Use Visual Studio Code to manage your virtual machines on Mac. | Parallels Desktop

Use Visual Studio Code with Parallels Desktop Pro

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Trusted by industry-leading software developers

"I run Visual Studio 2022 and similar within a Parallels-hosted Windows 11, and it's just fantastic."

Programmer and IT architect

"I am successfully running Visual Studio 2022 Community edition on Windows 11 running on Parallels latest version running on M1 Pro."

"Parallels is working, and I'm pretty happy about that. If you are considering getting a new Mac with an M1 chip you’ll have a path forward to run Parallels and a Windows virtualized environment in there."

Watch how Visual Studio Code and Parallels work together

See what you can accomplish with Visual Studio Code and Parallels Desktop

Concentrate on your code without worrying about your setup and environment.

Use Visual Studio Code easily create and manage portable development environments across platforms and in different operating systems with Parallels Desktop Pro or Business Edition. It is integrated with Vagrant and Packer to automate your workflows.

Grouping virtual machines

Manage your virtual machines efficiently — easily create groups, rename groups, start or stop all machines in a group, and create group snapshots.

Managing virtual machine lifecycles

Get an instantaneous understanding of the state of your virtual machines. Start, stop, pause, and suspend your VMs as needed.

Managing virtual machine snapshots

Create, restore and delete virtual machine snapshots in one simple, intuitive interface.

Creating virtual machines

Quickly create and install a new virtual machine running your preferred operating system on your Mac, then customize your VM according to your needs.

Managing Docker containers inside virtual machines

Manage and create Docker containers inside your virtual machines, without the need to open another window.

Hiding or showing virtual machines

Quickly hide or show virtual machines or groups of virtual machines in Visual Studio Code.

Managing Vagrant boxes

Manage your Vagrant boxes within Visual Studio Code, see all the boxes you have installed, delete boxes, or start new ones.

Parallels Desktop Pro Edition

Authorized by Microsoft

Optimized for Mac M-series

/year

Billed annually

Use 200,000+ Windows apps
Access the full range of features
No need for a second Windows or Linux machine
Switch between macOS, Linux, and Windows effortlessly

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Start using Visual Studio Code on your Mac with Parallels Desktop

Download Parallels Desktop

Download and install Parallels Desktop on your Mac.

Install Visual Studio Code

Once installed, set up a new virtual machine and install Windows and/or Linux.

Launch a virtual machine and Visual Studio Code

After installing Windows and/or Linux, you can install and run Visual Studio Code and the Parallels Desktop for VS code extension.

Why choose Parallels Desktop and Visual Studio Code?

Authorized by Microsoft

The only solution authorized by Microsoft to run Windows 11 on Apple M-series Macs.

Parallels Toolbox included in the Pro Edition

Gain access to 50+ free productivity tools designed to simplify tasks.

24/7 phone, chat and email support for subscribers. Get in touch anytime, anywhere.

30-day money back guarantee

Cancel any time during your initial month if you are not completely satisfied.

Parallels Desktop plus Visual Studio Code FAQs

Can I contribute to the Visual Studio Code extension on GitHub?

Yes, you can explore the source code and contribute to the community on GitHub. Learn the prerequisites for running and testing code, submitting a pull request, development loops and testing changes, NPM commands, running tests, building changes, and more.

Can I run Visual Studio Code within a Parallels Desktop virtual machine?

Yes, you need the Pro Edition or Business Edition of Parallels Desktop to use Visual Studio Code with Parallels Desktop. Explore the documentation and get started!

Can I run and debug my code in Windows, Linux, and macOS VMs?

Yes, you can create virtual machines and run and debug your code in Windows, Linux, and Mac VMS using the Visual Studio Code extension and Parallels Desktop.

Can I test different scenarios with Visual Studio Code and Parallels Desktop?

Yes, you can use the Visual Studio Code extension for Parallels Desktop for cross-platform testing in different environments and scenarios.

Is Visual Studio for Mac being discontinued?

Yes, but you can still use Parallels Desktop to run Visual Studio Code on your Mac. Alternatively, you can use Parallels Desktop to run Visual Studio on your Mac in a Windows virtual machine.

See what Parallels – and you – are capable of

200,000+ apps and integrations

Run all your favorite Windows apps on Mac.

See all the apps

Vagrant

Use Parallels Desktop to develop in Visual Studio on your Mac.

See Vagrant app

GitHub

Access projects and extensions and contribute to the Parallels Desktop GitHub community.

See GitHub app

Learn more about Visual Studio Code and Parallels Desktop

Visual Studio for Mac is being retired, so now what?

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Using the Parallels Desktop extension for Visual Studio Code

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Install visual studio plugin for debugging in Parallels Desktop Pro Edition

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Use Parallels Desktop and Visual Studio Code and start testing in different environments

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Free 14-day trial

30-day money back guarantee