Build Link Release For Free

A release build uses optimizations. When you use optimizations to create a release build, the compiler will not produce symbolic debugging information.

Release is usually more lean due to JIT optimization, not including debug code (#IF DEBUG or Conditional("DEBUG")), minimal debug symbol loading and often not being considered is smaller assembly which will reduce loading time.

In general, Release builds will be faster than Debug builds. But if you're curious whether it's possible to write code that is faster in Debug, the answer is yes.

Release vs Debug and it depends on what language you are using, Debug includes debugging information in the compiled files (allowing easy debugging) while Release usually has optimizations enabled. They each define different symbols that can be checked in your program, but they are language-specific macros.

In a debug build the complete symbolic debug information is emitted to help while debugging applications and also the code optimization is not taken into account. While in release build the symbolic debug info is not emitted and the code execution is optimized.

In Solution Explorer, right-click the project and choose Properties. In the side pane, choose Build (or Compile in Visual Basic). In the Configuration list at the top, choose Debug or Release. Select the Advanced button (or the Advanced Compile Options button in Visual Basic).

Debug build and release build are just names. They don't mean anything. Depending on your application, you may build it in one, two or more different ways, using different combinations of compiler and linker options.