code-server vs Eclipse Theia
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted ides & code editors options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
code-server
Run VS Code in the browser on your server
VS
Eclipse Theia
Cloud and desktop IDE platform
| Feature | code-server | Eclipse Theia |
|---|---|---|
| Category | IDEs & Code Editors | IDEs & Code Editors |
| License | MIT | EPL-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 78,657 | ★ 21,622 |
| First released | 2019 | 2017 |
| Replaces | GitHub Codespaces | VS Code, GitHub Codespaces |
Why pick each one
Choose code-server if…
- Code from anywhere
- Familiar VS Code experience
- Simple to run
Choose Eclipse Theia if…
- Released under the EPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 21.6k GitHub stars
- Written in TypeScript
Frequently asked questions
Is code-server or Eclipse Theia better?
code-server is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Eclipse Theia if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are code-server and Eclipse Theia free and open-source?
Yes. code-server is licensed under MIT and Eclipse Theia under EPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run code-server and Eclipse Theia with Docker?
code-server: yes. Eclipse Theia: yes.