Friday, January 23, 2026
Technology
11 min read

Visual Studio 2026: AI-Powered IDE for Just $50

Mashable
January 19, 20263 days ago
Visual Studio 2026 brings AI into your IDE for $50

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Visual Studio Professional 2026, priced at $49.99, is available with significant AI enhancements for developers. The update focuses on faster coding, improved AI-powered assistance for cleaner code, and better real-time collaboration tools. It also offers performance boosts and cross-platform development capabilities, aiming to streamline complex projects and workflows.

TL;DR: MS Visual Studio Professional 2026 delivers faster coding, smarter AI assistance, and better collaboration — for $49.99 instead of $499.99. At some point, every developer hits the same moment: the tools that once felt fast start feeling heavy. Projects get bigger, codebases get messier, and collaboration gets harder than it needs to be. That’s the space Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2026 is designed for — and why this release feels like a thoughtful upgrade rather than a flashy overhaul. Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up! Available for just $49.99 (reg. $499.99), Visual Studio Pro 2026 builds on what developers already like and quietly makes it better. The 64-bit IDE is built to handle large solutions and complex workloads without slowing you down, making it easier to stay focused even when projects scale. You’ll also get huge performance boosts (faster loads and builds), and a streamlined, modern Fluent UI with updated themes and settings. Cross-platform development is front and centre. You can build mobile and desktop apps with .NET MAUI, create modern web interfaces in C# with Blazor, and develop, debug, and test .NET and C++ apps targeting Windows, Linux, and containers — all from one environment. Hot reload across .NET and C++ lets you apply changes instantly, keeping your workflow moving instead of constantly restarting builds. AI-powered assistance is woven into the experience rather than bolted on. IntelliCode understands your code context and offers ranked suggestions based on your existing codebase, helping you write cleaner code faster. Built-in AI-assisted refactoring reduces repetitive work and helps catch issues before they become problems. Collaboration gets a meaningful upgrade, too. Live Share lets teammates edit and debug together in real time without requiring everyone to clone repos or match local setups. CodeLens surfaces key insights — recent changes, authors, tests, and commit history — directly in the editor, so you can make informed decisions without breaking concentration. Mashable Deals Awesome products and offers, hand-picked for you. Sign up now for the Mashable Deals newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up! With deep integrations for Azure, GitHub, and modern DevOps workflows, this version is designed to support how development actually happens today. Get lifetime access to Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2026 for just $49.99 (reg. $499.99). StackSocial prices subject to change.

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    Visual Studio 2026: AI IDE for $50