Comparing SharePoint Designer work flows with Visual Studio work flow

The following table provides a side-by-side comparison of the features and requirements for using SharePoint Designer and Visual Studio to create SharePoint workflows.

Feature / Requirement	SharePoint Designer	Visual Studio
Allows rapid workflow development	Yes	Yes
Enables reuse of workflows	A workflow can be used only by the list or library on which it was developed. However, SharePoint Designer provides reusable workflows that can be used multiple times within the same site.	A workflow can be written as a template so that after it is deployed, it can be reused and associated with any list or library.
Allows you to include a workflow as part of a SharePoint solution or app for SharePoint	No	Yes
Allows you to create custom actions	No. However, SharePoint Designer can consume and implement custom actions that are created and deployed by using Visual Studio.	Yes. However, be aware that in Visual Studio, the underlying activities, not their corresponding actions, are used.
Allows you to write custom code	No	No Note This is changed from previous versions. In SharePoint 2013, workflows are declarative only and Visual Studio relies on the visual design surface for workflow development.
Can use Visio Professional to create workflow logic	Yes	No
Deployment	Deployed automatically to list, library, or site on which they were created.	Create a SharePoint solution package (.wsp) file and deploy the solution package to the site (SPWeb).
One-click publishing available for workflows	Yes	Yes
Workflows can be packaged and deployed to a remote server	Yes	Yes
Debugging	Cannot be debugged.	Workflow can be debugged by using Visual Studio.
Can use only actions that are approved by site administrator	Yes	Yes