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Xcode VS Visual Studio IntelliCode

Compare Xcode VS Visual Studio IntelliCode and see what are their differences

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Xcode logo Xcode

Xcode is Apple’s powerful integrated development environment for creating great apps for Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Xcode 4 includes the Xcode IDE, instruments, iOS Simulator, and the latest Mac OS X and iOS SDKs.

Visual Studio IntelliCode logo Visual Studio IntelliCode

Visual Studio IntelliCode is an experimental set of AI-assisted development capabilities for next-generation developer productivity.
  • Xcode Landing page
    Landing page //
    2024-07-04
  • Visual Studio IntelliCode Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-02-23

Xcode features and specs

  • Integrated Development Environment
    Xcode offers a fully integrated development environment for macOS, iOS, watchOS, and tvOS. This integration includes code editing, project management, compilers, and debugging tools all in one application.
  • Interface Builder
    Interface Builder is a graphical tool included with Xcode that allows developers to design user interfaces visually. This can speed up the development process and allow for easier customization of user interfaces.
  • Swift and Objective-C Support
    Xcode provides robust support for both the Swift and Objective-C programming languages, which are essential for Apple's ecosystem.
  • Simulator
    Xcode includes simulators for all Apple devices, allowing for rapid testing and debugging of applications without the need for physical hardware.
  • In-depth Debugging Tools
    Xcode provides a comprehensive suite of debugging tools like breakpoints, stack trace analysis, and memory management tools, helping developers identify and resolve issues efficiently.
  • Performance and Profiling Tools
    Xcode includes Instruments, a powerful performance analysis and profiling toolset. This helps developers optimize the performance and memory usage of their applications.
  • Documentation and Resources
    Xcode has built-in access to extensive Apple Developer Documentation and resources, making it easier to find information and solutions related to Apple's APIs and frameworks.

Possible disadvantages of Xcode

  • macOS Exclusive
    Xcode is only available for macOS, meaning that developers must use an Apple computer to build applications for Apple's platforms.
  • Resource Intensive
    Xcode can be demanding on system resources, particularly RAM and CPU, which can affect performance on older or less powerful machines.
  • Steep Learning Curve
    For new developers, Xcode can be overwhelming due to its complexity and the vast array of features and options available.
  • Update Frequency
    Frequent updates to Xcode can sometimes introduce new bugs or require developers to update their project settings and code to maintain compatibility.
  • Limited Cross-Platform Capabilities
    Xcode is designed specifically for Apple's ecosystems and provides limited support for cross-platform development, restricting its use for developers targeting multiple platforms.
  • Build Times
    Build times for larger projects can become lengthy, potentially slowing down the development cycle and time to market.

Visual Studio IntelliCode features and specs

  • Intelligent Code Recommendations
    IntelliCode uses machine learning models trained on open-source GitHub projects to provide contextual code recommendations, helping developers write better code faster.
  • Custom Models for Teams
    Teams can train their own models based on their codebase, enhancing the relevance of IntelliCode's suggestions and ensuring they conform to the team's coding standards and practices.
  • Improved Code Quality
    By suggesting best practices and common code patterns, IntelliCode aids in maintaining high code quality and consistency across projects.
  • Supports Multiple Languages
    IntelliCode supports a wide range of programming languages, including Python, Java, JavaScript, and more, making it versatile for different types of projects.
  • Code Completion and Refactoring Assistance
    It provides intelligent code completions and helps with code refactoring tasks, making the development process more efficient and less error-prone.

Possible disadvantages of Visual Studio IntelliCode

  • Limited Training Data
    The effectiveness of IntelliCode's suggestions depends on the quality and breadth of the training data. For very unique or proprietary codebases, the recommendations may not be as relevant.
  • Dependency on Visual Studio
    IntelliCode is integrated with Visual Studio, so developers using other IDEs might not be able to benefit from its features unless they switch to Visual Studio.
  • Resource Intensive
    Running IntelliCode, especially with custom models, can be resource-intensive, potentially impacting the performance of the development environment.
  • Privacy Concerns
    Using custom models might raise privacy concerns as code from the team’s repository could be used to train the AI, potentially exposing sensitive information.
  • Learning Curve
    There might be a slight learning curve for new users to understand and effectively use the recommendations provided by IntelliCode.

Xcode videos

Getting Started: An Overview of Xcode

More videos:

  • Review - Xcode 15 - What's New

Visual Studio IntelliCode videos

Visual Studio IntelliCode

More videos:

  • Review - Visual Studio IntelliCode -- AI meets IntelliSense!

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Xcode and Visual Studio IntelliCode)
IDE
100 100%
0% 0
AI
0 0%
100% 100
Text Editors
100 100%
0% 0
Developer Tools
84 84%
16% 16

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Xcode and Visual Studio IntelliCode

Xcode Reviews

Explore 9 Top Eclipse Alternatives for 2024
While Xcode is primarily free, a subscription to the Apple Developer Program is required for iOS app development at $99 per year.
Source: aircada.com
What's The Best C++ IDE? Our Top C++ IDEs & Editors In 2024
Occupying the sixth spot on my list is Xcode, Apple's flagship IDE. And yes, it's probably most well-known for macOS, iOS, watchOS, and tvOS development, but Xcode is also an excellent choice for C++ developers working on the macOS platform.
Source: hackr.io
Android Studio Alternative
Apple’s integrated development environment (IDE) for macOS is Xcode, which can be used to create software for macOS, iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS. In addition, it provides Command Line Tools (CLT), which enable UNIX-style development via the Terminal app in macOS. Xcode also has built-in support for source code management via the Git version control system and protocol,...
Source: www.educba.com
Top 10 Visual Studio Alternatives
The XCode cloud is a constant integration and a type of delivery service. It is a type of cloud that is ideally designed for apple users. It is only made for MAC OS X; hence, you need to try other ways if you have a Windows PC. The main goal of Xcode is to develop the software system for various IOS systems.
Best Eclipse Alternatives to Use
Xcode includes a code editor supporting syntax highlighting, intelligent code completion, and code snippets, as well as an interface builder, which is designed for developing graphical user interfaces. Xcode supports the entire lifecycle of an application, including code editing, compilation, debugging, testing, and deployment.
Source: eclipsewin.com

Visual Studio IntelliCode Reviews

Top 10 Vercel v0 Open Source Alternatives | Medium
While not entirely open-source, Microsoft’s IntelliCode deserves a mention on this list due to its powerful AI-assisted coding capabilities and integration with popular development tools. IntelliCode uses machine learning to provide intelligent code completions and suggestions.
Source: medium.com
10 Best Github Copilot Alternatives in 2024
Some of the best free GitHub Copilot alternatives are Kite, Codeium, and IntelliCode. These tools offer AI-powered code completions without costing you anything. They help you write code faster and are great options if you’re looking for a Copilot alternative free of charge.
6 GitHub Copilot Alternatives You Should Know
Visual Studio IntelliCode is an extension for Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code that provides AI-assisted code completions and recommendations. IntelliCode is based on the previous generation of machine learning techniques, so it provides a more basic level of code completion compared to other tools. One of its key features is the ability to learn patterns from the...
Source: swimm.io
Top 10 GitHub Copilot Alternatives
A Microsoft tool exclusively accessible through Visual Studio, IntelliCode is an experimental AI coding assistance trained on a sample of GitHub projects. Your completion list is prioritized by IntelliCode so that the items you’re most likely to utilize are at the front.
Source: hashdork.com
Top 9 GitHub Copilot alternatives to try in 2022 (free and paid)
IntelliCode is an experimental AI coding assistant trained on a subset of GitHub projects, a Microsoft product available for Visual Studio only. One of the more attractive features of IntelliCode is team completion. Team completion may prove beneficial for organizations with a Microsoft-based architecture and developers accustomed to Visual Studio in an age of remote...
Source: www.tabnine.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Xcode seems to be a lot more popular than Visual Studio IntelliCode. While we know about 145 links to Xcode, we've tracked only 11 mentions of Visual Studio IntelliCode. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Xcode mentions (145)

  • An Animated Introduction to Programming in C++ [Full Course]
    There are practice problems in each section so that you can practice while learning from the content. These are in the 'Hands-On Practice' section in each section. Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) are tools that allow you to write your own programs. There are some great, free C++ IDEs out there like Visual Studio, Xcode, and CLion. The simplest way to get started is to use a web-based IDE. Replit works... - Source: dev.to / about 1 month ago
  • Which App Debugging Tools are the Best?
    2. Xcode Debugger Xcode remains the standard iOS app debugging tool. Its debugger is exceptional at identifying memory leaks, helping to discover thread races, and even focusing on the cause of crashes. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • Must-Use Mobile Accessibility Testing Tools in 2025
    XCode inspector offers VoiceOver Simulation to read out app elements for identifying if descriptions mentioned for the UI are meaningful and informative. It helps to make your app accessible to users with disabilities. Apart from that the Accessibility Inspector offers a complete audit of the app’s UI elements. Also as you make changes to your app the tool offers immediate feedback on accessibility issues. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • From React to React Native – A Beginner-Friendly Guide🚀
    Set Up Android Studio and Xcode: To develop for Android, you need Android Studio installed. For iOS development, Xcode is required (macOS only). - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • How To Build a TikTok Clone With SwiftUI
    To follow along with this tutorial, you will need an Xcode installation. It is recommended to download Xcode 15 or a later version. Also, to provide access to the user's camera feed in this app, we will use the Stream Video SDK. The Video SDK allows developers to build FaceTime-style video calling](https://getstream.io/blog/facetime-clone/), Twitch-like content... - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
View more

Visual Studio IntelliCode mentions (11)

  • 🎈5 AI Coding Tools That Will Change the Way You Develop Forever🎇(You Won't Believe #3!)
    IntelliCode is Microsoft’s own AI-powered code completion tool, and it integrates seamlessly with Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code. With IntelliCode, developers get context-aware suggestions based on a vast number of GitHub repositories, allowing them to write more efficient and error-free code. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Beware the Mid-Career Crisis for Programmers: The Four Major Causes
    Visual Studio IntelliCode is an intelligent code editor that offers efficient and personalized code completion suggestions based on context and your coding habits, making coding smoother. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • 6 AI tool that you should use as a developer
    IntelliCode is a machine learning-powered intelligent code assistant that significantly boosts developer productivity. IntelliCode suggests context-aware code completions by analyzing millions of lines of code from various open-source projects, making coding faster and more efficient. Its advanced algorithms recognize coding patterns and make intelligent suggestions, saving developers time and reducing errors.... - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
  • Rider: Refact vs CoPilot
    OP is referring to IntelliCode. It's a step beyond IntelliSense, but I agree with other posts here: you should be really sure you're not leaking business code this way or implement code from sources you didn't approve yourself. Source: about 2 years ago
  • GitHub Copilot X: The AI-powered developer experience
    You might be thinking of IntelliCode, which was released in 2019. https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/services/intellicode/. - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Xcode and Visual Studio IntelliCode, you can also consider the following products

Microsoft Visual Studio - Microsoft Visual Studio is an integrated development environment (IDE) from Microsoft.

GitHub Copilot - Your AI pair programmer. With GitHub Copilot, get suggestions for whole lines or entire functions right inside your editor.

IntelliJ IDEA - Capable and Ergonomic IDE for JVM

Tabnine - TabNine is the all-language autocompleter. We use deep learning to help you write code faster.

Android Studio - Android development environment based on IntelliJ IDEA

Codeium - Free AI-powered code completion for *everyone*, *everywhere*