Vivado enables developers to synthesize (compile) their designs, perform timing analysis, examine RTL diagrams, simulate a design's reaction to different stimuli, and configure the target device with the programmer. Vivado is a design environment for FPGA products from Xilinx, and is tightly-coupled to the architecture of such chips, and cannot be used with FPGA products from other vendors.

Vivado was introduced in April 2012, and is an integrated design environment (IDE) with a system-to-IC level tools built on a shared scalable data model and a common debug environment. Vivado includes electronic system level (ESL) design tools for synthesizing and verifying C-based algorithmic IP; standards based packaging of both algorithmic and RTL IP for reuse; standards based IP stitching and systems integration of all types of system building blocks; and the verification of blocks and systems.[14] A free version WebPACK Edition of Vivado provides designers with a limited version of the design environment.[15]

The Vivado High-Level Synthesis compiler enables C, C++ and SystemC programs to be directly targeted into Xilinx devices without the need to manually create RTL. Vivado HLS is widely reviewed to increase developer productivity, and is confirmed to support C++ classes, templates, functions and operator overloading. Vivado 2014.1 introduced support for automatically converting OpenCL kernels to IP for Xilinx devices. OpenCL kernels are programs that execute across various CPU, GPU and FPGA platforms.

The Vivado Simulator is a component of the Vivado Design Suite. It is a compiled-language simulator that supports mixed-language, TCL scripts, encrypted IP and enhanced verification.

The Vivado IP Integrator allows engineers to quickly integrate and configure IP from the large Xilinx IP library. The Integrator is also tuned for MathWorks Simulink designs built with Xilinx’s System Generator and Vivado High-Level Synthesis.

The Vivado TCL Store is a scripting system for developing addons to Vivado, and can be used to add to and modify Vivado’s capabilities. TCL stands for Tool Command Language, and is the scripting language on which Vivado itself is based. All of Vivado's underlying functions can be invoked and controlled via TCL scripts.

As of 2015, Xilinx recommends Vivado Design Suite for new designs with Ultrascale, Virtex-7, Kintex-7, Artix-7, and Zynq-7000.

Vivado supports newer high capacity devices, and speeds the design of programmable logic and I/O. Vivado provides faster integration and implementation for programmable systems into devices with 3D stacked silicon interconnect technology, ARM processing systems, analog mixed signal (AMS), and many semiconductor intellectual property (IP) cores.

Vivado is targeted at Xilinx's larger FPGAs, and is slowly replacing Xilinx ISE as their mainline tool chain. As of 2014, Vivado covers Xilinx's mid-scale and large FPGAs, and ISE covered the mid-scale and smaller FPGAs and all CPLDs.