Gitpod

Gitpod is a cloud-based development platform that automates the provisioning of ready-to-code development environments in the browser. It combines an integrated development environment, a code editor, and a container-based runtime so developers can start coding from a repository without installing tools locally.

Gitpod integrates with major Git hosting services, including GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket. A workspace is launched from a repository using a configuration file named .gitpod.yml (and optional Dockerfile or image) that defines the toolchain, dependencies, and tasks to run when the workspace starts. Workspaces can be prebuilt to reduce start times by preparing the environment in advance.

The in-browser IDE is based on Theia with compatibility for Visual Studio Code extensions, providing editors, terminals, debugging, and port forwarding. Each workspace runs as a container in cloud infrastructure, or on customer premises if using Gitpod Self-Hosted. The platform supports multiple containers per workspace and can persist data between sessions.

Key features include one-click starts from a repository, preconfigured environments, ephemeral or persistent workspaces, sharing of live workspaces for collaboration, and integrated terminals and port exposure for testing services. Gitpod also offers workflows and automation for onboarding and continuous development.

Gitpod provides a SaaS service (Gitpod.com) with various pricing tiers and a Self-Hosted option for organizations. The project includes an open-source core component and focuses on reproducible dev environments, scalable infrastructure, and streamlined onboarding, making it a tool for modern software development workflows.