head to head · open source
code-server vs sidex
code-server has 79,759 GitHub stars, 6,941 forks, 152 open issues and last shipped 3 days ago. sidex has 3,161 stars, 264 forks, 50 open issues and last shipped 2 months ago. code-server leads on adoption by 2,423% (79,759 vs 3,161 stars). code-server is written in TypeScript under MIT; sidex is written in TypeScript under MIT. code-server has attracted 9% as many forks as stars, sidex 8%. code-server was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (ide, vscode), 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 | sidex | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 80K | ★ 3.2K |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-01 | 2026-08-26 |
| Forks | ⑂ 6.9K | ⑂ 264 |
| 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 sidex if
- You want the sidex feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and sidex 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 sidex
SideX VSCode's workbench, without Electron. Why · What's Working · AI Agent · Getting Started · How It's Built · Contributing · Discord SideX is a port of Visual Studio Code that replaces Electron with Tauri — a Rust backend and OS's native webview. The same TypeScript workbench, the same editor, terminal, and Git integration, running without a bundled browser. Early release. Core editing and the terminal are solid. The extension host and debugger are still in progress. See What's Working for the full picture. Why VSCode's memory useage is almost entirely from its bundled Chromium, not the editor itself. Tauri…
read the full sidex 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 sidex more popular?
code-server has 79,759 GitHub stars and sidex has 3,161. code-server has the larger community by that measure.
Are code-server and sidex free?
Both are open source. code-server is licensed under MIT and sidex under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between code-server and sidex?
code-server is written in TypeScript and sidex 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 sidex?
Choose code-server if you want the larger community (79,759 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose sidex if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.