4 best GitHub Codespaces alternatives for secure sandboxing
GitHub Codespaces alternatives include Northflank, Gitpod, Coder, and DevPod. Each platform takes a different approach to cloud development environments. See a quick list below that covers their key features and use cases (we go into detail later in the article):
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Northflank: Provides microVM isolation with Kata Containers and gVisor for secure code execution, plus a complete cloud platform for apps, databases, and GPU workloads.
Deploy in Northflank's cloud or bring your own infrastructure (AWS, GCP, Azure, Civo, Oracle, or bare-metal). Includes RBAC, audit logging, SSO, and per-second billing.
Trusted by companies like cto.new who use Northflank's microVMs to scale secure sandboxes without sacrificing speed or cost.
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Gitpod (now Ona): Provides ephemeral development environments using Dev Containers.
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Coder: Provides self-hosted development environments defined as Terraform code.
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DevPod: Provides client-only development environments without server-side setup.
GitHub Codespaces are cloud-hosted development environments that spin up from your repository with a pre-configured setup based on Dev Containers.
They run on virtual machines in GitHub's cloud, providing instant access to a full development environment through VS Code in the browser or your local IDE. Codespaces handle compute and storage in the cloud, reducing the need for local setup.
Organizations and developers search for alternatives to GitHub Codespaces for several strategic and technical reasons that better align with their specific requirements.
- Need VM-level isolation for untrusted code execution? If you're building AI agents, code interpreters, or platforms that execute user-generated code, you need VM-level isolation with microVMs or gVisor rather than shared-kernel containers. This prevents container escapes and protects your infrastructure from malicious code.
- Want self-hosted or bring-your-own-cloud deployment? Many enterprises require complete control over where their code and data reside for compliance, security, or data sovereignty reasons. Self-hosted solutions let you run development environments in your own VPC or on-premises infrastructure rather than GitHub's cloud.
- Looking for more cost-effective options? GitHub Codespaces pricing can escalate quickly for teams with multiple active developers or resource-intensive workloads. Alternative solutions often provide better pricing models, automatic shutdown of idle resources, or the flexibility to use spot instances and cheaper cloud providers.
- Require platform-agnostic version control integration? Teams using GitLab, Bitbucket, Azure DevOps, or multiple version control systems simultaneously need solutions that aren't locked to GitHub's ecosystem and can integrate with their existing workflows.
- Need deeper customization and infrastructure control? Some development scenarios require specific networking configurations, custom hardware access, GPU support, or integration with proprietary internal tools that GitHub Codespaces doesn't support or makes difficult to implement.
Northflank is a complete cloud platform that uniquely combines production-grade microVM isolation for secure code execution with full infrastructure capabilities for deploying applications, databases, jobs, and GPU workloads.
Key features:
- Multiple isolation technologies: Kata Containers with Cloud Hypervisor and gVisor for VM-level security
- True bring-your-own-cloud: Deploy in your AWS, GCP, Azure, Civo, Oracle, or bare-metal infrastructure with full control
- Avoid vendor lock-in: Run workloads across multiple clouds or your own infrastructure without being tied to a single provider
- Complete platform: Not just sandboxes, you can run your entire stack including CI/CD, databases, and inference workloads
- Secure multi-tenancy: Isolated workloads with project-level separation for SaaS platforms and multi-tenant deployments
- Ephemeral preview environments: Spin up ephemeral, full-stack preview environments, including databases, microservices, and jobs, on every pull request for testing and collaboration
- GitOps and IaC: Infrastructure as code with templates for repeatable deployments across GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket
- Auto-scaling and observability: Real-time logging, metrics, and automatic scaling based on resource usage
- Production-proven scale: Executes over 2 million isolated workloads monthly, in production.
- Unlimited session duration: Sandboxes persist until you terminate them, unlike time-limited alternatives
- Any OCI container image: Use existing containers from any registry directly
Best for: Teams building and deploying CPU or GPU workloads (or BOTH) that require secure execution, enterprises needing secure multi-tenant isolation, and organizations in need of a unified platform for both development environments and production infrastructure with flexible deployment options.
See these very helpful guides (a must-read!):
- How to spin up a secure code sandbox & microVM in seconds with Northflank
- Your containers aren’t isolated. Here’s why that’s a problem. microVMs, VMMs and container isolation
- How Cedana uses Northflank to deploy workloads onto Kubernetes with microVMs and secure runtimes
- Secure runtime for codegen tools: microVMs, sandboxing, and execution at scale
- How Northflank helps you manage multitenant workloads
Try Northflank's free sandbox to experience secure microVM deployments, or review our documentation to learn how you can leverage Northflank for secure multi-tenant deployments. For specific deployment questions or to discuss your secure sandboxing requirements, talk to one of our expert engineers. See full pricing details.
Gitpod (now Ona) is a cloud development environment platform that provides ephemeral workspaces with AI coding assistant integration.
Key features:
- Ephemeral environments using Dev Container standard
- Self-hosted deployment in your VPC with vendor management
- AI agent integration for code generation and PR workflows
- Prebuilds that prepare environments before workspace creation
- Works with GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, and Azure DevOps
Best for: Teams using AI-assisted development workflows, organizations needing self-hosted CDEs with vendor management, and developers requiring pre-built environment provisioning.
Coder is a self-hosted cloud development environment platform that uses Terraform infrastructure-as-code to define workspaces.
Key features:
- Open-source with enterprise options available
- Terraform-based templates for defining workspaces as code
- Support for human developers and AI agents with granular permissions
- Deploy on Kubernetes, Docker, or VMs on any cloud or air-gapped on-premises
- RBAC, audit logging, SSO, and template management
Best for: Organizations requiring infrastructure control and self-management, platform engineering teams using Terraform, and enterprises with air-gapped environments or compliance requirements.
DevPod is a client-only, open-source tool that creates reproducible development environments without server-side setup.
Key features:
- Client-only architecture with no server backend to deploy
- Works with local Docker, cloud providers, Kubernetes, or remote machines
- Automatic shutdown of idle environments
- Supports VS Code, JetBrains suite, or SSH-compatible editors
- Uses DevContainer standard
Best for: Individual developers and small teams, organizations running development environments on their own infrastructure, and teams using multiple cloud providers.
| Consideration | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Security needs | For untrusted code execution or multi-tenant applications, prioritize solutions with microVM isolation (Kata, gVisor, Firecracker) over standard containers. Northflank and Coder offer the highest isolation options. |
| Deployment model | Decide between managed SaaS, vendor-managed self-hosted, or fully self-managed options. GitPod (Ona) offers SaaS and vendor-managed self-hosting, Coder and DevPod are self-managed, while Northflank provides both SaaS and BYOC (Bring your own cloud) deployments for flexible infrastructure control**.** |
| Cost optimization | Decide between managed SaaS, vendor-managed self-hosted, or fully self-managed options. Ona offers SaaS and vendor-managed self-hosting, Coder and DevPod are self-managed, while Northflank stands out by supporting both SaaS and BYOC (Bring your own cloud) deployments for maximum flexibility. |
| Infrastructure control | If you need to run in your VPC, on-premises, or across multiple clouds, choose solutions with true BYOC support like Northflank, Coder, or DevPod rather than cloud-only platforms. |
| Team size and scale | Larger teams benefit from enterprise features like RBAC, audit logging, and template management. Coder and Northflank provide comprehensive governance for enterprise scale. |
| Beyond development | If you need to run production workloads, databases, GPU inference, or CI/CD alongside development environments, choose a complete platform like Northflank rather than development-only tools. |
Choosing the right GitHub Codespaces alternative depends on your security requirements, infrastructure preferences, and whether you need development environments alone or a complete platform.
Northflank stands out by combining production-grade microVM isolation with full cloud infrastructure capabilities, letting you build everything from secure AI code execution to GPU-powered inference on your infrastructure.
Try Northflank's free sandbox to experience secure microVM deployments, or review our documentation to learn how you can leverage Northflank for secure multi-tenant deployments.
For specific deployment questions or to discuss your secure sandboxing requirements, talk to one of our expert engineers.