head to head · open source
vscode vs code-server
vscode has 194,494 GitHub stars, 44,389 forks, 21,181 open issues and last shipped yesterday. code-server has 79,759 stars, 6,941 forks, 152 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. vscode leads on adoption by 144% (194,494 vs 79,759 stars). vscode is written in TypeScript under MIT; code-server is written in TypeScript under MIT. vscode has attracted 23% as many forks as stars, code-server 9%. vscode was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
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
| vscode | code-server | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 194K | ★ 80K |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-01 |
| Forks | ⑂ 44K | ⑂ 6.9K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick vscode if
- You weight community size — 194K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick code-server if
- You want the code-server feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and code-server fits your workflow better
About vscode
Visual Studio Code Open Source ("Code OSS") The Repository This repository (" Code OSS ") is where we (Microsoft) develop the Visual Studio Code product together with the community. Not only do we work on code and issues here, but we also publish our roadmap, monthly iteration plans, and our endgame plans. This source code is available to everyone under the standard MIT license. Visual Studio Code Visual Studio Code is a distribution of the Code OSS repository with Microsoft specific customizations released under a traditional Microsoft product license. Visual Studio Code combines the simplicity of a code editor…
read the full vscode overview →
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 →
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Frequently asked questions
Is vscode or code-server more popular?
vscode has 194,494 GitHub stars and code-server has 79,759. vscode has the larger community by that measure.
Are vscode and code-server free?
Both are open source. vscode is licensed under MIT and code-server under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between vscode and code-server?
vscode is written in TypeScript and code-server 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, vscode or code-server?
Choose vscode if you want the larger community (194,494 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose code-server if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.