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GitHub Codespaces VS Visual Studio Live Share

Compare GitHub Codespaces VS Visual Studio Live Share and see what are their differences

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GitHub Codespaces logo GitHub Codespaces

GItHub Codespaces is a hosted remote coding environment by GitHub based on Visual Studio Codespaces integrated directly for GitHub.

Visual Studio Live Share logo Visual Studio Live Share

Real-time collaborative development
  • GitHub Codespaces Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-01
  • Visual Studio Live Share Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-04

GitHub Codespaces features and specs

  • Instant Setup
    GitHub Codespaces allows for quick setup of development environments, enabling developers to start coding within minutes.
  • Consistency
    By using Codespaces, all team members can work in consistent development environments, avoiding the 'works on my machine' problem.
  • Scalable
    Codespaces can easily scale up or down resources based on the needs of the project, offering flexibility in resource allocation.
  • Integrated with GitHub
    Seamless integration with GitHub means that Codespaces takes advantage of all GitHub features like pull requests, issues, and workflows directly within the development environment.
  • Customizable Environments
    Developers can define the configuration of their development environments using devcontainer.json files, making it easy to set up tailored workspaces.
  • Remote Development
    Codespaces allows developers to work from virtually anywhere without needing to rely on the power of their local machines.

Possible disadvantages of GitHub Codespaces

  • Cost
    Using Codespaces incurs a cost based on compute and storage resources, which can add up, especially for larger teams or more intensive projects.
  • Internet Reliance
    Codespaces are cloud-based, so a stable internet connection is required. Any disruption in connectivity can hinder development progress.
  • Customization Limitations
    While customizable, Codespaces may not support all specific or advanced development setups or niche tools as effectively as local environments.
  • Performance Variability
    Performance might vary depending on the selected instance type and current load on GitHub's infrastructure.
  • Dependency on GitHub Ecosystem
    Codespaces are tightly integrated with GitHub, which could be a downside for teams that use other platforms or who prefer a more platform-independent solution.
  • Learning Curve
    Developers unfamiliar with cloud-based environments may face a learning curve when first transitioning to Codespaces.

Visual Studio Live Share features and specs

  • Real-Time Collaboration
    Allows multiple developers to work on the same codebase in real-time, facilitating immediate feedback and pair programming.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    Supports both Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code, and can be used across different operating systems like Windows, macOS, and Linux.
  • Shared Debugging
    Enables shared debugging sessions where both parties can inspect variables, set breakpoints, and step through code together.
  • Seamless Integration
    Integrates well with existing projects and workspaces without the need for additional configuration or setup.
  • Supports Live Share Guest Machines
    Guests can join a Live Share session without needing to clone the repository or set up a development environment identical to the host.
  • Instantaneous Sharing
    Starts sharing immediately with just a few clicks, without needing complex VPNs or file sharing setups.
  • Focused Sessions
    Allows hosts to specify read-only or read/write access, and focus participants' cursors on specific lines of code.

Possible disadvantages of Visual Studio Live Share

  • Performance Issues
    Real-time collaboration can sometimes introduce latency or performance issues, especially over slower internet connections.
  • Limited IDE Support
    Currently, it primarily supports Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code, which may limit its use for teams utilizing other IDEs.
  • Dependency on Internet Connection
    Requires a stable internet connection, making it less reliable in low-bandwidth or unstable network conditions.
  • Security Concerns
    Sharing code and debugging sessions over the internet may pose security risks if not properly managed, especially for sensitive projects.
  • Learning Curve
    New users may face a learning curve to understand all the features and effectively integrate it into their workflow.
  • Privacy Issues
    In collaborative debugging or editing, inadvertent exposure of sensitive information like API keys or passwords can occur.

Analysis of GitHub Codespaces

Overall verdict

  • GitHub Codespaces is considered a good tool for developers looking for convenience, consistency, and speed in their workflow. It's particularly valued for its ability to streamline onboarding and its seamless integration with GitHub repositories.

Why this product is good

  • GitHub Codespaces offers a cloud-based development environment that enables developers to code directly in the browser without the need to set up a local development environment. It integrates seamlessly with GitHub, allows for quick setup, provides consistent environments across teams, and is particularly useful for remote collaboration.

Recommended for

  • Developers looking for a cloud-based development solution
  • Teams working remotely who need consistent development environments
  • Project maintainers who want to simplify setup for contributors
  • Developers who frequently switch between projects and need quick environment setups

Analysis of Visual Studio Live Share

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Visual Studio Live Share is considered to be a good tool for collaborative development.

Why this product is good

  • Visual Studio Live Share allows developers to collaborate in real-time on the same codebase without needing to clone repositories or perform any setup. It supports instantly sharing your code, debugging sessions, and terminal with peers, which enhances productivity and fosters teamwork. Additionally, Live Share supports a range of IDEs and code editors, including Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code, making it versatile for different development environments. This functionality is particularly valuable for remote work scenarios and educational purposes.

Recommended for

  • Remote development teams looking for seamless collaboration.
  • Developers who frequently engage in pair programming.
  • Educators and students involved in programming courses.
  • Open-source project contributors who need to quickly sync ideas and code.
  • Teams using both Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code who require interoperability.

GitHub Codespaces videos

+ Add

Brief introduction of GitHub Codespaces

More videos:

  • Review - GitHub Codespaces First Look - 5 things to look for

Visual Studio Live Share videos

+ Add

Collaboration made easy with Visual Studio Live Share

More videos:

  • Review - Introduction to Visual Studio Live Share

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to GitHub Codespaces and Visual Studio Live Share)

GitHub Codespaces

Visual Studio Live Share

Text Editors
100 100%
Text Editors
0% 0
Code Collaboration
0 0%
Code Collaboration
100% 100
IDE
85 85%
IDE
15% 15
Programming Tools
0 0%
Programming Tools
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using GitHub Codespaces and Visual Studio Live Share. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare GitHub Codespaces and Visual Studio Live Share

GitHub Codespaces Reviews

12 Best Online IDE and Code Editors to Develop Web Applications
Beginners who want to try their luck can use GitHub Codespaces for free with limited benefits, but you will have enough features to carry on. If you are a team or an enterprise, you can start using GitHub Codespaces at $40/user/year.
Source: geekflare.com

Visual Studio Live Share Reviews

We have no reviews of Visual Studio Live Share yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, GitHub Codespaces should be more popular than Visual Studio Live Share. It has been mentiond 149 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

GitHub Codespaces mentions (149)

  • Stop Wasting Hours on Environment Setup - These Tools Will Save Your Sanity
    GitHub Codespaces - Cloud development. - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • VSCode's SSH Agent Is Bananas
    https://github.com/features/codespaces All you need is a well-defined .devcontainer file. Debugging, extensions, collaborative coding, dependant services, OS libraries, as much RAM as you need (as opposed to what you have), specific NodeJS Versions — all with a single click. - Source: Hacker News / 8 months ago
  • GitHub Workflows: The First Line of Defense
    For this week, our task was to automate everything: GitHub workflows for testing, linting, building, and error checking. Additionally, I set up a dev container that contributors can use in GitHub Codespaces for a fast, hassle-free setup. Finally, we were assigned to write tests for a classmate's project! - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
  • Dear AWS, how do I build & develop purely on AWS right now?
    As an alternative for Cloud9, you can use vscode.dev, which runs VS Code in the browser or other alternatives that are more integrated and personalized like gitpod.io or Github Codespaces. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: Any Recommendations Around Programming on an iPad?
    Check out GitHub Codespaces https://github.com/features/codespaces I have used it for learning C, Rust and Go. It even has a VSCode editor in the browser. It’s pretty easy to setup. Create a repo, add a hello_world.c, push the code, then in the UI press the green code option and select Create code space on main and then use the gcc from the terminal to compile... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
View more

Visual Studio Live Share mentions (22)

  • Top 5 Code Collaboration Tools for Remote Work
    Visual Studio Live Share is an extension for the popular Visual Studio Code IDE that allows developers to bring their peers into their editor. You can send an invite link to let your colleagues write, edit, and debug code as if they were in the same physical location as you. This removes the challenges of working remotely when it comes to pair programming and brainstorming together. - Source: dev.to / almost 2 years ago
  • Me after trying to use Git with Eclipse
    Have you checked out Live Share? It's included in VS and there's an extension for VS Code. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Are there any Azure platforms/apps for collaborative coding for startups?
    Visual Studio has collaboration tools. Source: over 2 years ago
  • The Benefits of Pair Programming for Problem-Solving
    Pair programming is when two developers work together at one workstation. Not necessarily on the same computer, but they work together on the same programming task. In remote work I love to use Visual Studio Live Share ❤️. - Source: dev.to / almost 3 years ago
  • IDE with concurrent users
    But there's also an extension that MS put out called Live Share. They have a version for both VS and VS Code. I've used the VSC one myself, to great effect. Source: almost 3 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing GitHub Codespaces and Visual Studio Live Share, you can also consider the following products

replit - Code, create, andlearn together. Use our free, collaborative, in-browser IDE to code in 50+ languages — without spending a second on setup.

CodeShare.io - Realtime code sharing for developers

CloudShell - Cloud Shell is a free admin machine with browser-based command-line access for managing your infrastructure and applications on Google Cloud Platform.

CodeTogether - Live share IDEs and coding sessions. See changes in real time.

StackBlitz - Online VS Code Editor for Angular and React

Teletype for Atom - Collaborate in real time in Atom

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