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JetBrains Rider alternatives: 4 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave JetBrains Rider: commercial use requires a subscription, and fewer visual designers than Visual Studio for Windows desktop apps. We ranked 4 alternatives by how directly each one replaces JetBrains Rider, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Visual Studio currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Visual Studio logoVisual StudioFree plan + paidNoWindows5 of 566.5
2Cursor logoCursorFree plan + paidNoWindows, macOS, Linux0 of 366.3
3Visual Studio Code logoVisual Studio CodeFreeYesWindows, macOS, Linux +13 of 364.8
4CLion logoCLionFree plan + paidNoWindows, macOS, Linux3 of 357.2
  1. Visual Studio logo

    1. Visual StudioTop pick

    Best for: Windows developers building .NET, C++ or game projects who want every tool in one IDE

    Free plan + paidWindows

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from JetBrains Rider

    Microsoft's own .NET IDE, with a free Community edition and the deepest Windows tooling.

    Pros

    • Most complete tooling for .NET and C++ on Windows
    • Free Community edition for individuals and small teams
    • Built-in GitHub Copilot with agent mode

    Cons

    • Windows only
    • Large install and heavy resource use
    • Bigger companies must pay for Professional or Enterprise
    Visit Visual Studio Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Visual Studio a good JetBrains Rider alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    Free edition
    Community
    Checked Oct 25, 2026visualstudio.microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Community licence limits
    Up to 5 users in non-enterprise orgs
    Checked Oct 25, 2026visualstudio.microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Professional (monthly)
    $45 per user/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026visualstudio.microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Enterprise (monthly)
    $250 per user/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026visualstudio.microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Platform
    Windows
    Checked Oct 25, 2026visualstudio.microsoft.com(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Cursor logo

    2. Cursor

    Best for: Developers who want deep AI help across a whole codebase

    Free plan + paidWindows, macOS, Linux

    66.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from JetBrains Rider

    AI-first VS Code fork for .NET developers who want agents to do more of the work.

    Pros

    • Familiar VS Code foundation
    • Strong codebase-aware agent
    • Choice of AI models

    Cons

    • Heavy AI use requires paid plans
    • Usage limits can change
    Visit Cursor Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.15100
    Freshness ×0.1530
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Cursor a good JetBrains Rider alternative?

    Verified facts

    0 of 3 verified
    Free plan
    Yes (Hobby)
    Not checked yetcursor.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Based on
    VS Code fork
    Not checked yetcursor.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    Windows, macOS, Linux
    Not checked yetcursor.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Visual Studio Code logo

    3. Visual Studio Code

    Best for: Developers who want a free, extensible editor for any language

    FreeOpen sourceWindows, macOS, Linux, Web

    64.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from JetBrains Rider

    Free and light, with the C# Dev Kit for .NET work on any OS.

    Pros

    • Free with a huge extension marketplace
    • Excellent remote development
    • Fast and lightweight for an IDE

    Cons

    • Microsoft builds include telemetry
    • Heavy extension use can slow it down
    Visit Visual Studio Code Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Visual Studio Code a good JetBrains Rider alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Price
    Free
    Checked Oct 24, 2026code.visualstudio.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Open source core
    Yes (Code - OSS, MIT)
    Checked Oct 24, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    Windows, macOS, Linux, web
    Checked Oct 24, 2026code.visualstudio.com(opens source in a new tab)
  4. CLion logo

    4. CLion

    Best for: C and C++ developers who want IDE-level analysis across CMake and embedded projects

    Free plan + paidWindows, macOS, Linux

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from JetBrains Rider

    JetBrains' C and C++ IDE, for engine work outside Unreal projects.

    Pros

    • Works with existing CMake, Makefile and compilation-database projects
    • Free for non-commercial use
    • Good embedded and remote development support

    Cons

    • Commercial use needs a subscription
    • Indexing large C++ projects is slow
    • Uses a lot of memory
    Visit CLion Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is CLion a good JetBrains Rider alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Non-commercial use
    Free
    Checked Oct 25, 2026jetbrains.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    Windows, Linux, macOS
    Checked Oct 25, 2026jetbrains.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Project formats
    CMake, Makefile, compilation database
    Checked Oct 25, 2026jetbrains.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best JetBrains Rider alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Visual Studio logo

Best JetBrains Rider alternative for most people

Visual Studio

Microsoft's own .NET IDE, with a free Community edition and the deepest Windows tooling.

Visual Studio Code logo

Best JetBrains Rider alternative for a free option

Visual Studio Code

Free and light, with the C# Dev Kit for .NET work on any OS.

Cursor logo

Best JetBrains Rider alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Cursor

AI-first VS Code fork for .NET developers who want agents to do more of the work.

Visual Studio Code logo

Best JetBrains Rider alternative for open source

Visual Studio Code

Free and light, with the C# Dev Kit for .NET work on any OS.

CLion logo

Best JetBrains Rider alternative for Mac

CLion

JetBrains' C and C++ IDE, for engine work outside Unreal projects.

Visual Studio logo

Best JetBrains Rider alternative for Windows

Visual Studio

Microsoft's own .NET IDE, with a free Community edition and the deepest Windows tooling.

Cursor logo

Best JetBrains Rider alternative for Linux

Cursor

AI-first VS Code fork for .NET developers who want agents to do more of the work.

Visual Studio Code logo

Best JetBrains Rider alternative for working in the browser

Visual Studio Code

Free and light, with the C# Dev Kit for .NET work on any OS.

JetBrains Rider alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to JetBrains Rider?

Visual Studio ranks first right now. Microsoft's own .NET IDE, with a free Community edition and the deepest Windows tooling. Cursor and Visual Studio Code follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to JetBrains Rider?

Yes. Visual Studio (free plan + paid), Cursor (free plan + paid), Visual Studio Code (free) and CLion (free plan + paid) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to JetBrains Rider?

Yes: Visual Studio Code.

Which JetBrains Rider alternatives work on Linux?

Cursor, Visual Studio Code and CLion run on Linux.

Why do people switch from JetBrains Rider?

The complaints we hear most: commercial use requires a subscription; fewer visual designers than Visual Studio for Windows desktop apps; heavy memory use on big solutions.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces JetBrains Rider, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.