Microsoft today announced that all Visual Studio 2005 Express Editions including Visual Basic, Visual C#, Visual J#, Visual C++, and Visual Web Developer Express will be free forever.

The Visual Studio 2005 Express editions now join the SQL Server 2005 Express editions as a no-cost offering within the Microsoft application platform. The Express Editions can only be used to create applications that run on the .NET Framework 2.0.

P.S. Visual Studio Express and SQL Server Express are lightweight development tools for the hobbyist, novice, and student developer. These tools can be used for Web development, Windows development, and database development.

Download Visual Studio 2005 Express