Visual Studio Express Jun 2026

: Built-in features for debugging, profiling, and unit testing. Current Status in 2026

| Aspect | Details | |--------|---------| | | Discontinued (as of 2017) | | License | Free for individuals, students, non-commercial use | | Best for | Learning Windows/WPF/ASP.NET on a budget | | Limitations | No plugins, no team tools, per-edition restrictions | | Replaced by | Visual Studio Community (free, more powerful) | | First release | 2005 | | Last release | 2013 Update 5 (or 2015 Preview) | visual studio express

: Microsoft shifted the focus toward the type of application being built. This resulted in specialized versions like Express for Web , Express for Windows , and Express for Windows Desktop . : Built-in features for debugging, profiling, and unit

First introduced in , Visual Studio Express was Microsoft’s answer to the growing demand for accessible development tools. Prior to this, full versions of Visual Studio were primarily expensive, enterprise-focused products. First introduced in , Visual Studio Express was

| Edition | Target Platform / Language | Key Features | |--------|---------------------------|---------------| | | Classic Windows apps (WinForms, WPF) | C#, VB.NET, C++ (native) | | Express for Windows | Windows 8.x / UWP apps | C#, VB, C++, JavaScript (XAML) | | Express for Web | Web development | ASP.NET, HTML/CSS, JavaScript, C# / VB | | Express for Windows Phone | Windows Phone 7/8 apps | C#, VB, XAML | | Express 2012 for Windows 8 (later unified) | Windows 8 Store apps | Single IDE for multiple languages |

If you need a recommendation: today. Download Visual Studio 2022 Community – it’s free, supports modern .NET (5/6/7/8), and includes everything Express had plus much more.