What tools a developer will use will greatly vary based on what kind of projects they do. With that said, many new software developers have asked me about my setup so they could have an example. So here's what I'm currently using. Main Work Visual Studio Professional 2015 - This is the main area where you write your code. SQL Server Management Studio - For working with the database. Comparison Tools I use Araxis for comparing code , Redgate for comparing databases . Araxis Merge : My current favorite merge/diff utility. I've tried quite a few. Overall the UI is much more pleasant and can display more data at a time. It's not cheap, but I tried out just about every free or cheap merge/diff utility and nothing came close to the 1-click merging abilities of Araxis. A good diff/merge utility is priceless and can save you a lot of time, so take the time to learn it well. Redgate Tools - I use their database tools to compare and map out