head to head · open source
code-server vs spyder
code-server has 79,769 GitHub stars, 6,933 forks, 152 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. spyder has 9,390 stars, 1,825 forks, 1,353 open issues and last shipped yesterday. code-server leads on adoption by 750% (79,769 vs 9,390 stars). code-server is written in TypeScript under MIT; spyder is written in Python under MIT. code-server has attracted 9% as many forks as stars, spyder 19%. spyder 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 | spyder | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 80K | ★ 9.4K |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Written in | TypeScript | Python |
| Last push | 2026-11-04 | 2026-11-05 |
| Forks | ⑂ 6.9K | ⑂ 1.8K |
| 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 spyder if
- You want the spyder feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and spyder 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 spyder
Copyright © 2009– Spyder Project Contributors and others (see AUTHORS.txt) Some source files and icons may be under other authorship/licenses; see NOTICE.txt. Project status Build status Try Spyder online :point left: Click on this link to run the latest Spyder version in your browser. :point left: Click on this link to check the next Spyder 6 version.
read the full spyder overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is code-server or spyder more popular?
code-server has 79,769 GitHub stars and spyder has 9,390. code-server has the larger community by that measure.
Are code-server and spyder free?
Both are open source. code-server is licensed under MIT and spyder under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between code-server and spyder?
code-server is written in TypeScript and spyder in Python. 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 spyder?
Choose code-server if you want the larger community (79,769 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose spyder if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.