Visual Studio Professional | C# Dev Kit, a free extension for Visual Studio Code

 Microsoft makes money on Visual Studio Professional primarily by selling subscriptions to larger teams and enterprises. While C# Dev Kit, a free extension for Visual Studio Code, is available for individuals and smaller teams, larger organizations typically require the more comprehensive features and tools of Visual Studio Professional. This tiered approach allows Microsoft to cater to different needs and generate revenue from enterprise-level development. 

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

• Visual Studio Professional is a paid subscription:

  It offers advanced features, including multi-tier application development across web, cloud, and devices, and is geared towards professional developers and teams. 
• C# Dev Kit is a free extension for Visual Studio Code:

  It provides C# development capabilities within VS Code, making it accessible to a broader audience, including individuals and smaller teams. 
• Subscription model:

  C# Dev Kit's licensing mirrors Visual Studio's, meaning it's free for personal, academic, and open-source projects, as well as for teams of up to 5 in commercial settings. For 6+ developers in commercial settings, a Visual Studio Professional (or higher) subscription is required. 
• Enterprise benefits:

  Visual Studio Professional offers features like source control integration, advanced debugging tools, and tools for building and testing enterprise applications. 
• Targeting different needs:

  Visual Studio Professional caters to larger teams and complex projects requiring comprehensive IDE features, while VS Code, with the C# Dev Kit, is suitable for individual developers, smaller teams, and projects needing a lighter-weight editor.