head to head · open source
code-server vs evil-helix
code-server has 79,674 GitHub stars, 6,892 forks, 152 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. evil-helix has 1,383 stars, 40 forks, 77 open issues and last shipped 2 months ago. code-server leads on adoption by 5,661% (79,674 vs 1,383 stars). code-server is written in TypeScript under MIT; evil-helix is written in Rust under MPL-2.0. code-server has attracted 9% as many forks as stars, evil-helix 3%. 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.
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Side by side
| code-server | evil-helix | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 80K | ★ 1.4K |
| License | MIT | MPL-2.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | Rust |
| Last push | 2026-10-22 | 2026-09-04 |
| Forks | ⑂ 6.9K | ⑂ 40 |
| 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 evil-helix if
- You want the evil-helix feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MPL-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Rust
- You evaluated both and evil-helix 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 evil-helix
evil helix A soft fork of Helix which introduces Vim keybindings and more. Installation Download a package and extract it in /opt . Additionally, it's recommended to symlink it in /usr/local/bin : Package manager If a package is available for your system's package manager, it's the recommended way to install evil helix. Current state These are the current differences compared to the upstream project: Vim keybindings ( feel free to file an issue if you're missing certain bindings ): Commands: a , c , d , y , x Modifiers: i Motions: w , W , e , E , b , B , 0 , $ Visual line mode: V Adjusted defaults (511060a): The…
read the full evil-helix overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is code-server or evil-helix more popular?
code-server has 79,674 GitHub stars and evil-helix has 1,383. code-server has the larger community by that measure.
Are code-server and evil-helix free?
Both are open source. code-server is licensed under MIT and evil-helix under MPL-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between code-server and evil-helix?
code-server is written in TypeScript and evil-helix in Rust. 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 evil-helix?
Choose code-server if you want the larger community (79,674 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose evil-helix if its feature set, stack or MPL-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.