Evaluating Microsoft Visual Studio 2005

With Visual Studio 2005, Microsoft continues its market leading innovation in developer productivity by delivering a productive, integrated, and extensible application platform and tools.

Take the Guided Tours to see how Visual Studio 2005:

• Delivered personalized products for all kinds of developers
• Reduced the complexity of modern application development
• Improved team communication across the software development lifecycle
• Fosters a vibrant partner ecosystem

Take the Guided Tour »

Get the Trial Editions Now!

There are many options for evaluating Visual Studio 2005, from the Express editions to Trial Editions to the online Hosted Experience.

Download Visual Studio 2005 Express Editions
The Express Editions are lightweight, easy to use, and easy to learn developer tools for hobbyists, enthusiasts, and students. Professional developers may want to evaluate the Visual Studio 2005 languages, including Visual Basic and Visual C#, using the Express Editions. Most professional features of the Integrated Development Environment are not present in the Express Editions, however. Download.

Visual Studio 2005 Professional Edition 90-Day Trial
The 90-Day Trial Edition is for users who want to evaluate Visual Studio 2005 Professional Edition. This is a time-limited, but fully functional, version of Visual Studio 2005 Professional Edition. However, none of the Visual Studio 2005 Team System features are present. Order | Download (2.6 GB).

Visual Studio 2005 Team Suite 180-Day Trial
The 180-Day Trial Edition is a time-limited, but fully functional, version of Visual Studio 2005 Team Suite. The trial media kit includes a fully functional 180-day trial version of Visual Studio 2005 Team Foundation Server. Order | Download (3.2 GB).

Visual Studio 2005 Team Foundation Server 180-Day Trial
The 180-Day Trial Edition is a time-limited, but fully functional version of Visual Studio 2005 Team Foundation Server. Order | Download (447 MB)

Visual Studio 2005 Team Edition for Database Professional
The Trial Edition is a time-limited, but fully functional version of Visual Studio 2005 Team Edition for Database Professionals. To use the Trial Edition, you must also install Visual Studio Team Suite 180-Day Trial (see above). The duration of the Trial Edition is limited by the time remaining in the Visual Studio 2005 Team Suite 180-Day Trial. Download (19.2 MB).

Visual Studio 2005 Team Test Load Agent
Currently we do not offer a trial edition of Visual Studio 2005 Team Test Load Agent. However, you can evaluate load testing functionality using the Visual Studio 2005 Team Suite Trial Editon (see above).

Visual Studio 2005 Online Hosted Experience
The Online Hosted Experience will help you evaluate Visual Studio 2005 without having to install anything on your local machine. It includes the MSDN Virtual Labs, a series of guided, hands-on labs which can be completed in under an hour. A fast Internet connection is required.

Visual Studio 2005 Virtual Images
MSDN Subscribers have access to a series of Virtual Images containing a fully functional installation of Windows Server 2003, SQL Server 2005, Visual Studio 2005 Team Suite, and Visual Studio 2005 Team Foundation Server. These Virtual Images are a benefit of your MSDN subscription and are available for download from the MSDN Subscriber download area. If you're not an MSDN Subscriber yet, learn more in our MSDN information center.