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Visual Studio alternatives: 4 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Visual Studio: windows only, and large install and heavy resource use. We ranked 4 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Visual Studio, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Visual Studio Code currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Visual Studio Code logoVisual Studio CodeFreeYesWindows, macOS, Linux +13 of 379.8
2JetBrains Rider logoJetBrains RiderFree plan + paidNoWindows, macOS, Linux4 of 466.5
3Cursor logoCursorFree plan + paidNoWindows, macOS, Linux0 of 363.9
4CLion logoCLionFree plan + paidNoWindows, macOS, Linux3 of 359.6
  1. Visual Studio Code logo

    1. Visual Studio CodeTop pick

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

    FreeOpen sourceWindows, macOS, Linux, Web

    79.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from Visual Studio

    Free and much lighter, with C# Dev Kit and C++ extensions 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) ×0.15100
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

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

    Is Visual Studio Code a good Visual Studio 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)
  2. JetBrains Rider logo

    2. JetBrains Rider

    Best for: .NET and game developers who want one IDE on Windows, macOS and Linux

    Free plan + paidWindows, macOS, Linux

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Visual Studio

    Cross-platform .NET IDE with strong refactoring, free for non-commercial use.

    Pros

    • Runs the same on Windows, macOS and Linux
    • Excellent Unity, Unreal and Godot support
    • Free for non-commercial use

    Cons

    • Commercial use requires a subscription
    • Fewer visual designers than Visual Studio for Windows desktop apps
    • Heavy memory use on big solutions
    Visit JetBrains Rider 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 JetBrains Rider a good Visual Studio alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Non-commercial use
    Free
    Checked Oct 25, 2026jetbrains.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    Windows, macOS, Linux
    Checked Oct 25, 2026jetbrains.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Game engines
    Unity, Unreal Engine, Godot
    Checked Oct 25, 2026jetbrains.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free trial
    30 days
    Checked Oct 25, 2026jetbrains.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Cursor logo

    3. Cursor

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

    Free plan + paidWindows, macOS, Linux

    63.9

    score / 100

    Why switch from Visual Studio

    AI-first editor for developers who want agents doing more of the coding.

    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 ×0.369
    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 Visual Studio 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)
  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

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Visual Studio

    JetBrains' C and C++ IDE that works the same on Windows, macOS and Linux.

    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 ×0.377
    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 Visual Studio 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 Visual Studio alternative for…

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

Visual Studio Code logo

Best Visual Studio alternative for most people

Visual Studio Code

Free and much lighter, with C# Dev Kit and C++ extensions on any OS.

Visual Studio Code logo

Best Visual Studio alternative for a free option

Visual Studio Code

Free and much lighter, with C# Dev Kit and C++ extensions on any OS.

JetBrains Rider logo

Best Visual Studio alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

JetBrains Rider

Cross-platform .NET IDE with strong refactoring, free for non-commercial use.

Visual Studio Code logo

Best Visual Studio alternative for open source

Visual Studio Code

Free and much lighter, with C# Dev Kit and C++ extensions on any OS.

Cursor logo

Best Visual Studio alternative for Mac

Cursor

AI-first editor for developers who want agents doing more of the coding.

CLion logo

Best Visual Studio alternative for Windows

CLion

JetBrains' C and C++ IDE that works the same on Windows, macOS and Linux.

Visual Studio Code logo

Best Visual Studio alternative for Linux

Visual Studio Code

Free and much lighter, with C# Dev Kit and C++ extensions on any OS.

Visual Studio Code logo

Best Visual Studio alternative for working in the browser

Visual Studio Code

Free and much lighter, with C# Dev Kit and C++ extensions on any OS.

Visual Studio alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Visual Studio?

Visual Studio Code ranks first right now. Free and much lighter, with C# Dev Kit and C++ extensions on any OS. JetBrains Rider and Cursor follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Visual Studio?

Yes. Visual Studio Code (free), JetBrains Rider (free plan + paid), Cursor (free plan + paid) 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 Visual Studio?

Yes: Visual Studio Code.

Which Visual Studio alternatives work on Linux?

Visual Studio Code, JetBrains Rider, Cursor and CLion run on Linux.

Why do people switch from Visual Studio?

The complaints we hear most: windows only; large install and heavy resource use; bigger companies must pay for Professional or Enterprise.

How is this list ranked?

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