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PhpStorm vs Microsoft Visual Studio

Updated February 9, 2026

PhpStorm vs Microsoft Visual Studio: Which is best for you?

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$99.00

per year

$45.00

per month

Free Trial
Free Version
Screenshots
and Demo
Product Screenshot
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Product Screenshot
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Top Rated
  Features
Code Development
4.90
Code Editing
4.86
For Developers
4.77
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For Developers
4.72
Code Editing
4.70
Code Development
4.70
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Integrations
GitHub
GitHub
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GitHub
GitHub
Microsoft SQL Server
Microsoft SQL Server
Unity
Unity
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Pros / Cons
  • I love the debugging tools, the remote file view, the ability to edit a remote file, and linking to github to name but a few
  • It’s a subscription-based paid IDE, which may be expensive compared to free editors like VS Code.
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  • With support for various code bases, as well as HTML, the programme provides all you need for building and developing websites, email, applications and widgets.
  • I have nothing that I specifically dislike about Visual Studio. If I had to choose one item it would be the fact that a user could feel "forced" to start using MS Copilot by virtue of it being so integrated into the latest versions of VS.
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Ease-of-Use
Highest performing feature
in the comparison
4.5/ 5
4.3/ 5
Value for Money
Highest performing feature
in the comparison
4.5/ 5
4.4/ 5
Customer Support
Highest performing feature
in the comparison
4.5/ 5
4.2/ 5
Functionality
Highest performing feature
in the comparison
4.8/ 5
4.6/ 5
Support Options
Email/Help Desk
FAQs/Forum
Knowledge Base
Phone Support
24/7 (Live Rep)
Chat
Email/Help Desk
FAQs/Forum
Knowledge Base
Phone Support
24/7 (Live Rep)
Chat
Training Options
In Person
Live Online
Webinars
Documentation
Videos
In Person
Live Online
Webinars
Documentation
Videos
FrontRunners
FrontRunners 2022
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Advisor
  Recommendations
N/A
N/A
Ideal Customer Size
Small
Medium
Large
Small
Medium
Large
Deployment Options
Cloud, SaaS, Web-Based
Desktop - Mac
Desktop - Windows
Desktop - Linux
Desktop - Chromebook
On-Premise - Windows
On-Premise - Linux
Mobile - Android
Mobile - iPhone
Mobile - iPad
Cloud, SaaS, Web-Based
Desktop - Mac
Desktop - Windows
Desktop - Linux
Desktop - Chromebook
On-Premise - Windows
On-Premise - Linux
Mobile - Android
Mobile - iPhone
Mobile - iPad