Eclipse Che 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?
Eclipse Che
Kubernetes-native cloud developer workspaces
VS
Eclipse Theia
Cloud and desktop IDE platform
| Feature | Eclipse Che | Eclipse Theia |
|---|---|---|
| Category | IDEs & Code Editors | IDEs & Code Editors |
| License | EPL-2.0 | EPL-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | kubernetes, helm | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 7,153 | ★ 21,622 |
| First released | 2016 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Gitpod, GitHub Codespaces | VS Code, GitHub Codespaces |
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 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 Eclipse Che or Eclipse Theia better?
Eclipse Theia is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Eclipse Che if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Eclipse Che and Eclipse Theia free and open-source?
Yes. Eclipse Che is licensed under EPL-2.0 and Eclipse Theia under EPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Eclipse Che and Eclipse Theia with Docker?
Eclipse Che: check the project docs for container support. Eclipse Theia: yes.