AWS Cloud9 vs Eclipse Che

AWS Cloud9 is a browser-based IDE for writing, running, and debugging code. It combines an editor, debugger, and terminal and supports over 40 programming languages, including JavaScript, Python, PHP, Ruby, Go, and C++. Users can create environments on new EC2 instances or connect existing Linux servers over SSH. EC2 environments include Git, Docker, language runtimes, package managers, and an AWS CLI authenticated with the logged-in user’s permissions. Cloud9 includes tools for creating, editing, running, debugging, and deploying Node.js or Python AWS Lambda functions, with AWS SAM support. IAM users in the same AWS account can collaborate on IDE and command-line sessions. Editor features include auto-completion, code folding, hinting, syntax highlighting, and more than 30 color schemes. Cloud9 has no additional service charge, but EC2 compute, EBS storage, and other AWS resources are billed at normal rates. EC2 setups create an instance and 8-GB EBS volume, and users remain responsible for patching and backups. Environments can stop automatically after the IDE closes, which may end terminal sessions.

Eclipse Che is an open-source development environment that runs IDEs in Kubernetes. Users create workspaces from a Git repository or sample, then access them online through a browser. Visual Studio Code and JetBrains IDEs are available. Workspace definitions use Devfiles, YAML files that can be versioned with application source code, and a devcontainer configuration is listed. GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket identities can connect through OAuth. Teams can share a development setup by URL, and Che can run on public or private Kubernetes clusters, including self-hosted deployments. Access uses OIDC authentication and Kubernetes RBAC authorization. Enterprise support includes air-gapped networks, TLS certificates, proxies, and FIPS. Code is cloned to persistent storage by default, but other file changes disappear when a workspace stops unless stored on a persistent volume. Che is free, with no stated usage limits.