head to head · open source
code-server vs ecode
code-server has 79,769 GitHub stars, 6,933 forks, 152 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. ecode has 1,695 stars, 31 forks, 27 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. code-server leads on adoption by 4,606% (79,769 vs 1,695 stars). code-server is written in TypeScript under MIT; ecode is written in Lua under MIT. code-server has attracted 9% as many forks as stars, ecode 2%. code-server was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (ide), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
← all 20902 open source comparisons
Side by side
| code-server | ecode | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 80K | ★ 1.7K |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Written in | TypeScript | Lua |
| Last push | 2026-11-04 | 2026-11-03 |
| Forks | ⑂ 6.9K | ⑂ 31 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick code-server if
- You weight community size — 80K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick ecode if
- You want the ecode feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Lua
- You evaluated both and ecode fits your workflow better
About code-server
code server Run VS Code on any machine anywhere and access it in the browser. Highlights Code on any device with a consistent development environment Use cloud servers to speed up tests, compilations, downloads, and more Preserve battery life when you're on the go; all intensive tasks run on your server Requirements See requirements for minimum specs, as well as instructions on how to set up a Google VM on which you can install code server. TL;DR: Linux machine with WebSockets enabled, 1 GB RAM, and 2 vCPUs Getting started There are five ways to get started: 1. Using the install script, which automates most of…
read the full code-server overview →
About ecode
ecode ecode is a lightweight multi platform code editor designed for modern hardware with a focus on responsiveness and performance. It has been developed with the hardware accelerated eepp GUI, which provides the core technology for the editor. The project comes as the first serious project using the eepp GUI, and it's currently being developed to improve the eepp GUI library as part of one of its main objectives. Screenshots For more screenshots checkout running on macOS, running on Windows, running on Haiku, low dpi, code completion, terminal, file locator, file formats, global find, global replace, linter…
read the full ecode overview →
More in Developer Tools
Related comparisons
More IDEs & Code Editors projects
Compare either of these against the rest of the IDEs & Code Editors field.
Frequently asked questions
Is code-server or ecode more popular?
code-server has 79,769 GitHub stars and ecode has 1,695. code-server has the larger community by that measure.
Are code-server and ecode free?
Both are open source. code-server is licensed under MIT and ecode under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between code-server and ecode?
code-server is written in TypeScript and ecode in Lua. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, code-server or ecode?
Choose code-server if you want the larger community (79,769 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose ecode if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.