| Feature | VS 2022 Community | VS Code | | --- | --- | --- | | | Full IDE (Integrated Development Environment) | Lightweight Code Editor | | Primary Use | Large, complex .NET, C++, C#, and game projects | Web dev (JS/TS), Python, Go, Rust, scripts | | Install Size | ~20-40 GB (select workloads) | ~200-300 MB | | Performance | Heavier, slower to launch | Fast, low memory footprint | | IntelliSense | Deep, project-aware | Lighter, language-server based | | Debugging | Very powerful, integrated | Good, but relies on extensions | | Cost | Free (with licensing limits) | Free (always) |