Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

OpenVSCode Server VS Gitpod

Compare OpenVSCode Server VS Gitpod and see what are their differences

OpenVSCode Server logo OpenVSCode Server

Run the latest VS Code on a remote machine accessed through a modern web browser - from any device, from anywhere.

Gitpod logo Gitpod

One click dev environment for GitHub
  • OpenVSCode Server Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-03
  • Gitpod Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-06

OpenVSCode Server features and specs

  • Remote Development
    OpenVSCode Server enables developers to use VSCode in a remote environment, allowing for seamless development without worrying about local setup.
  • Lightweight
    The server doesn't require a complex setup, making it relatively lightweight in terms of resource usage compared to full IDE installations.
  • Collaborative Editing
    It facilitates collaborative coding with multiple developers accessing the same workspace, similar to Live Share features.
  • Access from Any Device
    Developers can access their development environment from any device with a web browser, providing flexibility and mobility.
  • Consistent Development Environment
    Offers a consistent development environment across devices, reducing the 'works on my machine' problem.

Possible disadvantages of OpenVSCode Server

  • Network Dependency
    Since it is server-based, a stable internet connection is necessary. Performance may be affected by network latency.
  • Limited Extensions Support
    Some VSCode extensions may not work optimally or be supported in the server environment compared to the desktop version.
  • Security Concerns
    Hosting your development environment on a server exposes it to potential security risks if not configured properly.
  • Performance Constraints
    The performance may not be as high as locally-installed VSCode, especially when running resource-intensive tasks.
  • Setup Complexity
    Although lightweight, setting up and managing a server environment may require more initial setup and maintenance effort.

Gitpod features and specs

  • Instant Development Environments
    Gitpod provides pre-configured, ready-to-code development environments that can be launched instantly, saving time on setup.
  • Cloud-Based
    As a cloud-based IDE, Gitpod allows developers to work from anywhere and on any device with an internet connection.
  • Integration with Git Platforms
    Seamlessly integrates with GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket, making it easier to pull code, collaborate, and manage repositories.
  • Standardized Development Environments
    Ensures consistency across development setups, reducing the 'works on my machine' problem and improving team collaboration.
  • Automation
    Supports automation through pre-built workspaces, allowing repetitive tasks to be automated and enhancing productivity.
  • Scalability
    Easily scalable to handle multiple projects and users, making it suitable for both individual developers and teams.

Possible disadvantages of Gitpod

  • Dependency on Internet
    Requires a stable internet connection, which may be a limitation in areas with poor connectivity or during outages.
  • Subscription Costs
    While it offers a free tier, advanced features and higher usage require a paid subscription, which may be a drawback for some users.
  • Limited Offline Functionality
    Unlike traditional local IDEs, Gitpod offers limited functionality when offline, which can hinder productivity if internet access is not available.
  • Performance Constraints
    Performance can be affected by server limitations and latency issues, especially for resource-intensive tasks.
  • Customization Limits
    While it offers many configuration options, there may still be some limitations in customization compared to local development environments.
  • Learning Curve
    New users may face a learning curve when transitioning from local development environments to a cloud-based IDE like Gitpod.

OpenVSCode Server videos

Launching OpenVSCode server 💻

More videos:

  • Review - Let's talk OpenVSCode Server!
  • Review - VS Code in the browser with OpenVSCode Server from Gitpod

Gitpod videos

Online Github Work Environments - A Gitpod Review

More videos:

  • Review - Gitpod Introduction
  • Review - Introducing Gitpod!
  • Review - Gitpod first impressions | IDE in browser | VSCode
  • Review - Gitpod - Instant Development Environment Setup

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to OpenVSCode Server and Gitpod)
Open Source
100 100%
0% 0
Text Editors
17 17%
83% 83
Developer Tools
47 47%
53% 53
IDE
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare OpenVSCode Server and Gitpod

OpenVSCode Server Reviews

We have no reviews of OpenVSCode Server yet.
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Gitpod Reviews

12 Best Online IDE and Code Editors to Develop Web Applications
Gitpod is a refreshing take on cloud code editors (or IDEs, if you will) that aims to keep your code always tested and up to date. In other words, it’s deeply integrated with GitHub, and every time you add code, it runs your testing and CI/CD pipelines to make sure code is always at 100% health.
Source: geekflare.com
Best Online Code Editors For Web Developers
Are you a GitHub user? If yes, there’s little to no doubt that you will enjoy Gitpod. This cloud IDE is among the best online code editors and allows you to launch ready-to-code dev environments for your GitHub or GitLab project with a single click.
Source: techarge.in

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Gitpod should be more popular than OpenVSCode Server. It has been mentiond 76 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.

OpenVSCode Server mentions (13)

  • 🚀 Exciting News for Developers: Run VS Code on Any Browser! 🌐
    If you’ve ever wanted the flexibility of running VS Code directly in your browser, now’s the time to give it a try. After experimenting with various solutions, I’ve found a standout option: openvscode-server by github.com/gitpod-io/openvscode-server – a fork of Microsoft’s VS Code. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Self-hosted alternative to Codespaces? (With .devcontainer support)
    Not sure what .devcontainer means, but you can take a look to https://github.com/gitpod-io/openvscode-server or https://github.com/coder/code-server. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Does anyone have a solution to replace my laptop?
    I am using this project (https://github.com/gitpod-io/openvscode-server/) to run on my Linux box, then I can access it's server through my web browser. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Setting up a remote development environment I can access via a website.
    There are few options: Remote desktop via "noVNC". Nothing needs to be installed on the university computer, other than browser Https://github.com/gitpod-io/openvscode-server gives you remote VSCODE in the browser I tried both. I found: - noVNC has noticeable lagging. The scaling of the window can be a hassle to get right. But you have full access to remote system - gitpod let you type the code in the... Source: over 2 years ago
  • Not giving developers root access to their dev machines
    I do all my hobby web development in a sandboxed container that runs openvscodeserver, with the dev server also running in a sandboxed container, and both sit behind an oauth proxy to log me in. Source: over 2 years ago
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Gitpod mentions (76)

  • The Evolution of Developer Tools: What’s New in 2025?
    # Example of setting up a Gitpod workspace # Open your repository in Gitpod with one click Https://gitpod.io/#https://github.com/your-repo. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • 🌤️ IDX and Cloud Workstations: two Google tools empowering Cloud Development
    For my part, I often develop on cloud environments. I was lucky to come across Gitpod in 2019 and I have been using it everyday since, whether for Zenika projects, personal projects or open source projects. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
  • Kids-friendly project: Building your Chatbot Web Application using LLM
    We will use VScode workspace running on Gitpod as an IDE, you can use VScode on your local machine but you need to skip steps or change some details related to Gitpod. We will begin by setting up the workspace, preparing the requirements, and installing the dependencies. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • Build a Web3 Movie Streaming dApp using NextJs, Tailwind, and Sia Renterd: Part One
    Next, we need to install Docker by downloading it from the official website if you haven't already. Alternatively, use a free online platform like Gitpod or a VPS to run a Docker instance, if possible. Otherwise, install it on your local computer. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • Effect 3.0
    If you prefer instead to have a look at a fully working & effect-native app we've prepared a demo cli app that you can directly open in Gitpod or locally (if you prefer), you'll need to provide an OpenAI API Key in order to integrate with the OpenAI API. The demo app allows you to train a model via embeddings from a set of files and then allows you to prompt the trained model with questions. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing OpenVSCode Server and Gitpod, you can also consider the following products

Productivity Power Tools - Extension for Visual Studio - A set of extensions to Visual Studio 2012 Professional (and above) which improves developer productivity.

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

vscode.dev - Now when you go to https://vscode.dev, you'll be presented with a lightweight version of VS Code running fully in the browser.

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

Crucial Human Theme for VSCode - A royal dark theme for VSCode

Codeanywhere - Codeanywhere is a complete toolset for web development. Enabling you to edit, collaborate and run your projects from any device.