Coder or code-server?

code-server if you want VS Code in a browser on one box. Coder if you want workspaces for a team or agents. They share a parent org; they are not the same deploy.

Is this GitHub Copilot?

No. /replace/github-copilot is Continue + LiteLLM. This page is the remote editor.

Where is the git host?

Forgejo stays on /replace/github. Codespaces is the editor, not the forge.

Stacks / Backend

Medium

Coder / code-server

A remote IDE you host. Coder is AGPL-3.0 workspaces; code-server is MIT VS Code in the browser — GitHub Codespaces without the SKU.

The problem

GitHub Codespaces meters compute for a cloud VS Code. You wanted that editor on a machine you run. Coder is AGPL-3.0 (coder/coder) — workspaces for developers and agents. code-server is MIT (coder/code-server) if the job is VS Code in the browser on one box. This is not every Codespaces prebuild, GitHub-hosted runner, or Copilot seat — Copilot stays on /replace/github-copilot. The git host stays on /replace/github.

Replaces

GitHub Codespaces

Replace GitHub Codespaces

Estimated SaaS saved

$1,200

per year, small team, before lock-in

Start on Railway

Forgejo if this is the git host, not the remote IDE

Sponsor this stack Tip jar

Placeholder: code-server is one service plus a volume for the home directory. Coder is a fuller control plane (workspaces on a cluster or VMs). Bind HTTP to 0.0.0.0:$PORT. No one-click template in this repo yet — Start on Railway. Git hosting stays on /stacks/forgejo-git.

The stack

Coder
AGPL-3.0 self-hosted cloud development environments
Catalog entry →
code-server
MIT VS Code in the browser on a machine you host
Catalog entry →

Cost table

You stop paying	Typical / year	Self-host instead
GitHub Codespaces (small team)	$1,200	Coder or code-server

Agent setup prompt

Replace GitHub Codespaces with Coder (team workspaces) or code-server (one VS Code in the browser).

- code-server: official image, persist the home/workspace volume, HTTPS only. Coder: follow coder.com self-host docs.
- Open one repo you actually edit. Do not claim Copilot or GitHub Actions. Write AGENT_PROMPT.md.

Also as markdown: /stacks/coder-workspaces.md

FAQ

Coder or code-server?: code-server if you want VS Code in a browser on one box. Coder if you want workspaces for a team or agents. They share a parent org; they are not the same deploy.
Is this GitHub Copilot?: No. /replace/github-copilot is Continue + LiteLLM. This page is the remote editor.
Where is the git host?: Forgejo stays on /replace/github. Codespaces is the editor, not the forge.