AI providers for C# and .NET development
Use multiple AI providers in Visual Studio 2026 and C#
Keep Visual Studio 2026.
With iolys you can use eleven connection routes for C# and .NET work in Visual Studio 2026: Claude, Codex, Kiro, Kimi, and Gemini through supported provider CLIs; OpenCode Go through its subscription API; Databricks Unity Catalog through your organization's own workspace and its chat-capable Model Serving endpoints; DeepSeek, OpenRouter, and OpenCode Zen through provider APIs with your own key; and local models served by Ollama.
iolys connects subscription-backed AI coding agent CLIs, cloud APIs, enterprise endpoints, and local models to the active C# or .NET solution through one consistent Visual Studio 2026 workflow.
Connection matrix
11 providers. 7 reuse a subscription you already pay for.
Every route below runs inside the same iolys workspace in Visual Studio 2026 on 64-bit Windows. The last two columns say who pays for the AI usage and where the model runs, because those differ by route and are independent: an endpoint your organization hosts can still be paid by subscription, and only Ollama keeps every request on your own machine. Verified .
| Provider | Connection type | Access route | Who pays for the AI usage | Where the model runs | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Claude
|
Provider CLI | BYOS: bring your Claude subscription | Your AI subscription | Provider cloud | C# and .NET implementation, debugging, code review, refactoring, and tasks that combine solution context with web research and reusable skills. |
 Codex
|
Provider CLI | BYOS: use eligible ChatGPT subscription access | Your AI subscription | Provider cloud | Agentic refactors, repository-wide changes, code review, debugging, and implementation work across .NET solutions. |
 Kiro
|
Provider CLI | BYOS: keep your Kiro account and plan | Your AI subscription | Provider cloud | Structured implementation, specification-led work, multi-file changes, and long-running engineering tasks in C# solutions. |
 DeepSeek
|
Provider API | Keep the provider relationship direct | Prepaid credits or pay-as-you-go | Provider cloud | C# generation, debugging, code explanation, refactoring, and cost-conscious model selection for .NET work. |
 OpenRouter
|
OpenAI-compatible API | Use your OpenRouter account directly | Prepaid credits or pay-as-you-go | Provider cloud | Choosing coding models across vendors, reviewing screenshots, researching documentation, and tracking API spending from Visual Studio. |
 Ollama
|
Local endpoint | No mandatory per-token cloud bill | No provider bill | Your machine or network | Private codebases, offline-capable workflows, experimentation with open models, and teams that want infrastructure control. |
 Kimi
|
Provider CLI | BYOS: use the access attached to Kimi Code | Your AI subscription | Provider cloud | Repository exploration, multi-step implementation, debugging, and code changes across established .NET projects. |
 OpenCode Go
|
Subscription API key | BYOS: bring your OpenCode Go subscription | Your AI subscription | Provider cloud | Using several coding model families under one subscription for implementation, code review, and debugging in C# and .NET. |
 OpenCode Zen
|
Pay-as-you-go API key | Your Zen account, billed per request | Prepaid credits or pay-as-you-go | Provider cloud | Implementation, debugging, code review, and image-assisted tasks with supported coding models. |
 Databricks Unity Catalog
|
Unity Catalog / Model Serving | Keep enterprise AI governed in Databricks | Your organization's subscription | Your organization's infrastructure | Enterprise .NET teams that govern model access with Databricks Unity Catalog and expose approved chat models through Model Serving endpoints. |
 Gemini
|
Provider CLI | BYOS: reuse Gemini CLI authentication and quota | Your AI subscription | Provider cloud | Code generation, explanation, debugging, large-context exploration, and everyday C# development. |
Claude for C# and .NET in Visual Studio 2026
Use your Claude subscription in Visual Studio 2026 with iolys. See your remaining quota, choose models and effort, and work with integrated tools and skills.
Codex for C# and .NET in Visual Studio 2026
Use your eligible ChatGPT subscription for Codex in Visual Studio 2026. Choose models and effort, enable Fast mode, and track usage with iolys for C# and .NET.
Kiro for C# and .NET in Visual Studio 2026
Use your existing Kiro subscription in Visual Studio 2026 with iolys. Bring your plan’s models and credits to C# and .NET, with effort controls and native Kiro tools.
DeepSeek for C# and .NET in Visual Studio 2026
Use DeepSeek in Visual Studio 2026 with your API key. Search the web with native Web Search, check your balance, and attach images with a Vision model.
OpenRouter for C# and .NET in Visual Studio 2026
Use OpenRouter in Visual Studio 2026 for C# and .NET with iolys. Discover models, attach images, use native web tools, and track credit, key budgets, and costs.
Ollama for C# and .NET in Visual Studio 2026
Use Ollama in Visual Studio 2026. Install models, tune context and reasoning, send images, manage RAM / VRAM, and track generation speed with iolys.
Kimi for C# and .NET in Visual Studio 2026
Use your eligible Kimi Code subscription in Visual Studio 2026. Track usage, choose reasoning effort, and use native web tools with iolys for C# and .NET.
OpenCode Go for C# and .NET in Visual Studio 2026
Use your OpenCode Go subscription in Visual Studio 2026 with iolys. Connect your API key, choose coding models and reasoning effort, and track account usage.
OpenCode Zen for C# and .NET in Visual Studio 2026
Use OpenCode Zen in Visual Studio 2026 with your API key. Choose curated coding models, use supported tools and reasoning, and see available cost estimates.
Databricks Unity Catalog for C# and .NET in Visual Studio 2026
Use Databricks Unity Catalog-governed Model Serving endpoints for C# and .NET development inside Visual Studio 2026 with iolys.
Gemini for C# and .NET in Visual Studio 2026
Bring Your Own Subscription (BYOS): reuse eligible Gemini CLI account access for C# and .NET development inside Visual Studio 2026 with iolys.
Provider FAQ
Choosing a provider for your .NET work.
Which AI providers can I use in Visual Studio 2026?
With iolys you can use eleven connection routes for C# and .NET work in Visual Studio 2026: Claude, Codex, Kiro, Kimi, and Gemini through supported provider CLIs; OpenCode Go through its subscription API; Databricks Unity Catalog through your organization's own workspace and its chat-capable Model Serving endpoints; DeepSeek, OpenRouter, and OpenCode Zen through provider APIs with your own key; and local models served by Ollama.
Which providers let me reuse an AI subscription I already pay for?
Seven of the eleven routes reuse something you already pay for. Claude, Codex, Kiro, Kimi, and Gemini reuse an eligible personal AI plan when you sign in through their supported CLI, OpenCode Go uses its subscription through an API key, and Databricks reuses the workspace subscription your organization already holds. Provider eligibility, credits, quotas, and usage limits remain defined by each provider.
Which providers use an API key?
OpenCode Go, OpenCode Zen, DeepSeek, and OpenRouter use your own API key. OpenCode Go draws from your Go subscription allowance; DeepSeek, OpenRouter, and OpenCode Zen bill usage as prepaid credits or pay-as-you-go. An API key identifies your account and does not determine its billing model. Ollama needs no credentials because the model runs on hardware you control, with no provider bill.
Can I switch provider without changing my workflow?
Yes. The provider and model change; the iolys interface, solution context, tool activity, and permission flow stay the same, so a task started with one provider can be continued with another.
Which providers keep my code off the provider's cloud?
Two of the eleven routes. Ollama runs the model on your own machine or private network, so requests stay on infrastructure you control. Databricks Unity Catalog runs on endpoints your organization hosts and governs. The other nine run in the provider's own cloud service. Where the model runs and who pays for it are independent: a Databricks endpoint your organization hosts is still paid through the subscription it already holds.
Do I need one extension per provider?
No. A single iolys installation covers every supported provider. You add and manage each connection from the Manage Providers panel inside Visual Studio 2026.
Is there a single VSIX for all these providers?
Yes. iolys is one VSIX extension for Visual Studio 2026 that carries all eleven provider routes. Install that VSIX from the Visual Studio Marketplace and every provider becomes available from the Manage Providers panel, so you never install a second VSIX to add Claude, Codex, Kiro, Ollama, DeepSeek, Kimi, OpenRouter, OpenCode Go, OpenCode Zen, Databricks Unity Catalog, and Gemini.
One Visual Studio 2026 extension. 11 routes to AI.
Use the provider that fits the C# or .NET task without rebuilding your development workflow.
Get iolys for free