Five Reasons Visual Studio is Better than Rider
by darren horrocksJetBrains Rider has garnered attention as a modern, cross-platform IDE, especially for .NET developers. However, Visual Studio remains the reigning heavyweight in the development world, thanks to years of evolution and refinement. While Rider offers impressive features, there are still several areas where Visual Studio shines brighter. Here are five reasons why Visual Studio is better than Rider.
Comprehensive Microsoft Ecosystem Integration
Visual Studio is deeply integrated into the Microsoft ecosystem, making it the default choice for developers working with Microsoft technologies like .NET, Azure, and SQL Server. It offers out-of-the-box features and first-class support for tools such as Azure DevOps, Azure Functions, and Entity Framework, with easy configuration and deployment options.
While Rider offers solid support for the .NET ecosystem, Visual Studio’s native integration with Microsoft’s cloud and enterprise solutions makes it a one-stop shop for developers working in the Microsoft stack. Whether you need to deploy to Azure, use Microsoft-specific libraries, or configure cloud services, Visual Studio’s deep integration gives it a significant edge.
Powerful Debugging Tools
Visual Studio has some of the best debugging tools in the industry. It provides advanced features like Edit and Continue, Live Unit Testing, and IntelliTrace (for historical debugging), which help developers diagnose and fix issues more efficiently.
While Rider has strong debugging capabilities, it doesn’t quite match Visual Studio’s level of depth, especially when it comes to enterprise-level applications. IntelliTrace, for instance, allows developers to step back through time during debugging sessions, making it easier to pinpoint and solve complex issues. This feature is particularly valuable for debugging large applications with many moving parts, where standard breakpoints and stepping through code aren’t enough.
Comprehensive Support for GUI-Based Development
For developers working on Windows desktop applications, especially using technologies like WPF, Windows Forms, or UWP, Visual Studio provides superior support with its drag-and-drop designers and rich tooling for building GUI applications. The visual designers for XAML and WinForms allow for rapid prototyping, with a real-time preview of the UI as it’s being built.
While Rider offers basic support for WPF and other desktop frameworks, its GUI development tools are not as mature or fully featured as Visual Studio’s. The designer experience in Visual Studio is a major advantage for developers building desktop apps that require a lot of UI work.
More Mature Ecosystem and Extensions
Visual Studio has a massive and mature ecosystem of extensions available through the Visual Studio Marketplace. Whether you need tools for version control, database management, or third-party integrations, you’ll find a wide variety of well-supported plugins. Popular tools like CodeRush, Visual Assist, and SpecFlow are readily available and often offer better integration with Visual Studio than with Rider.
Rider has its own plugin marketplace, but it’s smaller in scale and doesn’t yet offer the same variety or depth of support that Visual Studio does. For developers who rely heavily on custom tooling and extensions to enhance their workflow, Visual Studio remains the more versatile platform.
Enterprise Features and Licensing
Visual Studio provides enterprise-grade features, particularly in the Visual Studio Enterprise edition. Features like Live Dependency Validation, Code Map, and Architectural Layer Diagrams are invaluable in large-scale enterprise environments. These tools allow teams to visualize complex project dependencies, validate architectural decisions, and ensure code quality at scale.
Rider’s offering is more focused on small to medium-sized teams, and while it includes many high-quality features for individual developers, it lacks some of the comprehensive enterprise tools available in Visual Studio. Additionally, Visual Studio’s enterprise licensing model provides extensive support and services for large organizations, making it an ideal choice for mission-critical applications in business environments.
Conclusion
While Rider is an excellent alternative IDE, Visual Studio remains the leader in several key areas. Its deep integration with the Microsoft ecosystem, advanced debugging tools, superior GUI development features, robust extension marketplace, and enterprise-focused features make it a powerhouse for developers working on .NET, cloud services, or large-scale enterprise applications. For many developers, especially those heavily invested in Microsoft technologies, Visual Studio is still the IDE of choice.