Coder
Full cloud workspaces on your infrastructure; Terraform and PostgreSQL come along for the ride.
Technical Profile & Specs
verified 2026-08-10
- Cost
- $0 / forever (Open Source)
- License
- AGPL-3.0+
- Hosting Model
- Self-host (your server)
- Platforms
- desktopwebself-hostedself-host, real ops
- Installation
- Install the Coder control plane, connect PostgreSQL, then provision workspaces from Terraform templates; Helm is available for Kubernetes
- Operational Setup
- The first obstacle is infrastructure, not the IDE: PostgreSQL, Terraform templates, cloud or cluster credentials, persistent workspace storage, and a reachable TLS URL are required
- Where Your Data Lives
- Users' source and build artifacts live in the provisioned workspace disks, volumes, or cloud resources; Coder configuration, users, audit/control-plane state, and template/Terraform state live in PostgreSQL
- The Catch / Trade-off
- Coder is an infrastructure platform for durable workspaces, not an instant public browser sandbox, so setup, templates, and cloud resources replace CodeSandbox's one-click experience.
Replaces 2 paid apps
up to $37/mo ($444/yr) in subscriptions
Coder FAQ
Common questions
Is Coder free and open source?+
Coder is an open-source tool licensed under AGPL-3.0+ that runs on self-host. Full cloud workspaces on your infrastructure; Terraform and PostgreSQL come along for the ride.
What paid software does Coder replace?+
Coder serves as a free replacement for 2 paid SaaS applications: CodeSandbox, Replit, saving up to $37/month ($444/year) in subscription bills.
How do you install and set up Coder?+
Installation: Install the Coder control plane, connect PostgreSQL, then provision workspaces from Terraform templates; Helm is available for Kubernetes. Setup notes: The first obstacle is infrastructure, not the IDE: PostgreSQL, Terraform templates, cloud or cluster credentials, persistent workspace storage, and a reachable TLS URL are required
What is the catch or trade-off with Coder?+
Coder is an infrastructure platform for durable workspaces, not an instant public browser sandbox, so setup, templates, and cloud resources replace CodeSandbox's one-click experience.