code-server vs Eclipse Che
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted ides & code editors options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | code-server | Eclipse Che |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 100 · Excellent | 91 · Excellent |
| Category | IDEs & Code Editors | IDEs & Code Editors |
| License | MIT | EPL-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 4,096 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | kubernetes, helm |
| GitHub stars | ★ 79,398 | ★ 7,168 |
| First released | 2019 | 2016 |
| Replaces | GitHub Codespaces | Gitpod, GitHub Codespaces |
What are code-server and Eclipse Che?
code-server
code-server runs the VS Code editor on a remote server and makes it accessible through a web browser. It targets developers who want to code from any device using their own machine's resources. It is deployed via Docker or a binary.
- Full VS Code in the browser
- Use any device to code
- Extension support
- Single-binary deployment
Eclipse Che
Eclipse Che provides browser-based, containerized developer workspaces that run on Kubernetes. Each workspace is reproducible and isolated, giving teams consistent on-demand development environments.
- Browser-based IDE workspaces
- Kubernetes-native isolation
- Reproducible dev environments
- Devfile-driven setup
code-server vs Eclipse Che: key differences
Both projects are written in TypeScript. Licensing differs — MIT for code-server versus EPL-2.0 for Eclipse Che. Code-server is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 4,096 MB for Eclipse Che. Eclipse Che is the more established project (first released 2016), while code-server arrived in 2019. Code-server has the considerably larger community, at 79,398 GitHub stars versus 7,168. Code-server lists first-class Docker deployment; Eclipse Che does not.
Why pick each one
Choose code-server if…
- Code from anywhere
- Familiar VS Code experience
- Simple to run
Watch out for
- Some Marketplace extensions unavailable
- Single-user per instance
Choose Eclipse Che if…
- Released under the EPL-2.0 license
- Kubernetes-ready with Helm charts available
- Mature project with 7.2k GitHub stars
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is code-server or Eclipse Che better?
code-server is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Eclipse Che if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are code-server and Eclipse Che free and open-source?
Yes. code-server is licensed under MIT and Eclipse Che under EPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run code-server and Eclipse Che with Docker?
code-server: yes. Eclipse Che: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, code-server or Eclipse Che?
code-server has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 4,096 MB for Eclipse Che. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.