6 Best EaaS Product Alternatives to Gitpod
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6 Best EaaS Product Alternatives to Gitpod

Release Team

Release Team

January 23, 2023 · 6 min read

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Are you looking for an alternative to Gitpod for your code? Many options offer similar functionality as cloud-based integrated development environments (IDEs). These alternatives can help you develop, collaborate on, and manage your projects more efficiently. By exploring some of the top alternatives to Gitpod, you can find the best tool to meet your specific needs and preferences. In this post, we'll introduce you to some of the top Gitpod alternatives and help you decide which one is right for you. 

What is EaaS?

Environment as a service (EaaS) is a cloud computing model that provides users access to a fully configured and managed computing environment over the internet. With EaaS, users can quickly and easily create, deploy, and manage applications and services without purchasing, configuring, and maintaining hardware and software infrastructure. 

EaaS providers offer a range of preconfigured environments that users can choose from, including different operating systems, programming languages, and frameworks. Users can customize their environments to meet their specific needs. 

EaaS provides many benefits over traditional IT infrastructure, including lower up-front costs, faster deployment times, and greater scalability and flexibility. It allows users to focus on developing and deploying their applications and services without worrying about managing and maintaining the underlying infrastructure. 

What Is Gitpod?

Gitpod is a cloud-based IDE that allows developers to work on code from any device with an internet connection. It enables collaboration on code projects with features like real-time code sharing and version control. 

One of Gitpod's critical features is its seamless integration with Git, a popular version control system. This allows developers to use Gitpod to manage their code repositories and collaborate with others on code projects hosted on Git. 

Gitpod includes several other tools and features helpful for developers. These features are code completion, debugging, testing, and deployment. Gitpod is available as a cloud service or can be installed on-premises. 

What are the Gitpod Alternatives?

Many alternatives to Gitpod offer similar functionality for cloud-based IDEs. Some of the top alternatives include the following: 

  • Cloud9
  • Eclipse Che
  • CodeAnywhere
  • JupyterLab
  • Code Sandbox
  • Replit

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Cloud9

Cloud9 is an online development environment by Amazon Web Services (AWS) that enables developers to write, run, and debug code from any web browser. Its features include collaboration, version control, and integration with popular programming languages and frameworks. 

Pros

  • Cloud9 allows developers to work from anywhere with an internet connection, enabling teams to collaborate in real time.
  • Cloud9 provides a quick and easy set-up process, allowing developers to spin up a workspace in minutes without needing local installations.
  • Workspaces are protected with built-in security measures, such as identity management and access control.
  • Workspaces can be easily scaled up or down to meet the demands of a project.

Cons

  • Cloud9 doesn't offer extensive customer support, so developers may have difficulty getting help if they encounter problems.
  • Cloud9 lacks features such as built-in code completion, a feature that can make coding more efficient.

Best Practices

Leverage the Cloud9 features. Cloud9 IDE offers a wide range of features designed to help you work more efficiently, such as quick file search, code completion, and autocompletion of code snippets. 

Integrate with external services. Cloud9 IDE can be integrated with external services, such as code repositories and databases, to help streamline the development process. 

Use the Cloud9 Marketplace. The Cloud9 Marketplace offers a variety of tools and services that can be integrated into Cloud9 IDE, providing you with access to additional features and capabilities. 

Stay up to date on security patches. This will help ensure that your environment remains secure. 

Eclipse Che

Eclipse Che is an open-source cloud IDE and developer workspace server that runs on Kubernetes. It offers a revolutionary developer workspace server that enables developers to create, edit, collaborate on, and debug applications in the cloud. It provides a single workspace server with a powerful IDE that can be accessed anywhere, anytime. 

Pros

  • Eclipse Che enables collaboration between developers with an integrated development environment, version control system, task tracking, and more.
  • Developers can scale their applications from small teams to large enterprise projects.
  • Developers can customize the platform to their needs.

Cons

  • Eclipse Che only offers limited plugins and integrations with other tools.
  • Eclipse Che requires a complex set-up process and can be difficult for beginners.

Best Practices

Make sure to use strong authentication and access control to prevent unauthorized access. Use the built-in version control system to keep track of changes in your code. Test your applications in a staging environment before deploying. 

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Codeanywhere

Codeanywhere is a cloud-based IDE that allows developers to write, edit, and collaborate on code from anywhere. It has an intuitive interface that offers extensive features, including version control, debugging, and integration with popular cloud-based services. 

Pros

  • Codeanywhere is easy to use with an intuitive interface.
  • It's portable and accessible from any device.
  • Supports a wide range of languages.
  • Includes debugging tools.
  • Codeanywhere supports version control.

Cons

  • There is a potential lag when working on large projects.
  • Codeanywhere's customization options are limited.
  • There is limited support for third-party integrations.

Best Practices

Use version control to track changes and keep a backup of your code. Monitor and manage resources to optimize performance. Use linting and debuggers to identify and fix errors. 

JupyterLab

JupyterLab is a web-based interactive computing environment for programming, data exploration, and visualization. It provides a set of tools for data science and machine learning. 

A data scientist working on a machine learning project could use JupyterLab to quickly explore different algorithms, visualize data, and debug code. 

Pros

  • JupyterLab gives you access to powerful tools and libraries for data analysis.
  • It supports multiple programming languages like Python, Julia, and R.
  • JupyterLab is flexible, allowing users to create and share their notebooks.
  • JupyterLab allows for big data integration and manipulation.
  • It supports interactive widgets and provides visualization capabilities.

Cons

  • JupyterLab has limited memory and CPU resources.
  • It's slower than other IDEs.
  • Error reporting with JupyterLab is poor.

Best Practices

Use version control to keep track of changes to your code. 

Monitor the performance and stability of your code. 

Set up your environment with the necessary libraries and packages. 

Break your code into smaller, more manageable chunks. 

CodeSandbox

CodeSandbox is an online development environment that allows developers to write and test code without installing software. You can use it for server-side scripting. 

Pros

  • CodeSandbox is easy to access.
  • There's no need to install any software.
  • It allows developers to collaborate and share code easily.
  • CodeSandbox can be used to test code without having to deploy it.

Cons

  • CodeSandbox has limited access to system resources.
  • There is limited support for libraries and frameworks.
  • Security is a concern if the code is shared publicly.

Best Practices

Utilize the built-in tools and resources to maximize development efficiency. 

Replit

Repl stands for Read-Eval-Print-Loop, a type of interactive programming environment. Replit allows developers to quickly execute code snippets and instantly view the results, allowing them to quickly iterate and improve their code. 

Pros

  • Replit is a flexible environment for experimentation.
  • It's a useful tool for teaching and learning programming languages.

Cons

  • Replit is not suitable for complex projects.
  • It can be slow for large datasets.

Best Practices

Make sure you're familiar with the language you're using in the Repl. 

Document your code and keep notes on what you’ve tested and debugged. 

Use Repls as a teaching tool to help others learn to program. 

Is Gitpod VS Code?

Gitpod is not Visual Studio Code (VS Code), though both are development environments. Gitpod is a cloud-based IDE that's integrated with GitHub, while VS Code is a desktop-based IDE. Both provide features like syntax highlighting, autocomplete, linting, and debugging. However, Gitpod also includes features like a built-in terminal, Docker support, and a built-in CI/CD pipeline. 

Is Gitpod Part of GitHub?

Gitpod is not directly affiliated with GitHub. It allows developers to use GitHub repositories and collaborate with others on code projects hosted on GitHub using its cloud-based IDE. Gitpod is available as a cloud service. 

Conclusion

Many alternatives to Gitpod are available for those looking for a cloud-based IDE. These alternatives offer a range of features and tools to help developers collaborate on, develop, and manage code projects efficiently. Some popular Gitpod alternatives include Cloud9, CodeAnywhere, Eclipse Che, and CodeSandbox, each of which has its strengths and capabilities. 

Try out the Release automated software development environment today to see how quickly and easily you can move your development projects forward. Automate your software development environment and eliminate manual steps to accelerate development timelines and reduce costs.

Simplify cloud-based IDE setup with Release's ephemeral environments for efficient collaboration and faster deployment cycles.

Try Release for Free