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What are Visual Studio subscriptions?

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Visual Studio subscriptions are a comprehensive set of tools and resources to speed up development, promote collaboration anywhere, and innovate on any platform—all while maximizing security and compliance. Various subscription options are offered across several different channels so you can choose a subscription that best serves your needs.

Subscription benefits

In addition to the Visual Studio IDE, subscriptions can include benefits in these areas:

  • Tools & Services
  • Professional Development
  • Support
  • Access to product downloads

Important

Benefits included in any subscription depend on the type of subscription. Not all benefits are included in all subscriptions. Be sure to visit the Buy Visual Studio page and compare the benefits in each subscription to determine the best fit for your needs.

If you already have a subscription, access your benefits in the portal at my.visualstudio.com

Tools & services

The tools and services that might be included in a subscription include:

  • Azure credits. Up to $150 in Azure credits per month are included, depending on the subscription
  • Discounted dev/test pricing on select Azure services for nonproduction workloads
  • Azure DevOps. Receive either the basic plan, or basic + test plans
  • Windows Developer Account
  • Microsoft 365 Developer Account
  • Microsoft 365 apps for enterprise

Professional development

Build your development skill set with training and content from providers like:

Access to training partners with exclusive subscriber discounts

Support

Depending on your subscription, you can receive up to four professional support incidents from Microsoft.

Access to product downloads

A wide range of products are available for use in your development and test environments, depending on your subscription level. See available software here

How can I purchase a subscription?

Subscriptions are available through several channels.

  • Volume licensing. For larger organizations would need multiple subscriptions, volume licensing provides a cost-effective way to purchase what they need. Volume license purchases frequently use multi-year agreements. Learn more about licensing programs.
  • Retail. Individuals who are looking for a subscription for their own use can purchase subscriptions through the Microsoft Store.
  • Monthly subscriptions. Sometimes called "cloud subscriptions," monthly subscriptions are billed each month and provide billing flexibility. They're a great option for developers who just need to use the IDE for a short time, and don’t need the other benefits. Monthly subscriptions can be purchased on the Visual Studio Marketplace or through a Cloud Solution Provider.

For general information about subscriptions, including options, benefits, and pricing, visit the Visual Studio subscriptions and benefits page.