head to head · open source
code-server vs opcode
code-server has 79,759 GitHub stars, 6,941 forks, 152 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. opcode has 22,429 stars, 1,705 forks, 332 open issues and last shipped 2 months ago. code-server leads on adoption by 256% (79,759 vs 22,429 stars). code-server is written in TypeScript under MIT; opcode is written in TypeScript under AGPL-3.0. code-server has attracted 9% as many forks as stars, opcode 8%. 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 | opcode | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 80K | ★ 22K |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-01 | 2026-09-18 |
| Forks | ⑂ 6.9K | ⑂ 1.7K |
| 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 opcode if
- You want the opcode feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and opcode 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 opcode
opcode A powerful GUI app and Toolkit for Claude Code Create custom agents, manage interactive Claude Code sessions, run secure background agents, and more. [!TIP] ⭐ Star the repo and follow @getAsterisk on X for early access to asteria swe v0 . [!NOTE] This project is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Anthropic. Claude is a trademark of Anthropic, PBC. This is an independent developer project using Claude. 🌟 Overview opcode is a powerful desktop application that transforms how you interact with Claude Code. Built with Tauri 2, it provides a beautiful GUI for managing your Claude Code sessions…
read the full opcode overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is code-server or opcode more popular?
code-server has 79,759 GitHub stars and opcode has 22,429. code-server has the larger community by that measure.
Are code-server and opcode free?
Both are open source. code-server is licensed under MIT and opcode under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between code-server and opcode?
code-server is written in TypeScript and opcode in TypeScript. 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 opcode?
Choose code-server if you want the larger community (79,759 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose opcode if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.