Visual Studio Code

Microsoft Corporation · Free · Developer

Visual Studio Code is a lightweight code editor developed by Microsoft for web and cloud application development. It includes integrated debugging support, Git version control, syntax highlighting, and an extensive marketplace for extensions.

Download for Windows

vscode.download.prss.microsoft.com · Official website

✓ Official source (winget)
✓ SHA256 taken from the official repository
✓ Last checked: Nov. 4, 2026
This is not a virus scan. Check on VirusTotal

Version: 1.143.1
Release date: Oct. 22, 2026
License: Microsoft Software License
Installer type: inno

Install from the command line

How do I use this?

Type Terminal in the Start menu and open it, paste the command (Ctrl+V or right-click) and press Enter. It uses winget, Windows' own package manager, to install the program from its official source.

winget install --id Microsoft.VisualStudioCode -e

SHA256 (file verification)

7cb4c13a1b20c8bba749604a28198585fc45c64a01e5c819c300a42079696519

Download for macOS

update.code.visualstudio.com · Official website

✓ Official source (Homebrew)
✓ SHA256 taken from the official repository
✓ Last checked: Nov. 4, 2026
This is not a virus scan. Check on VirusTotal

Version: 1.144.1
License: Microsoft Software License

Install from the command line

How do I use this?

This command needs Homebrew; if you don't have it, first run the install command from brew.sh. Then open Terminal (Applications > Utilities > Terminal), paste the command and press Enter.

brew install --cask visual-studio-code

SHA256 (file verification)

194e37f905b2bc78708ae8dea43e8045023c326251e2d5487098210a68bd58e4

Open official page for Linux

flathub.org · Official website

✓ Community package (Flathub)
✓ Last checked: Nov. 4, 2026

Version: 1.139.1
Release date: Sept. 25, 2026
License: Microsoft Software License
Installer type: flatpak

Install from the command line

How do I use this?

Open a terminal, paste the command and press Enter. Flatpak and Flathub must be set up; Linux Mint has them by default, for other distributions see flathub.org/setup.

flatpak install flathub com.visualstudio.code

Platform pages: Windows · macOS · Linux · Android

Visual Studio Code 1.143.1: what's new?

Official release notes →

Highlights

Built-in debugging support for multiple runtimes
Integrated Git version control commands and diff views
IntelliSense intelligent code completion
Extensible ecosystem with thousands of extensions

Who is it for?

Visual Studio Code is designed for software developers, web designers, and students building web, cloud, and general-purpose applications. It is commonly used for writing code, debugging programs, and managing repositories with integrated Git tools.

Good to know before installing

Requires installing extensions to obtain full language support, build tools, and advanced IDE features.
Performance can degrade when opening extremely large files or workspaces with numerous active extensions.
Official pre-built binaries from Microsoft are distributed under a proprietary software license.

Screenshots

How to install

Windows

Click the official download button to download the Windows installer.
Run the executable installer and follow the setup wizard.
Or execute winget install --id Microsoft.VisualStudioCode -e in Command Prompt.

Alternatives

Sublime Text
Notepad++
Vim

All Visual Studio Code alternatives →

Frequently asked questions

Is Visual Studio Code free to use?

Yes, Visual Studio Code is free to download and use for both personal and commercial purposes.

Does Visual Studio Code require a full installation of Visual Studio?

No, Visual Studio Code is a standalone editor and does not depend on Visual Studio.

Can I use Visual Studio Code offline?

Yes, you can write and edit code offline without an active internet connection.