code-server
Runs VS Code in your web browser, hosted on a remote machine.
- Stars
- 79.8k
- Forks
- 6.9k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- TypeScript
- Last update
- 5 days ago
- Type
- Dev tool
What it is
code-server is an open-source project that runs Visual Studio Code on a remote machine and lets you use it through a web browser. The editor and its files stay on the server, so you can work from any device that has a browser. The project's description is simply "VS Code in the browser."
- Run a development environment on a cloud or home server and open it from a browser
- Work on a project from different computers without copying files around
- Give a team a shared browser-based editor setup
Great for
- Developers who want to code from a tablet, a borrowed computer, or a machine with limited local resources
- Teams that want a shared, consistent development environment hosted on their own servers
- People who already use VS Code and want the same editor in a browser
Not ideal for
- Users who need a fully offline editor, since it depends on a running server to work
- People without the time to secure and maintain a server, because exposing an editor to the internet needs care (the README was truncated, so specific security guidance could not be confirmed here)
How to get it
- 1
Install with a package manager
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/coder/code-server - 2
Run it
- Install code-server using the method described in the project's README or release packages
- Start the code-server process on your server
- Open the address it reports in your web browser
- Log in and begin working in the VS Code interface
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Read the full README for configuration options such as authentication and binding address
- Use a reverse proxy with HTTPS if you access it over the internet (general practice; verify details in the full README)
- Check the latest release packages for amd64 and arm64 Linux, Windows, and Debian/RPM options
Downloads
Strengths
- Uses the familiar VS Code interface in a browser
- Open source under the MIT license with a large community (about 79,700 stars)
- Gives you one place to keep code and tools, accessed from anywhere
Trade-offs
- Requires you to host and maintain a server, which adds setup work
- Performance and features depend on the server and network connection; the README excerpt provided did not detail specifics
- The README was truncated, so some details could not be verified
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| code-server (this) | 79.8k | Dev tool | intermediate | 5 days ago | Developers who want to code from a tablet, a borrowed computer, or a machine with limited local resources |
| vscodium | 33.9k | App | beginner | 6 days ago | Developers who want the VS Code interface without Microsoft's telemetry or license terms |
| github1s | 23.3k | App | beginner | 4 days ago | Developers who want to read an unfamiliar public repository quickly |
| monaco-editor | 46.9k | Library | intermediate | 6 days ago | Web developers adding a code editing box to a browser app |
| kilocode | 27.8k | AI model / agent | beginner | 4 days ago | Developers who want an AI coding agent inside VS Code or JetBrains |
| CodeEdit | 23.1k | App | beginner | 19 days ago | Developers on a Mac who work on non-Apple projects and want a native macOS editor |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.