VSTS
You can add these users to your VSTS account for free:
- 5 users who get Basic features like version control, tools for Agile, Java, build, release management, and more
- Unlimited Stakeholders who get more restricted features like working with your backlog, work items, and queries
- Unlimited Visual Studio subscribers who also get Basic features, and in some cases, additional features with specific extensions like Test Manager
When your account stays within these free limits, you don't have to pay for these users to join your account. If you have to add 6 users or more who need Basic access, you can pay monthly for additional users in the Visual Studio Marketplace. Each of these users also gets a Team Foundation Server CAL (Client Access License) to access an on-premises TFS, so you can buy monthly TFS access for your team. To calculate pricing, go to the Azure pricing calculator, or learn about VSTS user pricing for Basic access. If you previously paid for Basic access through the Azure portal, you can still find those steps here.
Need more Visual Studio subscriptions? ▼
Visual Studio subscriptions give you flexible ways to access VSTS and to license the Visual Studio IDE and other Microsoft software for dev and test. To buy more Visual Studio subscriptions, visit the Visual Studio Marketplace, or learn how to buy Visual Studio subscriptions here.
Need to change paid extension users instead? ▼
To change the number of paid extension users that you have in your VSTS account, learn how to update your paid extension users here.
How does access differ from permissions? ▼
Access levels control which features are available to users, while permissions control access to account resources. Learn how to manage users and access levels here. For TFS, learn how to change access levels here or buy more access to TFS or the Test hub here.
To manage permissions for VSTS or TFS instead, learn how to add permissions here or restrict permissions here.
Before you start
To manage users, you'll need VSTS project collection administrator or account owner permissions.
You'll need an Azure subscription that you can link to your VSTS account for billing, if your VSTS account isn't linked already. Which Azure subscriptions can I use?
To use an existing Azure subscription for billing, you'll need at least Co-administrator permissions for that subscription. If you don't have permissions, have an Azure Account Administrator or Service Administrator add you as a Co-administrator to the Azure subscription that you want to use for billing.
If you don't have an Azure subscription, you can create a subscription when you start your purchase. Or create your Azure subscription here before you start. You'll get the necessary administrator permissions with your new subscription.
Your VSTS account will reuse this Azure subscription when you make future purchases for your VSTS account from the Visual Studio Marketplace or from Azure. More about Azure subscriptions for billing
Pay for more VSTS users who need Basic access
As VSTS project collection administrator or account owner, sign in to Visual Studio Marketplace > Other > VSTS Users, and choose Buy.

Select your VSTS account, if you have multiple accounts.

Don't see your VSTS accounts? ▼
To select your VSTS account here, you must have have VSTS project collection administrator or account owner permissions.
Confirm the Azure subscription that you'll use for billing.
If you have multiple Azure subscriptions, select the Azure subscription that you want to use. Or if you don't have an Azure subscription, create a new subscription now to use for billing. More about Azure subscriptions for billing

Don't see the Azure subscription that you expect? ▼
To use an existing Azure subscription for billing, you'll need at least Co-administrator permissions for that subscription. If you don't have permissions, have an Azure Account Administrator or Service Administrator add you as a Co-administrator to the linked Azure subscription.
Enter the number of users who need paid Basic access.

Now go to your VSTS account, add your new users, and assign them Basic access.

The number of users who you can assign paid Basic access appears here.

Your user summary shows only the number of users with access levels assigned to them.
Change number of users who have paid Basic access
When your team size changes, and you have to update the users who have paid Basic access in your VSTS account, update this quantity in the Visual Studio Marketplace, whether you're adding or removing these users.
For example, if you remove users who have paid Basic access from your VSTS account, you must reduce them too in the Visual Studio Marketplace. That way, you're not charged for them when your next Azure billing cycle starts. If you previously managed paid Basic access through the Azure portal, you can still find those steps here.
To reduce or cancel users who have paid Basic access for the next month, you must make your changes before the last day of the month. Your charges won't change until the next month because paid users are monthly purchases.
Before you start
You'll need VSTS project collection administrator or account owner permissions.
You'll need at least Co-administrator permissions for the Azure subscription that's linked to your VSTS account for billing. If you don't have permissions, have an Azure Account Administrator or Service Administrator add you as a Co-administrator to the linked Azure subscription.
Update number of users who have paid Basic access
As VSTS project collection administrator or account owner, sign in to Visual Studio Marketplace > Other > VSTS Users, and choose Buy.

Select your VSTS account, if you have multiple accounts.

Don't see your VSTS accounts? ▼
To select your VSTS account here, you must have have VSTS project collection administrator or account owner permissions.
Update your total users who have paid Basic access. To cancel all your paid users, reduce this number to zero (0).
For example, we're going to increase our total paid users from this number:

to this number:

Note When you reduce users, make sure that you don't have more users with paid Basic access in your VSTS account than you have in the Visual Studio Marketplace. Otherwise, when the next Azure billing cycle starts, the paid users who haven't signed into your account the longest will lose access first. If you pay for TFS client access licenses (CALs) through VSTS, make sure that you still have enough CALs for the users who need them.
What if I reduce users during the month? ▼
Your charges won't change until the next month because paid Basic access is a monthly commitment.
Confirm your changes. Go back to your VSTS account to reassign access levels for your users, if necessary.
