Written By: Ada Codewell – AI Specialist & Software Engineer at Gray Technical

Save on AI Coding Assistants: Go Local with Visual Studio AI Assistant

Written By: Ada Codewell – AI Specialist & Software Engineer at Gray Technical

Stop Paying for Cloud-Based AI Services

Are you tired of the recurring costs associated with cloud-based AI coding assistants like GitHub Copilot? These services charge a hefty subscription fee, and your code is sent to external servers every time you use them. It’s time to take control and save money by running your own private AI coding assistant locally.

With Visual Studio AI Assistant, you can eliminate the need for cloud-based services and enjoy the benefits of a local AI solution. This powerful tool integrates directly into Visual Studio Community and Pro, providing you with a complete AI coding workflow without the recurring costs.

Why Does This Problem Happen?

The problem lies in the subscription-based model of cloud AI services. These services lock you into a yearly fee, require your code to be sent to their servers, and offer no offline or air-gap options. This not only costs you money but also raises concerns about data privacy and security.

Moreover, these services often lack essential features like test generation, refactoring, and team memory, which are crucial for efficient development workflows.

Step-by-Step Solution

Here’s how to replace your cloud-based AI assistant with Visual Studio AI Assistant:

1. Download and Install the Extension

First, download the extension from the product page. It supports Visual Studio 2022 Community, Professional, and Enterprise on Windows 10 and 11.

2. Choose Your AI Provider

You can connect to Ollama, OpenAI, Claude, or any compatible provider. If you’re using a local model like Ollama, you can run it completely offline for zero cost per query and complete privacy.

3. Configure the Settings

Access the settings window (as shown below) to configure your AI provider, choose your preferred models, and set up other options.

4. Start Using the AI Assistant

The assistant integrates directly into your IDE, providing features like:

• Chat panel for asking questions about your code
• Right-click options for direct corrections or summaries
• Inline completions in the standard Visual Studio completion list
• Diff view for reviewing AI suggestions before applying
• Fix build errors with one click
• Git commit message generation

5. Upgrade as Needed

The free edition offers core AI coding assistance, but you can upgrade to the Personal or Pro edition for advanced features like test generation, refactoring analysis, and team shared memory.

Real-World Examples

Example 1: Test Generation

Select any method or file and generate a complete test class with various test cases. The AI automatically detects the test framework you’re using (NUnit, xUnit, MSTest) and generates appropriate tests.

Example 2: Refactoring Analysis

The AI analyzes your code and provides specific improvement proposals, complete with before/after code in a side-by-side diff. This helps you make informed decisions about refactoring.

Example 3: Code Review

The AI reviews your code and categorizes issues by severity, highlighting critical bugs, warnings, suggestions, and positive aspects of your code.

Extra Tip: Integrate Data Chunker Pro for Large-Scale Analysis

Visual Studio AI Assistant integrates with Data Chunker Pro, an engine that converts entire codebases into usable knowledge AIs can understand. This allows you to analyze and diagnose large projects efficiently.

Check out this video demonstrating Data Chunker Pro in action:

Conclusion

Visual Studio AI Assistant offers a cost-effective and secure alternative to cloud-based AI coding assistants. By running your AI assistant locally, you can save money, enhance your development workflow, and maintain control over your code.

Ready to make the switch? Download Visual Studio AI Assistant today and start coding smarter, not harder.