# 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.

**Replaces:** GitHub Codespaces

**Tier:** Medium

## 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.

## Stack

- [Coder](https://coder.com) — AGPL-3.0 self-hosted cloud development environments
- [code-server](https://github.com/coder/code-server) — MIT VS Code in the browser on a machine you host

## Estimated SaaS cost saved

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

**About $1,200 / year** on a small team, before you count lock-in.

## Deploy on Railway

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.

[Start on Railway](https://c17.io/go/railway/coder-workspaces?from=%2Fstacks%2Fcoder-workspaces.md)

[Forgejo if this is the git host, not the remote IDE](https://c17.io/stacks/forgejo-git)

## AGENT_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.
```

## 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.

Source: https://c17.io/stacks/coder-workspaces