projects and multiple extensions.
See 22 mentions

See Related User Reviews

Thimo B.
TB

Thimo B.

Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)

5.0/5

"The Ultimate Developer Companion – Fast, Extensible, and Intuitive"

What do you dislike about Visual Studio Code?

There's very little to criticize. Occasionally, extensions can conflict or cause performance lags, especially when too many are installed. Some settin

Verified User
U

Verified User

Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)

5.0/5

"Efficient, lightweight and fully customisable-the ultimate code editor"

What do you dislike about Visual Studio Code?

One downside of visual studio code is that while it’s a powerful code editor, it’s not a full IDE by default, so you may need to install additional ex

Visual Studio Code Reviews (2,562)

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Visual Studio Code Reviews (2,562)

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Giancarlo A.
GA
Software Engineer
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Flexible, Lightweight, and Fast: A Highly Efficient VS Code Experience"
What do you like best about Visual Studio Code?

What I like most about Visual Studio Code is its flexibility and performance. It is lightweight, easy to use, and supports a wide range of programming languages through its extensive extension marketplace. The integrated Git support, debugging tools, and customizable interface make it a very efficient environment for development. I also appreciate how quickly it launches and how smoothly it handles most coding tasks. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Visual Studio Code?

One drawback is that when many extensions are installed, performance can sometimes slow down or consume more system resources than expected. Additionally, some advanced features require installing and configuring extensions, which can take time to set up properly for new users. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Alan R.
AR
Site Reliability Engineer
Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)
"Flexible, Fast, and Perfect for Multi-Stack Development"
What do you like best about Visual Studio Code?

Visual Studio Code is lightweight, fast, and extremely flexible. It supports a wide range of programming languages out of the box, and the extension marketplace makes it easy to customize the editor for almost any workflow. Whether it’s Docker, Kubernetes, Terraform, Git integration, or cloud tools, there’s usually a well-maintained extension available.

The built-in Git support is excellent and simplifies version control tasks directly inside the editor. The IntelliSense, debugging tools, and integrated terminal are also strong features that make development smoother and more efficient. It strikes a very good balance between being simple enough for quick edits and powerful enough for complex projects. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Visual Studio Code?

While VS Code is very flexible, managing too many extensions can sometimes slow it down or create conflicts. Performance can decrease slightly in very large projects or when multiple heavy extensions are installed. Additionally, since much of the power depends on extensions, the experience can vary depending on how well those extensions are maintained. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Lovepreet S.
LS
Graphic Designer and Software Tester
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"A Blessing for PHP Coding: Extensions, Formatting, and Easy SQL Reading"
What do you like best about Visual Studio Code?

i m a php developer, i use it as my code editor.

i love this as we have options to add extensions to make work easy,

formatting code and finding errors like pointing missing open/close of btacket help a lot.

on the other hand it also helps to read sql files in very understandable format. This is must have software if you are into coding.

Previously i used Notepad++,but Visual studio is blessing Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Visual Studio Code?

See as a developer its perfect, one -ve point is that when we try to install same on old pc say 2019, its not compatible, online download option is not available and if we use older version, extensions and rest dont work properly.

we cant say this -ve point but it should be compatable Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Ishan S.
IS
Manager and Dietician at Chaitanya Homoeo Clinic, Medical Store Owner, Content Creator
Hospital & Health Care
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Easy and lightweight editor for notes and content work"
What do you like best about Visual Studio Code?

I work as a Dietician & Nutritionist, manage a homeopathy clinic, and also create health education content. I use Visual Studio Code to prepare and edit health-related content and clinic notes in a simple way before saving or sharing them. It is easy to start using and I did not need any complicated setup.

I use it regularly while working on different health topics that are shared across different blogs, websites, and content platforms. I can keep more than one file open at the same time, which helps when I am updating drafts or checking older notes. The app feels light and smooth, even when I work on multiple files together.

It works well for both simple text notes and basic formatted content, so I can manage my work in one place without switching tools again and again. Overall, it fits well into my daily work because it is easy to use, quick to set up, and flexible enough for different types of content. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Visual Studio Code?

did not face any major problems while using Visual Studio Code for my work. One small thing I noticed is that sometimes when I open many files together, it takes a moment to get back to the file I was working on. After a little time, I got used to the layout and it became easier to switch between files.

Other than this, it worked smoothly for my regular content and notes work. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Shahnawaz A.
SA
Founder
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"The Perfect All-in-One IDE for Solo Founders"
What do you like best about Visual Studio Code?

As the founder of a tech startup, I need a lightweight yet powerful environment to manage my entire codebase. The best part about Visual Studio Code is its incredible library of extensions and the seamless integrated terminal. It allows me to write, debug, and instantly deploy my app code (like to Firebase) without constantly switching between different windows. It keeps my workflow extremely fast and organized. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Visual Studio Code?

While it is a fantastic editor, it can become quite resource heavy and slow down at times. When I am running multiple workspaces for Whistter along with heavy background extensions for debugging, it tends to hog a significant amount of RAM on my machine. A built-in performance feature to automatically sleep or suspend inactive extensions would be a great improvement for developers dealing with large projects. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

TamunoBelema  A.
TA
Junior Data Scientist
Information Technology and Services
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Powerful Yet Lightweight: VS Code Boosts Productivity with Extensions and IntelliSense"
What do you like best about Visual Studio Code?

What I like most about Visual Studio Code is that it’s very powerful while still staying lightweight and easy to use. It launches quickly, runs smoothly, and never feels overwhelming. The interface is clean and highly customizable, which makes coding more comfortable and helps me work more efficiently.

One of its biggest strengths is the extension marketplace. It’s easy to add support for different programming languages, frameworks, themes, and tools, and that flexibility lets me tailor the editor to fit exactly what I need.

The feature I find most helpful is IntelliSense (smart code completion). It suggests code as I type, helps reduce errors, and speeds up development. The built-in Git integration is also extremely useful, since I can manage version control directly inside the editor without having to switch to another tool.

The integrated terminal is another major advantage. Being able to run commands, test code, and manage projects all in one place makes my workflow smoother and improves overall productivity. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Visual Studio Code?

While updates are generally a good thing, frequent updates can occasionally break extensions or require adjustments. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

akash m.
AM
Founder and Application developer
Information Technology and Services
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Efficient and Reliable Code Editor for Projects"
What do you like best about Visual Studio Code?

I use VS Code daily for client web and SaaS projects. It starts fast, handles large codebases well, and supports most of the languages we work with (JavaScript, Python, PHP). The built-in Git support is convenient because I can review changes and commit without leaving the editor.

I also rely heavily on the integrated terminal and debugging tools when testing APIs or fixing frontend issues. Extensions are a big advantage , especially for formatting, linting, and framework support but I only install what’s necessary to keep performance smooth. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Visual Studio Code?

The setup can take time in the beginning. To get the ideal workflow, you need to configure extensions, settings, and formatting rules. If too many extensions are installed, it slows down my system

Also, compared to full IDEs like IntelliJ, some enterprise-level features require additional plugins instead of being built-in. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

arghya s.
AS
Full Stack Engineer (Freelance)
Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)
"Lightweight, Powerful, and Infinitely Extensible—VS Code at Its Best"
What do you like best about Visual Studio Code?

What I like best about Visual Studio Code is its balance of performance, flexibility, and extensibility. It’s lightweight yet incredibly powerful, making it suitable for everything from quick edits to full-scale development.

The extension ecosystem is a major strength. Whether it’s language support, debugging tools, Git integration, or productivity enhancements, VS Code can be customized to fit almost any workflow. The IntelliSense features, built-in terminal, and debugging capabilities significantly improve development efficiency.

I also appreciate the clean, intuitive interface and fast startup time. Despite being feature-rich, it remains responsive and easy to navigate.

Overall, VS Code provides a highly productive and adaptable development environment without feeling bloated. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Visual Studio Code?

One drawback of Visual Studio Code is that performance can sometimes degrade with a large number of extensions installed. While the extension ecosystem is a major strength, excessive reliance on plugins can occasionally lead to slower startup times or increased memory usage.

Another challenge is that configuring certain workflows may require additional setup. Compared to more opinionated IDEs, VS Code’s flexibility can mean spending extra time selecting and managing extensions.

Additionally, some advanced IDE-like features depend heavily on third-party plugins rather than being fully native.

Overall, these are relatively minor trade-offs given the tool’s versatility, but they can impact heavy or highly customized setups. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Takkellapati S.
TS
Senior Software Engineer
Enterprise (> 1000 emp.)
"Lightweight, Fast, and Highly Customizable: Visual Studio Code at Its Best"
What do you like best about Visual Studio Code?

Visual Studio Code is lightweight, fast, and highly customizable. Its extension marketplace makes it easy for developers to add tools for different languages, debugging, and various integrations as needed. Features such as IntelliSense, Git integration, and the built-in terminal help keep development efficient, organized, and smooth from day to day. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Visual Studio Code?

While Visual Studio Code is a powerful editor, it can sometimes take several extensions to properly support certain frameworks or more advanced features. When you end up managing a large number of extensions, it can slightly impact performance and, in some cases, lead to compatibility issues. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Raghvendra S.
RS
Student
Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
"Powerful Extensions, Customizable UI, and Seamless Integrations for Everyday Coding"
What do you like best about Visual Studio Code?

The extensions it provides, vs code is set on my fingertips, very helpful shortcut keys and customizable UI and can go with any software easily that help to increase code efficiency even while using vibe coding tools it integrate with them too. It have a simple setup easy to install and start work on it straight forward. I use it almost everyday and everytime cause I'm a developer. It has prety big support network that help me to fix any problem in vs code. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

What do you dislike about Visual Studio Code?

every thing is good about the vs code but it annoy me to analyse the file structure of my project. Although it has greate number of extensions but even for basic features it rely on extensions that consumes heavy resources. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

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Visual Studio Code