Blog
May 19, 2022
Eclipse vs. Visual Studio — which IDE should you choose? The answer depends on your intended use.
Both solutions have their advantages and disadvantages but you should pick the one that fits the job best. Think of a builder’s toolbox. You can pick the right tool for the job, by selecting the tool that helps get the job done in the most efficient manner possible.
First, let's look at each tool and make some high-level comparisons.
Back to topEclipse vs. Visual Studio
The main difference between Eclipse and Visual Studio is that Eclipse is a cross-platform IDE, while Visual Studio is only for Windows. Additionally, Eclipse is open source, while Visual Studio is from Microsoft. However, they are both two mature IDEs that are well supported, and choosing the right one depends on the nature of your project and team.
Visual Studio from Microsoft
Visual Studio is a very mature development IDE that has been around for a long time and has everything you could need and more. Visual Studio supports a wide array of languages like Visual Basic, C#, F#, C++, Python, Java, JavaScript/TypeScript, and more.
The types of projects that Visual Studio supports and the templates available make it very attractive as an IDE for teams big and small. Visual Studio provides various editions, depending on your needs and budget, so small teams can get access to the free community edition.
Mobile & Web Test Coverage Guide
What's challenging teams when it comes to test coverage? Go beyond IDEs and testing and get the knowledge you need to move your business forward.
The Visual Studio 2019 editions comparison is available with a breakdown of the differences for each edition. For testers, you really must look at the enterprise edition to get access to some of the testing-specific features.
High-Level Features of Visual Studio
Develop — Navigate, write, and fix your code fast. | Debug — Debug, profile, and diagnose with ease. | Test — Write high-quality code with comprehensive testing tools. |
Collaborate — Use version control tools like Perforce, Git. Be Agile and collaborate efficiently. | Extend — Choose from thousands of extensions to customize your IDE. | Support — Enterprise support as well as a large community. |
Windows — Develop apps and games for any Windows device. | Mobile Apps — Create native or hybrid apps for Android, iOS, and Windows. | Azure Apps — Build, manage, and deploy cloud scale apps to Azure. |
Web Apps — Develop modern web apps and progressive web applications (PWA). | Office — Utilize powerful tools for Office development. | Games — Design, code, and debug games with cutting edge graphics. |
Extensions — Write your own Visual Studio extensions. | Database — Develop and deploy SQL Server and Azure SQL databases. |
Eclipse from the Eclipse Foundation
The Eclipse IDE is famous for its Java Integrated Development Environment (IDE) but it has evolved to include C/C++, JavaScript/TypeScript, PHP, and more. Eclipse is open source and therefore teams and individuals can get access to this IDE at no charge.
Eclipse also provides packages specific to your intended use case. For example, Eclipse IDE for testers supports software development quality assurance processes, such as Jubula and Mylyn.
For enterprise teams looking for features that can help improve productivity, there is an option. MyEclipse provides enhanced capabilities found in Visual Studio Enterprise. These include database design and persistence capabilities as well as many more.
High-Level Features of the Eclipse IDE
Develop — Navigate, write, and fix your code fast with Java focused enhancements. | Debug — Debug and profile with enhanced debugging at runtime using JRebel. | Test — Comprehensive testing tools support like TestNG, BDD, and others. |
Collaborate — Use version control tools like Perforce, Git. | Extend — Customize Eclipse using the Marketplace plug-ins. | Support — Large community support available. |
Web Apps – Develop modern web apps and progressive web applications (PWA). | Mobile Apps — Create native or hybrid apps for Android, iOS, and Windows. | Cloud Apps – Build, manage, and deploy cloud scale apps. |
What About VS Code and Eclipse Theia?
VS Code maybe the most popular code editor at the moment if you look at recent surveys. The Eclipse foundation also started a project as an open source alternative called Theia. Both of these editors are free and the VS Code source code is available under the MIT license.
So, both Microsoft and Eclipse provide a code editor. At this point VS Code is winning the battle by a long way. This certainly helps the Visual Studio IDE users in the long run as we see the usability enhancements make their way into the Visual Studio IDE.
Back to topEclipse vs. Visual Studio: Which is Better for Testing?
When comparing Eclipse vs. Visual Studio, the answer depends on the type of projects you work on, personal preference, and more importantly which IDE will help you get the job done faster. Ultimately, that is up to the individual user.
Although I have my favorite IDE that I prefer to use, the choice is yours. You have solid, mature, and well supported options to choose from.
The good news is that if you are focusing on test creation and test execution for your projects, both Visual Studio and Eclipse are well supported. And, both IDEs work well with cloud-based solutions like Perfecto.
Let us explore how to integrate both Eclipse and Visual Studio with Perfecto so you can get started with your test automation.
Perfecto and Visual Studio
Perfecto integrates with Visual Studio seamlessly. You won't need any plugins to integrate these two solutions.
Plus, your team can also execute Appium and Selenium scripts simultaneously from Visual Studio without leaving your session.
Perfecto and Eclipse
Perfecto also integrates with Eclipse seamlessly, without any plugins
Like Visual Studio, Perfecto and Eclipse also work together with session sharing, which means you can execute Appium and Selenium scripts while working on a device in the Perfecto cloud without leaving Eclipse.
This and other capabilities with the Perfecto-Eclipse integration helps improve debugging and test script development efforts.
Back to topTry Visual Studio or Eclipse With Perfecto
Don't let bugs bog down your development process. Try pairing either Visual Studio or Eclipse with Perfecto. Perfecto makes it easy to debug your web and mobile apps.
Simply connect to a device in the cloud like you’re connecting via USB and debug apps straight from your IDE. There’s no need to spend time trying to recreate the bug. Perfecto makes it fast and simple to find and fix bugs.
With Perfecto's advanced reporting and analytics, you can find bugs fast so you will know what went wrong fast and receive rapid feedback to fix them earlier in the cycle.
Find out how Perfecto can help you seek out bugs faster than ever to boost the efficiency of your team. Get your free 14-day trial today.
Back to top
Other FAQs
What is the Difference Between Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code?
Visual Studio is an IDE with all the features needed for development. Visual Studio Code is a lightweight source code editor.
Is Visual Studio Free?
There is a basic community version which is free. However, there is also a paid version with more features available.
Can You Use Java With Visual Studio?
Java was supported in the past, but now JavaScript is cited as a first-class language in Visual Studio. You can also use built-in languages such as C, C++, and C#.
What Is the Best IDE for Python?
PyCharm is an IDE fully dedicated to Python. There’s also Spyder and Thonny, two more IDEs that are best for Python.