To connect and use the functions and features that Team Services or TFS provides, users must be added to a group with the appropriate permissions. The most common groups include Readers, Contributors, and Project Administrators, all of whom belong to Basic access. These groups are assigned the default permissions. In addition, a Stakeholder access role is available to support licence free access to a limited set of features by an unlimited set of stakeholders. They must also belong to the access level that enables access to that feature.

When you add a user or group to a team or team project, they're automatically granted access to those features supported by the default access level, which is Basic. This provides most users all the features they need. For a simplified overview of the permissions assigned to the most common groups—Readers, Contributors, and Project Administrators—as well as the Stakeholder access group.

Make sure to set each user's access level based on what you've purchased for that user. Basic access includes all Stakeholder features. Advanced and Visual Enterprise access levels include all Basic features.

 

Permissions and access for TFS website HERE 

Change access levels HERE

 

 

Assign Stakeholder access to those users who need to enter bugs, view backlogs, boards, charts, and dashboards, but who don't have a TFS CAL. Stakeholder access is free. Stakeholders can also view releases and manage release approvals. This role is appropriate to the project, test and release managers as well as any non developers in the team.

With Stakeholder access, users can create and modify all work items, and can create and save queries on all work items under their My Queries folder.  Also, stakeholders can create and modify work items using Team Foundation clients such as Visual Studio Community, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Project, and Microsoft Feedback Client.

   Includes all backlogs and boards, including product, portfolio, and sprint backlogs and Kanban and sprint task boards. Can add work items to backlogs, which appear at the bottom of the list. Can't reorder items on the page or use some other features such as View releases and manage approvals.

Assign Basic, the default access level, to users with a TFS client access license (CAL). Basic provides access to most features, except for Test. All Visual Studio subscriptions and paid Team Services users include a TFS CAL

For users with MSDN subscriptions or Test Professional, assign the Basic access level and the Test Manager extension.

For TFS 2017, Assign VS Enterprise  access to those users for whom you've purchased Visual Studio Enterprise. These include a TFS CAL plus the rights to access VS Enterprise features. (For users with MSDN subscriptions or Test Professional, assign the Basic access level and the Test Manager extension.)

With VS Enterprise access, users have access to any fee-based, Marketplace extension published by Microsoft Marketplace extension published by Microsoft that is included for active Visual Studio Enterprise subscribers. Examples include Package Management (which is also free for 5 users who are not Visual Studio Enterprise subscribers) and Test Manager.