Cloudomation DevStack:
The Coder Alternative
Cloudomation DevStack is a platform to deploy and manage cloud development environments.
Cloudomation DevStack vs. Coder
Feature
Cloudomation DevStack
Coder
CDEs are
Any infrastructure: containers, VMs etc.
Any infrastructure that can be defined in Terraform: containers, VMs etc.
Automation Capabilities
Integrated automation for all CDE-related tasks
Requires external automation
Automation powered by
Python
Terraform
Delivery model
Self-hosted, managed on-premise, managed SaaS
Self-hosted
Persistence
Ephemeral by default, but persistence configurable
Persistent disks encourage “pet CDEs”
Ease of Adoption
No external tooling required
Requires Terraform expertise
Pricing Model
Per CDE runtime hour
Open Source (Limited Features) /
Enterprise: Per User
Multi-cloud capable
Audit Logging
Enterprise Feature
User Access Control
Enterprise Feature
Workspace Quotas
Enterprise Feature
Best for
Teams with mature automation & Terraform expertise
Teams needing flexible automation & ephemeral CDEs
Sources: https://coder.com/docs/v2/latest/ides, https://coder.com/docs/v2/latest, https://coder.com/pricing, https://coder.com/docs/v1/latest/workspaces/cvms, https://coder.com/docs/v2/latest/enterprise
*Cost estimates were based on the following assumptions: Pricing estimates calculated for 8 core, 16GB ram machine type and 160 hours of CDE runtime / month
Cloudomation DevStack vs. Coder
| Feature | Cloudomation DevStack | Coder |
|---|---|---|
Hosting | Self-Managed, Managed On-Premise, Managed Cloud (SaaS) | Only Self-Managed |
USP | Code stays local, supports “weird” deployment models | Wrapper for Terraform |
Pricing Model | Per hour CDE runtime | Open Source (Limited Features) / Enterprise: Per User |
Pricing* | € 80,60 / month Infrastructure: € 28,70; Licence: € 41,95; Support flat rate: € 9,95 | € 61,41 / month Infrastructure: € 28,70; Licence: € 32,71 |
Supported IDEs | All IDEs (z.B. Visual Studio Code, Jetbrains with and without SSH, Eclipse, Netbeans, Web IDEs) How it works: Sources are shared with the RDE via a file mount. The local mount can be accessed by any local editor. SSH-capable IDEs can also be operated on the RDE. | Tested according to coder: Visual Studio Code, JetBrains with Gateway, IntelliJ IDEA, CLion, GoLand, PyCharm, Rider, RubyMine, WebStorm, Web IDEs (code-server, JupyterLab, JetBrains Projector), Emacs, In general – IDEs with SSH support |
CDE Configuration | Devfile, devcontainer or custom | Terraform or
devcontainer or
dockerfile |
CDEs based on VMs | ||
Configuration of workspace- ressources and limits | ||
Add GPU to the workspace | ||
Using Docker in the Workspace | VMs with Docker | Only via Linux |
CLI | ||
Air Gapped Deployment | ||
Audit Logging | Enterprise Feature | |
User Access Control | Enterprise Feature | |
Workspace Quotas | Enterprise Feature |
Sources: https://coder.com/docs/v2/latest/ides, https://coder.com/docs/v2/latest, https://coder.com/pricing, https://coder.com/docs/v1/latest/workspaces/cvms, https://coder.com/docs/v2/latest/enterprise
*Cost estimates were based on the following assumptions: Pricing estimates calculated for 8 core, 16GB ram machine type and 160 hours of CDE runtime / month
Coder or Cloudomation DevStack - summarised
Coder and Cloudomation DevStack are both platforms for creating and managing cloud development environments. Both products offer a UI as well as a Command Line Interface (CLI) for the creation and configuration of CDEs. Developers choose from pre-configured templates that they can start and stop in self-service.
The key differences between Coder and Cloudomation DevStack are the hosting options, the pricing model, the technical basis of the CDEs and the automation options.
Coder only offers self-hosting, while Cloudomation offers self-hosting but also managed on-premise as well as managed cloud (SaaS).
While Cloudomation DevStack is available as commercial software for licence fees, Coder offers its CDE platform as open source free of charge. Cloudomation offers a tiered pricing model through which even smaller companies can obtain the DevStack platform with support and / or as a managed service. With Coder, support and some features are only included in the Enterprise licence.
Cloudomation is recommended for companies that do not want to operate their CDE platform themselves and that want to obtain support – regardless of the hosting variant chosen – without immediately entering into an enterprise pricing package. For companies that operate their CDE platform themselves or large companies, both platforms also offer self-hosted and enterprise variants.
Technically, Cloudomation CDEs are based on VMs in which complex software (e.g. containerised) can run. Coder CDEs are containers. Since version 1.14, Coder also offers container-based VMs (CVMs), i.e. containers that behave like VMs to enable the operation of Docker in CDEs.
For companies that want to run complex software in their CDEs, Cloudomation’s VM approach offers a very flexible environment. Companies that want to run lightweight, simple software in their CDEs and want to take advantage of dynamic scaling of CDEs, e.g. via Kubernetes, the container-based approach of Coder makes sense.
To automate the creation of the CDEs, Coder uses Terraform, an open source software for infrastructure automation. Cloudomation offers the general-purpose and Python-based automation platform Cloudomation Engine from its own product portfolio.
For companies that already have experience with Terraform and only want to automate CDE creation, Coder offers a low barrier to entry. For companies that have specific requirements for the creation of CDEs, or want to implement other automations beyond pure CDE creation via the same platform, Cloudomation offers powerful automation options with the combination of DevStack and Engine.
Tl;dr
Coder is best for:
- Companies that need alot of flexibility in the definition of their CDEs, e.g. be-
cause they have non-standard or complex deployment models - Companies that already have experience with Terraform or who already use
Terraform for production and other deployments - Companies with dedicated platform engineering teams that can manage the
Coder platform and provide automation templates for developers as a service
Cloudomation DevStack is best for:
- Development teams that work on complex software and need to deploy it to validate code changes.
- Development teams that want a high degree of flexibility (working with individually favored developer tools, full access to VM by default, access to the Cloudomation Engine automation platform)
Comparison
Automation & Infrastructure Management
Coder uses Terraform for defining and managing CDEs, but Terraform is not well-suited for one-shot automation (e.g., snapshot creation, software deployment). This means teams must maintain external automation tools and scripts. Cloudomation DevStack integrates automation directly, allowing all CDE-related processes to be managed in one place without additional tooling.
Ease of Adoption
Using Coder means adopting Terraform, which has its own complexities. While Terraform is powerful, it requires expertise and ongoing maintenance. Cloudomation DevStack leverages Python and does not require any additional tooling, making it easier to adopt, especially for teams without prior Terraform experience.
Which Tool is Best for Your Organization?
- Coder is best suited for organizations that already have strong automation practices, Terraform expertise, and well-established CI/CD pipelines. It works well for teams that prefer persistent CDEs and have external automation in place.
- Cloudomation DevStack is ideal for teams looking for an all-in-one CDE automation solution, especially those who need flexibility in deployment, ephemeral environments, and integrated automation capabilities. It is particularly beneficial for organizations aiming to eliminate “works on my machine” problems and enforce standardization.
Features
Cloudomation DevStack features at a glance.
Managed Cloud and On-Premise
Decide on your preferred hosting: Self-hosted on premise, managed on-premise or managed cloud (SaaS).
CDEs based on VMs
VM-based development environments in which the software to be developed and all the necessary tools are available.
Integration
Built to integrate seamlessly with existing workflows and tool stacks of developers.
Central Configuration
Configure CDEs and which tools are available for your developers.
Powerful CLI
In addition to a web portal, developers can manage their CDEs via the terminal.
Automation Platform
Access to the flexible Python-based automation tool Cloudomation Engine.
Learn more about Cloud Development Environmnets from Cloudomation
Cloudomation DevStack
- Low barrier to adoption
- Cloud and self-hosting possible
- High flexibility in deployment models
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