The Visual Studio Code product itself ships under a standard Microsoft product license, as it has a small percentage of Microsoft-specific customizations. It’s free despite the commercial license.

A GitHub project called VSCodium offers up the popular Visual Studio Code editor, but stripped of Microsoft customizations and released under a 'real' open source license.

Securing a Visual Studio license usually requires a hefty investment of $499, making it out of reach for many developers. Luckily, through February 4, it's on sale for $44.99 — no coupon necessary.