What is the best self-hosted CDE platform?

Coder is the leading self-hosted CDE platform, using Terraform for infrastructure-agnostic deployments on AWS, Azure, GCP, or on-premises Kubernetes. It offers the most flexibility for enterprises needing full control over data residency and compliance.

What is the easiest CDE to get started with?

GitHub Codespaces is the easiest to start with - just click 'Code' on any GitHub repository and select 'Open with Codespaces'. No setup required. Gitpod is similarly easy with browser-based access and fast startup times.

Which CDE is best for Windows development?

Microsoft Dev Box provides full Windows workstations in Azure, ideal for .NET and Visual Studio development. It's the only major CDE offering native Windows VMs rather than Linux containers.

What are the free/open-source CDE options?

Free and open-source options include: Coder (open-source core), DevPod (fully open-source, client-only), Daytona (open-source), and Eclipse Che (powers Red Hat OpenShift Dev Spaces). These can be self-hosted at no licensing cost.

Which CDE has the fastest startup times?

Gitpod leads with pre-built workspaces that start in seconds. GitHub Codespaces also offers prebuild configurations. Container-based CDEs are generally faster than VM-based solutions like Microsoft Dev Box.

CDE Tools Comparison

An objective analysis of cloud development environment platforms for platform engineers and engineering leaders

Compare self-hosted, SaaS, and enterprise CDE solutions by features, pricing, and best use cases

Self-Hosted / Open Source Solutions Full control, run on your infrastructure

Coder

Open Source + Enterprise

Infrastructure-agnostic platform using Terraform. Provision anything from containers to VMs to bare metal. The gold standard for enterprise self-hosted CDEs.

Maximum flexibility via Terraform templates

Any cloud, on-prem, or hybrid deployment

Strong compliance (HITRUST, SOC2, FedRAMP)

Excellent VS Code and JetBrains integration

Steeper learning curve

Requires platform engineering expertise

Best for: Regulated industries, complex infrastructure, enterprise teams

Daytona

Open Source

Newer alternative aiming to be "GitHub Codespaces but self-hosted." Uses DevContainers for simplicity. Growing community and active development.

Easier setup than Coder

DevContainer standard compatibility

Quick to get started

Multiple IDE support

Less flexible than Terraform-based

Newer, smaller community

Best for: Teams wanting self-hosted without complexity

DevPod

Open Source

Client-only CDE - no server installation required. Runs as a CLI/GUI tool that provisions environments in any backend (Docker, K8s, cloud VMs).

No server to manage

Works with any provider

Great for individual developers

DevContainer native support

Less centralized control

Not ideal for large team management

Best for: Individual developers, small teams, cloud-agnostic needs

Eclipse Che

Open Source

Kubernetes-native developer workspace platform. Powers Red Hat OpenShift Dev Spaces. Heavy on enterprise features and extensibility.

Kubernetes-native architecture

Enterprise-grade features

Browser-based IDE (Theia)

Strong OpenShift integration

Complex to set up and maintain

Kubernetes expertise required

Best for: OpenShift users, Kubernetes-heavy organizations

Managed SaaS Solutions Vendor-hosted, quick to start

GitHub Codespaces

Managed SaaS

GitHub's built-in CDE. One-click environments from any repository. Deeply integrated with GitHub workflow. The easiest path for GitHub users.

Zero setup for GitHub users

Seamless PR-based workflows

Excellent VS Code integration

DevContainer specification support

Expensive at scale ($18-57/user/month)

Limited infrastructure customization

Best for: GitHub-centric teams, quick adoption, open source projects

Gitpod

SaaS + Self-Hosted

Ephemeral, pre-built environments. Aggressive about "pre-warming" workspaces for instant startup. Supports GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket.

Fastest startup times (prebuilds)

Works with multiple Git providers

Self-hosted option available

VS Code and JetBrains support

Self-hosted setup is complex

Container-only (no VMs)

Best for: Web development, fast iteration, multi-repo workflows

AWS Cloud9

AWS Native

Amazon's browser-based IDE with integrated terminal. Deep AWS service integration. Good for serverless and Lambda development.

Native AWS integration

SAM/Lambda debugging built-in

Pay only for compute (EC2)

Collaborative editing features

AWS lock-in

Browser IDE less powerful than VS Code

Best for: AWS-heavy teams, serverless development

Replit

SaaS

Instant development environments with AI assistance. Great for prototyping, education, and quick experiments. Strong community features.

Instant startup, no setup

Built-in AI coding assistant

Easy deployment and hosting

Multiplayer collaboration

Not designed for enterprise

Limited customization options

Best for: Prototyping, education, quick experiments

Cloud Provider Native Solutions Deep platform integration

Google Cloud Workstations

GCP Native

Google's enterprise CDE offering. Deep integration with GCP security, networking, and IAM. Managed infrastructure with customizable images.

VPC Service Controls integration

Enterprise security features

GCP IAM integration

Custom container images

GCP lock-in

Limited to GCP regions

Best for: GCP-native enterprises, high compliance needs

Microsoft Dev Box

Azure Native

Full Windows workstations in the cloud. Not just an IDE - a complete remote desktop experience. Perfect for .NET, Visual Studio, and Windows-specific development.

Full Windows desktop experience

Run any Windows application

Visual Studio native support

Intune/Azure AD integration

Azure-only

Higher cost (full VMs)

Best for: .NET developers, Windows apps, game development

Amazon CodeCatalyst

AWS Native

AWS's unified DevOps platform with integrated Dev Environments. Combines project management, CI/CD, and cloud development environments.

Integrated DevOps platform

Built-in CI/CD workflows

VS Code and JetBrains support

AWS service blueprints

AWS ecosystem lock-in

Relatively new service

Best for: AWS teams wanting unified DevOps experience

JetBrains Space

SaaS + On-Prem

JetBrains' all-in-one team collaboration platform with Dev Environments. Native integration with all JetBrains IDEs including IntelliJ, PyCharm, and WebStorm.

Best JetBrains IDE integration

Git hosting, CI/CD included

On-premises option available

Warm-up for instant start

Best value with JetBrains IDEs

Platform features may overlap existing tools

Best for: JetBrains IDE users, teams wanting all-in-one platform

Quick Feature Comparison

Tool	Self-Hosted	Managed	Open Source	VMs	Best For
Coder					Enterprise, compliance
Daytona					Simpler self-hosted
DevPod					Individual devs
Eclipse Che					OpenShift/K8s teams
GitHub Codespaces					GitHub users
Gitpod					Fast iteration
GCP Workstations					GCP enterprises
MS Dev Box					Windows/.NET devs
CodeCatalyst					AWS DevOps teams
JetBrains Space					JetBrains IDE users

Ready to Evaluate?

Take CDE Assessment Compliance Guide