Visual Studio vs PyCharm

by Gralio Mar 07, 2025

Visual Studio and PyCharm cater to distinct development needs. Visual Studio excels for .NET and Windows-focused projects, while PyCharm is a strong choice for Python developers and those utilizing cross-platform technologies. The best choice depends on the project requirements and the developer's familiarity with the respective ecosystems.

At Gralio.ai we help to simplify your decision-making process by offering detailed, side-by-side software comparisons like this one, to help you confidently choose the tool that aligns with your business goals.

This comparison was created by analysing 3613 reviews and 60 websites, saving 20 hours, 34 minutes of reading.

Visual Studio

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PyCharm

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About

Visual Studio, by Microsoft, is a popular software development tool. It helps developers build a wide variety of applications – from simple programs to complex websites and mobile apps. Visual Studio provides a single, comprehensive environment for coding, debugging, testing, and deploying software, making the development process smoother and more efficient.

PyCharm is a software development tool made by JetBrains for professional programmers using the Python language. It helps developers write, organize, test, and fix their code more efficiently. This is achieved through features like code completion suggestions, error highlighting, and integration with other tools. PyCharm is available in a free "Community" version, and a paid "Professional" version with more advanced capabilities.

Summary

Main difference

Visual Studio is a comprehensive IDE best suited for .NET development and Windows-centric environments, offering deep integrations with Microsoft technologies. PyCharm excels as a dedicated Python IDE, providing robust support for Python development, scientific computing, and web development with Django and Flask.

Relative strengths of Visual Studio (compared to PyCharm)

Strong .NET ecosystem integration: Visual Studio seamlessly integrates with .NET framework and related technologies, making it ideal for C# and other Microsoft languages.
Advanced debugging and profiling tools: Visual Studio provides robust debugging and profiling capabilities tailored for Windows environments, surpassing PyCharm's focus on Python debugging.
Extensive support for Microsoft technologies: Visual Studio offers comprehensive support for Azure, Windows Forms, WPF, and other Microsoft services, which is not readily available in PyCharm.

Relative weaknesses of Visual Studio (compared to PyCharm)

Limited cross-platform support: Visual Studio primarily caters to Windows, while PyCharm supports multiple operating systems.
Resource intensive: Visual Studio can be demanding on system resources, impacting performance on less powerful machines, whereas PyCharm, particularly the Community Edition, is generally lighter.
Less focused on Python development: Though Visual Studio supports Python, its features and optimizations primarily target .NET, while PyCharm offers dedicated Python support and scientific tools.

Who should use Visual Studio VS. PyCharm

Visual Studio by Microsoft is a comprehensive software development tool empowering developers to build diverse applications. Its user-friendly interface, robust debugging tools, and seamless Git integration are praised by users. However, some find it resource-intensive and slow with larger projects. Best suited for Windows-based development, it's ideal for businesses of all sizes, especially those in the software, IT, and telecommunications industries.

PyCharm is a powerful IDE for professional Python developers, data scientists, and web developers. Its intelligent code completion, debugging tools, and Git integration streamline the coding process. Users praise its user-friendly interface and extensive plugin support, while some find it resource-intensive and slow to start. Best suited for teams in any sized business.

Best for medium to large businesses (101+ employees).
Ideal for software development teams.

Ideal for small to large businesses, excellent for teams.
Strong fit for Software, IT, and Telecommunications, applicable to various other sectors.

Visual Studio and PyCharm features

Supported

Partially supported

Not supported

Type in the name of the feature or in your own words tell us what you need

AI code completion

Supported

Visual Studio supports AI code completion via IntelliCode and GitHub Copilot.

Supported

PyCharm supports AI-powered code completion to streamline coding and reduce errors.
Python code editor

Supported

Visual Studio supports Python code editing with features like intelligent code completion, syntax highlighting, and basic error detection.

Supported

PyCharm offers intelligent code completion, syntax highlighting, code analysis, and error detection.
o3-mini reasoning model access

Partially supported

Visual Studio will support o3-mini via Copilot integration, but not directly.

Partially supported

PyCharm supports o3-mini via JetBrains AI Assistant, but Azure OpenAI Service integration is unclear.
Surface Copilot+ PC access

Supported

Visual Studio can run on Surface Copilot+ PCs due to Windows compatibility.

Partially supported

PyCharm may run on Surface Copilot+ PCs via emulation, but native support is not confirmed.
Commit and push

Supported

Visual Studio allows committing and pushing code changes directly within the IDE.

Supported

PyCharm allows to commit and push code changes directly from the IDE.
Code completion

Supported

Visual Studio supports code completion via IntelliSense and IntelliCode, potentially enhanced by ReSharper.

Supported

PyCharm provides extensive code completion features including context-aware suggestions, smart type matching, full-line completion, and machine learning assistance.

Qualities

Value and Pricing Transparency

+0.14

Neutral sentiment

No data
Customer Service

+0.71

Strongly positive sentiment

No data
Ease of Use

+0.72

Strongly positive sentiment

+1

Strongly positive sentiment
Reliability and Performance

-0.51

Rather negative sentiment

-0.27

Neutral sentiment
Ease of Implementation

+0.25

Neutral sentiment

+1

Strongly positive sentiment
Scalability

-0.25

Neutral sentiment

No data

Visual Studio and PyCharm Pricing

No data

User sentiment

Neutral

+0.14

See full Pricing page

No data

User sentiment

Strongly negative

-1

We couldn't find a pricing page for PyCharm.

Visual Studio and PyCharm review insights

3613 reviews analysed from and

Users love

User-friendly interface and easy navigation.
Excellent IntelliSense and code completion.
Powerful debugging capabilities.
Extensive customization options and extensions.
Seamless Git integration.

The user-friendly interface is highly praised.
Excellent code completion suggestions and error highlighting contribute to a smooth coding experience.
Powerful debugging features streamline the process of identifying and fixing bugs.
Seamless Git integration makes version control management efficient.
Extensive plugin support enhances functionality and customizability.

Users dislike

Slow performance, especially with larger projects or multiple extensions.
Resource intensive, requiring high system specifications.
Occasional freezing or crashing.
Complex setup and configuration, especially for beginners.
Limited native support for non-Microsoft platforms or technologies.

Slow startup time is a major drawback, especially for larger projects.
Autosave feature cannot be disabled, hindering the Flask development experience.
Resource-intensive and can slow down older machines.
Limited customization options, especially for themes.

Visual Studio and PyCharm Ratings

G2

4.5/5

(2518)

G2

4.6/5

(747)
Capterra

4.7/5

(348)
Glassdoor

4.3/5

(251)

Company health

Employee growth

3% increase in the last year

10% increase in the last year

Web traffic

11% decrease in the last quarter

3% decrease in the last quarter

Financing

No data

How important is Python-specific functionality?

Python-specific functionality is very important. PyCharm is explicitly designed for Python development, offering specialized features like intelligent code completion, syntax highlighting, and debugging tools tailored to the language. While Visual Studio can support Python development via extensions, PyCharm's native focus provides a more streamlined and optimized experience for Python developers. This specialization makes PyCharm a stronger choice for projects heavily reliant on Python.

Which IDE better integrates with your existing toolchain?

If your existing toolchain is heavily reliant on the Python programming language, PyCharm is the better choice due to its specialized features and deep integration with Python development workflows. If your toolchain involves a broader range of technologies or focuses on Microsoft ecosystems, Visual Studio might be a better fit due to its wider language support and integration with Microsoft tools.

What are the advantages of Visual Studio?

Visual Studio offers a comprehensive, integrated development environment (IDE) for building diverse applications, streamlining the entire development lifecycle from coding and debugging to testing and deployment. It boasts strong support for Microsoft technologies and platforms, along with features like IntelliSense and IntelliCode for enhanced code completion, making it particularly advantageous for Windows-centric development. Seamless Git integration within the IDE further simplifies version control for developers.

What are the disadvantages of Visual Studio?

Visual Studio can be slow and resource-intensive, especially with larger projects, potentially requiring high system specifications. It can occasionally freeze or crash, and the setup and configuration can be complex for beginners. It also has limited native support for non-Microsoft platforms and technologies.

Alternatives to Visual Studio and PyCharm

Jetbrains Fleet

JetBrains Fleet is a coding tool that can be used as a simple editor or a powerful development environment (IDE). It supports popular programming languages like Java, Python, and JavaScript, automatically detecting your project setup. Fleet excels at collaborative work, allowing real-time code sharing, debugging, and more. While currently in public preview and free to use, it will eventually be offered as a paid subscription similar to other JetBrains products, with a free version having limited features for non-commercial use.

Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a free code editor by Microsoft for building modern web and cloud applications. Available on Linux, Mac OSX, and Windows, it supports nearly every major programming language. VS Code features syntax highlighting, code refactoring, a built-in terminal, and version control integration. A vast library of extensions allows users to customize the editor for specific workflows and programming languages.

Azure DevOps Server

Azure DevOps Server is a comprehensive, on-premises toolset designed to streamline software development. It enables your teams to manage code, track work progress, and automate software releases. With built-in features for version control, code reviews, continuous integration, and continuous delivery, it offers a centralized platform for managing your entire software development lifecycle. Geared towards enterprise-level needs, it seamlessly integrates with popular development tools.

Sublime Text

Sublime Text is a software program used for writing and editing code. It offers a streamlined interface, powerful features for navigating and manipulating code, and strong performance. Sublime Text is designed specifically for developers and is known for its speed, customizability, and extensive plugin ecosystem.

Xcode

Xcode is Apple's own software development toolset. It provides everything needed to build apps for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple's other platforms. Xcode offers a visual design tool for user interfaces, as well as tools for coding, testing, and debugging. It stands out as the only official tool for creating Apple software and promises a streamlined development experience for this ecosystem.

PyTorch

PyTorch is a free, open-source software tool developed by Meta that can build sophisticated computer programs known as neural networks. These neural networks are designed to mimic the human brain's learning process and are used in applications like image recognition, language translation, and self-driving cars. PyTorch is known for its flexibility, making it easy for developers to experiment and build custom solutions. Its robust design allows for efficient and scalable training of these complex models. PyTorch is widely used by both researchers and industry professionals.

Page co-authored by

Michal Kaczor

CEO at Gralio

Michal has worked at startups for many years and writes about topics relating to software selection and IT management. As a former consultant for Bain, a business advisory company, he also knows how to understand needs of any business and find solutions to its problems.

Tymon Terlikiewicz

CTO at Gralio

Tymon is a seasoned CTO who loves finding the perfect tools for any task. He recently headed up the tech department at Batmaid, a well-known Swiss company, where he managed about 60 software purchases, including CX, HR, Payroll, Marketing automation and various developer tools.

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