Did you know there is a difference that exists between the visual studio community vs. professional? Well, many may find this confusing too. The thing is they both have similar features with not-too obvious differences. Anyway, let’s find out if any exist.
The answer to the question about the differences between visual studio community and professional is this: the visual studio community is free, while the professional version isn’t free. The former can also be used by developers individually or a smaller-sized team comprising of at least 5 persons or less. But the professional version has fewer restrictions. A group of 5 to 25 developers can also use it. Another notable difference is that the professional version has enterprise support, while the visual studio community doesn’t.
Visual Studio Community Vs. Professional: Which Is Much Better?
If you are asking such questions, then the chances are that you are a .NET developer. There’s a possibility you are using the Visual Studio or have plans to do so.
Now let’s discuss from a developer’s point of view. Speaking base on programming knowledge, you will agree with me that the Visual Studio, in general, is not the only tool for software development.
But the impressive thing is that when it comes to developing applications particularly for the .NET framework, Visual Studio stands out from the crowd.
Now between the Visual Studio community edition and the professional, which would you go for as a professional? Here is the answer:
Every developer’s primary focus is to provide the best quality in terms of output. They always want their applications or whatever they are creating to stand out from the crowd.
But let’s be realistic, the community and professional editions are almost identical when it comes to operational features. However, if you read the beginning of this post, you will see that I listed some of the differences between both editions.
One of the differences between both tools is that there are limited numbers of people that can use the community version. So, if you have a large team of developers working on a project, this limitation can hamper the progress of work.
The professional version doesn’t have such a restriction. It can accommodate 5 to 25 developers.
Now here is the thing; the paid version, which happens to be the Visual Studio professional, gives you access to more features. And it comes designed to meet the needs of software development companies too.
Visual Studio IDE For Software Development: Is It Worth Using?
Diverse IDEs are in the market. So, if you are a beginner developer, it is easy to get confused. But you will never know how useful a tool is until you start making use of it.
However, every developer would want to get the best results. And it doesn’t matter whether they are using a free or paid IDE.
But the Visual Studio is by far one of the best IDE designed for software development. One thing that also makes it stand out is the regular update it gets. From the first edition, which is the Visual Studio community, there came a professional and now the enterprise edition.
Each edition is also more like an upgrade to the previous one. You will discover this when you use the various Visual Studios from the community down to the enterprise edition, which is the highest available at the time of writing.
Another thing that makes the Visual Studio worth the try is its ease of use. It is more of a guide, featuring real-time assistance. So, irrespective of the language you are using, whether C++, Python, or JavaScript, you will find the Visual Studio simple to use and helpful.
Advantage & Disadvantages Of Visual Studio IDE
Other advantages of visual studio IDE exists, which I would like to state at this point. But then, no one tool is perfect. Only that in most cases, the advantages might be more than the disadvantages.
Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages you need to know about Visual Studio IDE.
Advantages of using visual Studio
- The numerous editions of this program are all easy to use. As a developer, the Visual Studio will help you to maintain your code from the onset. It has features such as improved Go To and Inspection Setting, which makes it possible.
- It can handle diverse programming languages perfectly well, which is one of the things that make it unique. It has various tools for that.
- Visual Studio can be best described as a complete tool. In other words, it has everything you need for your software development project.
- This tool is also super easy to setup. Even as a beginner, you won’t struggle with the installation process, including how to use it.
Disadvantages of using Visual Studio
- Most computers cannot handle the demands of the tool. The reason is due to high hardware consumption. Your computer needs to have suitable hardware available before you can utilize all the features on the tool.
- The community edition is free but limited in diverse areas. But if you need to use the enterprise edition, which has more features, you have to pay more. The enterprise edition of this software development tool is also a bit on the high side.
- This tool is selective when it comes to the choice of the operating system. It works best on a computer with Windows operating systems. It’s not that it doesn’t work on Mac. There is a Visual Studio version for the Mac operating system. But it is not as complete as the Windows version. In other words, you won’t find some of the useful features in it.
Steps On The Installation And Activation Of Visual Studio
If you have accepted Visual Studio as the best IDE for the development of software for Windows and Linux operating systems, then get started with the installation process.
You should also know that the installation process takes time. It can last around one and a half or two hours. Your internet speed, including the features you want to install, will also influence how long the process will last.
Below are the steps to follow when installing the Visual Studio IDE:
Step #1 – Get the Visual Studio installer on your PC
The first thing you need to do is to download and install the Visual Studio installer on your computer system. After installing it, you have to run and choose the features you would like to install on your computer.
You can decide to select individual features you need or install all the features available. The choice is yours to make!
Microsoft is also doing a great job with its Visual Studio tools. The tech giant has made available ways intended users can get the offline installation files with ease. You can get them via a web installer.
However, there are three versions of the Visual Studio. These include community, professional, and the last being the enterprise version. All three editions of this tool have a similar installation process.
So now, let’s assume you intend to download the enterprise edition. The file size is not that big. It’s somewhere around 1.3MB. And based on the version of the file downloaded, you will find something like this:
Vs_enterprise_758993849.8156644.exe
Please note that this is not a fixed name. It’s based on the file version you are downloading.
At this stage, the Visual Studio installer will be installed. And from this point onward, the process will be more straightforward. All that’s required of you is to choose the features you wish to install and be patient while the installation process continues.
Step #2 – Install your video studio installer
The video studio installer is another simple process. Just double click on the installer file, and the process will start automatically.
Now click on the checkbox and choose the features you wish to install. Once you finish clicking, you will see the disk space required. If you have enough disk space, then continue the installation process.
Once the installation process is complete, you will see a command to restart your computer system. You can restart the computer system right away or click “not now” to do so later.
But if you choose to restart immediately, then go to your start menu and search for Visual Studio once your computer restarts. Launch the Visual Studio 2019 to continue the process.
At this point, everything about the installation of Visual Studio is almost complete. Just read the notifications and follow the instructions to start using the tool.
Conclusion
Now you have known the major differences that exist between the Visual Studio Community Vs. Professional. I firmly believe you can make an informed decision with the information provided. The community version, as earlier said, is free. It’s a tool fit for students or academicians working on a software development project. But the professional edition isn’t free. You need to buy a license to gain access. The tool can also be used by a team of developers working on a software development project and for commercial purposes too.
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