Eclipse Che vs Gitpod
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted ides & code editors options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Eclipse Che | Gitpod |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 91 · Excellent | 75 · Good |
| Category | IDEs & Code Editors | IDEs & Code Editors |
| License | EPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 8,192 MB |
| Deployment | kubernetes, helm | kubernetes, helm |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,168 | ★ 13,775 |
| First released | 2016 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Gitpod, GitHub Codespaces | GitHub Codespaces |
What are Eclipse Che and Gitpod?
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
Gitpod
Gitpod provides ephemeral, automated development environments that spin up from a Git repository. It can run on self-managed Kubernetes infrastructure for full control.
- Ephemeral dev environments
- Prebuilt workspaces
- Git provider integration
- Browser-based coding
Eclipse Che vs Gitpod: key differences
Both projects are written in TypeScript. Licensing differs — EPL-2.0 for Eclipse Che versus AGPL-3.0 for Gitpod. Eclipse Che is the lighter option, starting around 4,096 MB of RAM against 8,192 MB for Gitpod. Eclipse Che is the more established project (first released 2016), while Gitpod arrived in 2020.
Why pick each one
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
Choose Gitpod if…
- Reproducible dev environments
- Prebuilds speed startup
- Browser or desktop IDE
Watch out for
- Self-hosted edition deprecated
- Requires Kubernetes
Frequently asked questions
Is Eclipse Che or Gitpod better?
Neither is universally better. Gitpod has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Eclipse Che and Gitpod free and open-source?
Yes. Eclipse Che is licensed under EPL-2.0 and Gitpod under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Eclipse Che and Gitpod with Docker?
Eclipse Che: check the project docs for container support. Gitpod: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Eclipse Che or Gitpod?
Eclipse Che has the smaller minimum footprint at 4,096 MB of RAM, compared to about 8,192 MB for Gitpod. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.