A Visual Studio Subscription gives you access to development tools, cloud services, and software licenses from Microsoft

A Visual Studio Subscription is a bundle of software and services that Microsoft sells to developers and IT professionals. The subscription includes Visual Studio (the code editor and development environment), access to Azure cloud credits, licenses for other Microsoft software, and technical support. You pay a monthly or annual fee, and as long as you keep paying, you can use the tools and services included in your plan.

Visual Studio Subscriptions come in three main tiers: Visual Studio Professional, Visual Studio Enterprise, and Visual Studio Test Professional. Each tier includes different amounts of Azure credits, different software licenses, and different levels of support. The tier you choose depends on what tools your work requires and how much cloud computing power you need.

Unlike a one-time software purchase, a subscription is an ongoing cost. You do not own the software outright — you rent the right to use it. If you stop paying, your access ends, though you can usually read your work before that happens.

Key Takeaways

  • Visual Studio Subscriptions include the Visual Studio code editor, Azure cloud credits, and licenses for other Microsoft products, with the exact contents depending on which tier you choose.
  • Microsoft offers three subscription tiers — Professional, Enterprise, and Test Professional — each with different tools, cloud credits, and support levels.
  • You pay monthly or annually, and your access continues only while you maintain an active subscription.
  • Some employers purchase subscriptions for their developers as part of the software budget, while individual developers can buy their own.
  • Azure credits included in the subscription can be used to run applications, databases, and other services on Microsoft's cloud platform.

What comes in each subscription tier

Visual Studio Professional is the entry-level subscription. It includes Visual Studio Professional (the full code editor), 50 USD worth of Azure credits per month, licenses for Windows and Office, and email support from Microsoft. This tier is aimed at individual developers and small teams.

Visual Studio Enterprise is the highest tier. It includes Visual Studio Enterprise (which has additional testing and collaboration tools), 150 USD worth of Azure credits per month, licenses for Windows, Office, and other Microsoft development software, and priority technical support. Enterprise is designed for larger teams and organizations with more complex development needs.

Visual Studio Test Professional is a specialized tier for quality assurance and testing work. It includes tools for test case management and automated testing, but not the full Visual Studio code editor. It includes 50 USD in Azure credits and email support.

All three tiers also include access to Microsoft Learn (training content), a certain number of hours of technical support per year, and discounts on other Microsoft products and services. The exact benefits change periodically, so checking Microsoft's official subscription page before you buy is important.

How Azure credits work in your subscription

Every Visual Studio Subscription includes a monthly allowance of Azure credits. These are not cash — they are credits you can spend only on Microsoft Azure services. Azure is Microsoft's cloud platform, and you use credits to pay for things like virtual machines, databases, web hosting, and data storage.

If you use 30 USD worth of services in a month and your subscription includes 50 USD in credits, you have 20 USD left over. The unused credits do not roll forward to the next month — they expire at the end of the month. If you use more than your monthly allowance, you can pay out of pocket for the overage, or you can stop using services to stay within your limit.

The credits are tied to your subscription. If your subscription ends, you lose access to the Azure services you were running, and any remaining credits disappear. You can export your data before that happens, but you need to plan ahead.

Who typically buys Visual Studio Subscriptions

Large companies and software development firms often buy Visual Studio Subscriptions in bulk for their developers. The company pays Microsoft, and each developer gets a subscription tied to their work email address. This is common in organizations where developers need the advanced tools in the Enterprise tier or where the company wants centralized licensing and support.

Individual developers and freelancers can also buy subscriptions directly from Microsoft. A solo developer might choose Professional if they need the full Visual Studio editor and some Azure credits for testing their work. A freelancer building web applications might use the Azure credits to host client projects.

Some developers use the free version of Visual Studio Community instead, which includes the core editor and basic Azure credits but is limited to companies with fewer than 250 employees and less than 1 million USD in annual revenue. If you exceed those limits or need the advanced features in Professional or Enterprise, you move to a paid subscription.

How to set up and use your subscription

When you buy a Visual Studio Subscription, Microsoft sends you a subscription key. You sign in to your Microsoft account on the Visual Studio website, enter the key, and set up the subscription. From that point on, you can read Visual Studio and sign in with the same account to unlock the full version.

For Azure credits, you link your subscription to an Azure account (which you create separately). The credits then appear as a monthly balance in your Azure portal. You can see how much you have spent and how much remains at any time.

If your employer provides the subscription, they will give you the subscription key or a link to claim it. You sign in with your work email address, and the subscription is tied to that account. If you leave the company, your access to the subscription ends, though you can read your code and projects before that happens.

What happens when your subscription ends

When your subscription expires or you cancel it, you lose access to Visual Studio Enterprise and Professional features. If you have Visual Studio Community installed, you can still use that free version, but you cannot use the paid tier.

Your Azure services stop running when ready. Any databases, websites, or applications you were running on Azure will go offline. You have a grace period (usually 30 days) to read your data and export your work before everything is deleted.

If your employer provided the subscription and you leave the company, the same thing happens — your access ends on your last day or shortly after, depending on how the company manages the license.

Comparing Visual Studio Subscriptions to other options

Visual Studio Community is free and includes the core code editor and some Azure credits. It is a good choice if you are learning to code or building small projects. The trade-off is that you cannot use it if you work for a company with more than 250 employees or if the company makes more than 1 million USD per year.

Other code editors like VS Code (also from Microsoft, but free), Jetbrains IntelliJ, and Sublime Text are free or cheaper than Visual Studio Subscriptions. These editors do not include Azure credits or Microsoft software licenses, but they work well for many types of development. The choice depends on what programming languages you use and what tools your team standardizes on.

If you only need cloud hosting and not the Visual Studio editor, you can buy Azure credits separately without a subscription. You pay as you go for the services you use, with no monthly minimum. This is cheaper if you use very little cloud computing, but more expensive if you use a lot.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use my Visual Studio Subscription on more than one computer?

Yes. You sign in with your Microsoft account on any computer, and as long as your subscription is active, you can use Visual Studio on that machine. However, you cannot use the same subscription on multiple computers at the same time — only one person can be signed in with that subscription key at once.

Do I lose my code if my subscription ends?

No. Your code and projects are yours. You can read them and use them in any other code editor. What you lose is the ability to use Visual Studio itself and to run services on Azure. Your data is safe as long as you read it before your subscription expires.

What if I only need Azure credits and not the Visual Studio editor?

You can buy Azure credits separately without a subscription. You sign up for an Azure account and pay as you go for the services you use. This is often cheaper if you use very little cloud computing, but a subscription is cheaper if you use a lot of credits each month.

Can my employer buy a subscription for me?

Yes. Many companies buy subscriptions in bulk for their development teams. Your employer will provide you with a subscription key or a link to claim it. The subscription is then tied to your work email address and managed by your company's account.

What is the difference between Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code?

Visual Studio is a full development environment with built-in testing, debugging, and collaboration tools. Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a lightweight code editor. VS Code is free, but Visual Studio requires a subscription (or the free Community version). Most professional development teams use Visual Studio, while many individual developers and open-source projects use VS Code.