Microsoft Visual SourceSafe vs AnkhSVN

Struggling to choose between Microsoft Visual SourceSafe and AnkhSVN? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Microsoft Visual SourceSafe is a Development solution with tags like source-code, versioning, multiuser.

It boasts features such as Version control system for source code, Check-in/check-out capabilities, Version history and ability to roll back changes, Multi-user access with security controls, Integration with Visual Studio IDE, File locking to prevent conflicts, Branching and merging support, Centralized repository and pros including Easy to learn and use, Tight integration with Microsoft ecosystem, Good performance for small to midsize teams, Handles text files well, Low cost compared to other commercial options.

On the other hand, AnkhSVN is a Development product tagged with subversion, ide-integration, visual-studio.

Its standout features include Integrates Subversion version control with Visual Studio, Allows committing, updating, reverting, diffing, and logging from within Visual Studio, Supports Visual Studio 2005-2022, Syntax highlighting for diffs, Shelve and unshelve changes, Blame annotations, Merge tool integration, Project status icons, and it shines with pros like Tight integration with Visual Studio IDE, Convenient access to Subversion features, Time savings from working inside the IDE, Visual diffing and annotations.

Feature	Microsoft Visual SourceSafe	AnkhSVN
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	Development	Development

Product Overview

Microsoft Visual SourceSafe

Description: Microsoft Visual SourceSafe is a version control system that allows software teams to manage source code changes. It provides versioning, check-in/check-out capabilities, and supports multi-user access.

AnkhSVN

Description: AnkhSVN is a Subversion client that integrates with Microsoft Visual Studio. It allows developers to perform version control operations like commit, update, revert, diff, and log directly within the IDE.

Key Features Comparison

Microsoft Visual SourceSafe Features

• Version control system for source code
• Check-in/check-out capabilities
• Version history and ability to roll back changes
• Multi-user access with security controls
• Integration with Visual Studio IDE
• File locking to prevent conflicts
• Branching and merging support
• Centralized repository

AnkhSVN Features

• Integrates Subversion version control with Visual Studio
• Allows committing, updating, reverting, diffing, and logging from within Visual Studio
• Supports Visual Studio 2005-2022
• Syntax highlighting for diffs
• Shelve and unshelve changes
• Blame annotations
• Merge tool integration
• Project status icons

Pros & Cons Analysis

Microsoft Visual SourceSafe

Pros

• Easy to learn and use
• Tight integration with Microsoft ecosystem
• Good performance for small to midsize teams
• Handles text files well
• Low cost compared to other commercial options

Cons

• Limited scalability for large projects/teams
• No distributed version control support
• Less robust merging and branching capabilities
• Proprietary lock-in to Microsoft stack
• No longer under active development

AnkhSVN

Pros

• Tight integration with Visual Studio IDE
• Convenient access to Subversion features
• Time savings from working inside the IDE
• Visual diffing and annotations

Cons

• Only works with Subversion, not other VCS like Git
• Steep learning curve for new users
• Potential Visual Studio performance impacts
• Limited merge tool support

Pricing Comparison

Microsoft Visual SourceSafe

• One-time Purchase
• Subscription-Based (for some versions)

AnkhSVN

• Free
• Open Source