Free, open-source alternatives to GitHub Codespaces
Cloud development environments. 3 apps you can run yourself instead of GitHub Codespaces, sorted by how well they replace it. Each one is open source, so your data stays with you.
code-serverBest match
VS Code in the browser, hosted on a remote server.
Coder
Remote development machines on your own infrastructure.
Eclipse Che
Open source workspace server and cloud IDE.
Side by side
| App | Stars | License | Activity | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| code-server | 79,593 | MIT | Node.js, Docker | |
| Coder | 16,980 | AGPL-3.0 | Go, Docker, Kubernetes | |
| Eclipse Che | 7,170 | EPL-1.0 | Docker, Java |
Why replace GitHub Codespaces?
GitHub Codespaces works, but your data lives in someone else's account, the price can change at any time, and features can disappear. An open-source app you run yourself is yours: you choose where it runs, who can see the data, and when to update.
Questions
What is the best free alternative to GitHub Codespaces?
code-server is the closest open-source replacement for GitHub Codespaces in our list. Coder and Eclipse Che are worth a look too, depending on what you need.
Can I self-host an alternative to GitHub Codespaces?
Yes. All 3 apps on this page are open source and can run on your own server, usually with Docker, or on a managed host that installs them for you.