# Visual Studio Load Test

> Visual Studio Load Test is a commercial, self-hosted enterprise performance suite from Microsoft, scripted in C#, Visual Studio Web Test. It is discontinued.

- Canonical: https://perf.jmeter.ai/tools/visual-studio-load-test/
- Official: https://devblogs.microsoft.com/devops/cloud-based-load-testing-service-eol/

- Vendor: Microsoft
- Category: Enterprise Suite
- License: Commercial — Retired product; no current license or hosted service.
- Deployment: Self-hosted
- Status: Discontinued (successor: Azure Load Testing and other Microsoft-recommended alternatives)
- Scripting: C#, Visual Studio Web Test
- Protocols: HTTP, HTTPS
- OS support: Windows
- First released: 2005

- Last verified: 2026-08-12

## What it is
Visual Studio Load Test used web tests, test controllers, and test agents to exercise web applications and report performance results. Microsoft retired the capability and recommends alternatives such as Apache JMeter and Azure Load Testing.

## Choose it when
- Enterprise programs that need suite-level analysis and governance
- Organizations budgeting for commercial licenses or subscriptions
- Groups comfortable scripting in C#, Visual Studio Web Test

## Look elsewhere when
- New greenfield programs (prefer an active successor or alternative)
- Teams unwilling to operate generators, results storage, and scaling
- Projects that require a fully free open-source stack only

## Architecture
Visual Studio Load Test is commonly operated as self-hosted software with scenario authoring in C#, Visual Studio Web Test. Concurrency and distribution depend on how you size workers or injectors.

## Pricing
Retired product; no current license or hosted service.

## Compare

## FAQ
### Who is Visual Studio Load Test for?
Visual Studio Load Test is best for enterprise performance engineering teams with protocol breadth, governance, and analysis needs. It is commercial software, typically licensed for larger or governed programs. Vendor: Microsoft. Deployment model: self-hosted. Retired product; no current license or hosted service.

### How does Visual Studio Load Test differ from LoadRunner Professional?
Compared with LoadRunner Professional, scripting centers on C#, Visual Studio Web Test rather than C, JavaScript, C#. Visual Studio Load Test lists protocols HTTP, HTTPS; LoadRunner Professional lists HTTP, HTTPS, WebSocket, SAP, Citrix, Oracle. Status is discontinued versus active. Use the Test Rig to compare full specs side by side before a proof-of-concept.

### What scripting language and concurrency model does Visual Studio Load Test use?
Visual Studio Load Test uses C#, Visual Studio Web Test for scripting or scenario definition. Runtime model: protocol-oriented virtual users configured through the product workflow. OS support: Windows. Protocols: HTTP, HTTPS. Match these to how your team already authors tests and which systems you must drive under load.

### What is the cloud or enterprise path for Visual Studio Load Test?
Visual Studio Load Test is positioned as an enterprise suite for on-premises or controlled environments; cloud options depend on the vendor product line and adjacent SaaS offerings in the same family. Pricing model: Retired product; no current license or hosted service.

### What are known limitations of Visual Studio Load Test?
Visual Studio Load Test appears as discontinued in this directory. Prefer Azure Load Testing and other Microsoft-recommended alternatives or another active alternative for new work. Historical references remain so older docs and diagrams still resolve. Verify any remaining commercial support directly with the vendor before depending on it.

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Curated by NaveenKumar Namachivayam (QAInsights) · methodology: https://perf.jmeter.ai/about/#methodology · corrections: https://github.com/QAInsights/Performance-Testing-Tools/issues/new?title=Tool%20submission%3A%20&body=Tool%20name%3A%20%0AOfficial%20URL%3A%20%0AWhat%20should%20be%20added%20or%20corrected%3F%20%0A