VSTS Pricing Details

This chart summarizes the volume license pricing for Visual Studio Team System (VSTS). The Open License price is the base price for a new license purchase through Microsoft’s Open License program. The MSDN Premium (Software Assurance) price is the annual price for a two-year subscription agreement that provides, among other benefits, upgrade rights to any new versions that ship during the term of the agreement.

VSTS is composed of a set of three client editions that target various roles in the development process—Architect, Developer, and Tester—and the Team Foundation Server, which provides collaboration capabilities, such as source-code control and bug tracking. Team Suite provides the features of all three client editions in a single product.

The price list also contains a Load Agent that allows testers to simulate very high levels of activity on a Web site or application, and a five-pack of Client Access Licenses (CALs). Team Foundation Server requires a CAL for named users. The Team Editions of Visual Studio include a CAL, but nondevelopers such as project managers, who access the server through tools such as Excel rather than Visual Studio, must have a separate CAL.