ActiveState Platform vs DevPod

ActiveState Platform hosts custom runtimes assembled from source. Projects specify runtime components, preserve project history and provide deployment instructions; their artifacts may include packages, dependencies, patches and bundles, but not contributors’ first-party code. Create projects in the web interface or with the State Tool CLI, then deploy and activate them locally. Projects can remain personal, be shared with an organization or be public. The platform supports Windows, macOS and Linux deployments, and its GraphQL API can build open-source software for different operating systems and languages without requiring users to manage build infrastructure. It provides immutable SBOMs in SPDX formats and describes build safeguards including reproducible builds, checksum checks and isolated containers. A free organization plan costs nothing and is limited to public projects. Curated Catalog annual pricing is $25,000 for fewer than 100 employees, $50,000 for 100–999 employees and $150,000 for 1,000 or more; those prices do not apply to legacy Platform subscriptions.

DevPod creates repeatable development environments in containers described by devcontainer.json. It can place those environments on the developer’s computer, a reachable remote machine, or a public or private cloud, while the client itself runs locally without a server backend. The software is open source and extensible, with maintained providers for Docker, Kubernetes, SSH, AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, and DigitalOcean; users can also add providers from GitHub, a URL, or a local provider.yaml file. It works with VS Code and the JetBrains suite, and other IDEs can connect over SSH. Prebuilds, automatic shutdown during inactivity, and Git and Docker credential synchronization are included. Machine providers use secure tunnels, including AWS Instance Connect, Google Cloud IAP, and Azure Bastion. DevPod is free, with desktop downloads for macOS, Windows, and Linux and a CLI for macOS, Windows, and Linux on AMD or ARM. Port forwarding depends on an IDE or SSH session.