Do I need visual studio license?

Question

Hello there,

I am a novice freelancer providing .NET solutions. Currently I have a Student version of Visual Studio that I am working. But, If I want to deliver solutions to the clients, do I need to have buy the VS license?

For instance, I got a requirement from a client (does'nt have VS license) to build a web application in godaddy. In this case, does we both need to purchase license?

Is there any alternative like developing the application in web developer express edition and publish that using Nant tools?

Thanks in advance, Kris

Answer 1

I am not a lawyer and this is not a site to get legal questions answer. But in general, you cannot use student versions to deliver commercial products. Also, depending on the software each machine has to use it's own license of the software.

Answer 2

Use the Visual Studio Express edition. There are no limitations regarding commercial use.

From FAQ

Can I use Express Editions for commercial use? Yes, there are no licensing restrictions for applications built using Visual Studio Express Editions.

Answer 3

If you're talking about Visual Studio 2010 Express, then there's a thread here on the MSDN forums that states: "Provided that you comply with all the License Terms for a particular Express release, the 2010 Express SKUS can be used to create commercial software."