By FreePortal Team · Reviewed by FreePortal Editorial Team · Last updated October 2026

How to Download and Install Visual Studio Code Free Guide

Microsoft's free, lightweight code editor — the most popular tool for programmers of every level.

Is VS Code Free?

Yes — the editor is free to download and use, with no paid tier for editing, debugging, Git, or the extension ecosystem. But the licensing is more nuanced than "open source": the source code (Code - OSS) is MIT-licensed, while the official Microsoft binary is proprietary-licensed and includes branding and telemetry.

Microsoft makes money from VS Code indirectly — through Azure, GitHub, and enterprise developer tooling — and directly through **GitHub Copilot**, the AI subscription now built into the editor. The editor itself remains free; Copilot has a free tier with monthly limits and paid plans from **$10/month**.

If you want a **fully MIT-licensed binary**, use **VSCodium**, which is built from the same Code - OSS repository with telemetry disabled by default. The trade-off is that Microsoft's Marketplace and some Microsoft extensions (C/C++, C# Dev Kit) are restricted to the official build.

Current stable release: VS Code 1.143 (21 October 2026), following 1.142 on 14 October.

System Requirements

Requirements below reflect Microsoft's official documentation (checked October 2026).

OS: Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit); macOS with Apple security update support (typically the latest release and the two previous versions); Linux Ubuntu Desktop 20.04 / Debian 10, or RHEL 8 / Fedora 36.
Processor: 1.6 GHz or faster.
RAM: 1 GB recommended. 4 GB is comfortable for larger projects with several extensions; 8 GB is useful if you also run containers or heavy language servers.
Storage: Under 200 MB download, under 500 MB on disk, excluding extensions.
Linux libraries: GLIBC 2.28+ and GLIBCXX 3.4.25+.
Not supported: Windows Server, App-V/MSIX virtualisation, non-persistent VMs, FSLogix, and multi-session VDI.
Note: Runs smoothly even on older laptops — VS Code is lightweight compared to full IDEs.

How to Install VS Code

Go to the official site. Visit code.visualstudio.com/download.
Download your version. The page auto-detects your OS. On Windows, choose the User Installer for a simple install that does not require administrator rights; choose the System Installer only if you need a machine-wide install and have admin rights.
Run the installer. Accept the license and click through. Keep the default options — especially "Add to PATH" and the right-click context menu options.
Launch it. Open VS Code from your desktop or Start menu. You're ready to code.
Optional: sign in to Copilot. VS Code now prompts you to sign in for AI features. The free Copilot tier is enough to evaluate it; skip it if you prefer a plain editor.

Getting Started

Open a folder, not just a file. File → Open Folder gives VS Code full project context — autocomplete, search, and Git all work better this way.
Pick a theme (optional). Press Ctrl+K Ctrl+T to try built-in themes like Dark+ or One Dark Pro.
Install extensions. Click the Extensions icon on the left sidebar (or Ctrl+Shift+X) and search for tools you need.
Learn the Command Palette. Press Ctrl+Shift+P (Cmd+Shift+P on Mac) — it's the fastest way to do anything in VS Code.
Decide on AI. Copilot is now the default agent harness. If you want it, sign in with GitHub and try the free tier. If you prefer a non-AI editor, you can disable Copilot entirely in Settings.
Sign in to sync (optional). Sign in with a GitHub or Microsoft account to sync settings across computers.

Useful Tips

🧩 Start with these extensions: Prettier (auto-formats code), Error Lens (shows errors inline), and Live Server (instant browser preview for web projects).
⌨️ Master 3 shortcuts first. Ctrl+P opens any file instantly, Ctrl+Shift+F searches across all files, Ctrl+/ comments/uncomments lines.
🖱️ Right-click → "Open with Code". Opens any folder straight into VS Code from File Explorer (enabled by default on Windows).
🔢 Multi-cursor editing. Hold Alt and click multiple spots to edit several places at once — huge time saver.
📁 Split your screen. Drag an editor tab to the side, or press Ctrl+\, to view two files side by side.
🎨 Material Icon Theme. A free extension that adds clear colored icons to every file type — makes big projects far easier to navigate.
🔄 Integrated terminal. Press Ctrl+` to open a terminal inside VS Code — saves switching to a separate window.
📚 Built-in Git. VS Code shows Git changes in the sidebar and lets you commit, branch, and merge without opening a terminal.
⚙️ Settings sync. Sign in with GitHub to sync your extensions, keybindings, and settings across machines — one of the biggest quality-of-life features.
🤖 Try the AI model bake-off (preview). VS Code 1.143 can run the same prompt across Copilot, Claude, and Codex and show a scorecard with time and token usage. Enable sessions.chat.compareAgents.enabled to try it.
🚫 Windows Server is not supported. If you are setting VS Code up on a server OS, use VS Code Server or Remote-SSH from a supported desktop instead.

VS Code vs Cursor vs JetBrains IDEs

VS Code: Free editor (MIT source, proprietary binary), lightweight, largest extension ecosystem, and since 1.143 **Copilot as the default agent harness**. Excellent for web development, scripting, Python, and most modern languages. Best for most developers — it is the industry default for a reason.
Cursor: Built on a VS Code fork with AI features integrated at every level. Pricing changed in 2026: the current individual tiers are Plus ($8/mo), Premium ($30/mo), Super ($100/mo), and Ultra ($200/mo). The old $20 Pro plan is now a legacy plan kept alive for existing subscribers. **Plus runs only Cursor's own models**; **Premium is the cheapest tier that unlocks Claude, GPT, and Gemini**. Best for developers who want a deeper AI-native workflow than VS Code + Copilot. See our Cursor guide.
JetBrains IDEs (IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm, etc.): Paid (with free Community editions for some). Much heavier — designed as full IDEs, not lightweight editors. Excellent refactoring and code analysis for specific languages. Best for large enterprise projects and developers who want deep language-specific tooling.

For most developers, VS Code is the right default — free, fast, and now with capable built-in AI. If you want a more agent-centric workflow, Cursor starts at $8/month for its own models or $30/month for frontier models. For enterprise work in a specific language, JetBrains is often the stronger choice.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

❌ "code" command not recognized in terminal. VS Code was not added to PATH. Reinstall with "Add to PATH" checked, or add the VS Code bin folder manually to your PATH. On macOS, run "Shell Command: Install 'code' command in PATH" from the Command Palette.
🐌 VS Code is slow on large projects. Some project folders (like node_modules) can cause lag. Add them to .vscode/settings.json under files.watcherExclude. Also disable unused extensions — each one runs as a separate process.
🔌 An extension stopped working. Open the Extensions panel, find the extension, and click "Reload Required" if prompted. If it still fails, uninstall and reinstall. Some extensions break temporarily after VS Code updates — check the extension's marketplace page for compatibility notes.
🌐 Cannot connect to extension marketplace. Usually a network or proxy issue. Check that marketplace.visualstudio.com is not blocked. Corporate networks sometimes proxy-block VS Code traffic — you may need to configure the proxy in Settings → Application → Proxy.
🎨 Theme or font looks wrong. Some themes require specific fonts (like Fira Code for ligatures). Install the font, then set it in Settings → Editor → Font Family. For ligatures, enable Editor: Font Ligatures.
💾 Unsaved files lost after a crash. VS Code has built-in "Hot Exit" — files are restored on relaunch. Check File → Open Recent, or look for unsaved changes in the source control panel. Regular use of Git is still the safest protection.
🤖 Copilot is on when I don't want it. VS Code 1.143 makes Copilot the default agent harness. Disable it in Settings under github.copilot.enable, or sign out of GitHub from the Accounts menu. The editor works fully without it.
🧩 A Microsoft extension won't install in VSCodium. Microsoft's C/C++ and C# Dev Kit extensions are restricted to the official VS Code build. Use the official Microsoft binary if you need them, or look for community alternatives on Open VSX.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Visual Studio is Microsoft’s full IDE (with free Community edition plus paid Professional/Enterprise editions) — much heavier, aimed at large enterprise projects. VS Code is a lightweight code editor with extension-based language support — much faster, more versatile, and free to use. For most modern development, VS Code is the more practical choice.

Does VS Code work on Mac and Linux?

Yes. VS Code runs natively on Windows 10/11 (64-bit), macOS, and Linux. On macOS, Microsoft supports versions with Apple security update support — typically the latest release and the two previous versions. On Linux, the official minimums are Ubuntu Desktop 20.04 / Debian 10 and RHEL 8 / Fedora 36, with GLIBC 2.28+ and GLIBCXX 3.4.25+. Packages are available as .deb, .rpm, Snap, and Flatpak.

Is VS Code good for beginners?

Yes, for most languages. VS Code’s interface is clean, the extension marketplace is beginner-friendly, and it is what most tutorials and courses assume you are using. For very specific languages (like Java or C# for enterprise), JetBrains or Visual Studio may be more beginner-friendly — but VS Code remains an excellent starting point.

Do I need to install Python, Node.js, or other languages separately?

Yes. VS Code is an editor — it does not include programming languages. Install Python, Node.js, or whatever language runtime you need, then install the language’s VS Code extension for syntax highlighting and debugging. The editor provides tooling; the language runtime executes your code.

Is VS Code better than Notepad++?

For most programming, yes. VS Code has better language support, debugging, Git integration, and a much larger extension ecosystem. Notepad++ is a lightweight text editor — great for quick edits and small scripts, but not designed for software development. For programming, VS Code is the stronger choice.

Can I use VS Code for Java or C#?

Yes, with extensions. Microsoft provides the “Extension Pack for Java” and “C# Dev Kit” for VS Code. These add syntax highlighting, debugging, and project support. For very large Java or C# projects, JetBrains (IntelliJ, Rider) or full Visual Studio may still be more comfortable — but VS Code works well for most development.

Is VS Code open source?

The source code is, the official binary is not — exactly. The repository, published as Code - OSS, is MIT-licensed. The build Microsoft distributes from code.visualstudio.com is a proprietary-licensed binary that adds Microsoft branding, the Microsoft Marketplace, and telemetry. If you want a fully MIT-licensed binary with telemetry disabled by default, use VSCodium. Note that some Microsoft extensions (C/C++, C# Dev Kit) only work in the official Microsoft build.

Does VS Code include AI now?

Yes — and it is on by default in current releases. VS Code 1.143 (October 2026) made the GitHub Copilot agent harness the default for new agent sessions. Copilot has a free tier with monthly limits, and paid plans start at $10/month for individuals. 1.143 also added an experimental local AI path (requires GitHub sign-in and an NVIDIA GPU with 96 GB of GPU memory) and an AI model ‘bake-off’ that runs one prompt across Copilot, Claude, and Codex for comparison. AI is now part of the core VS Code experience, not an optional add-on.

← Back to all resources