In one sentence
Codespaces is a disposable development environment hosted in the cloud by GitHub.
Open a browser and a full development environment with VS Code spins up in seconds. The first choice when you want to let AI try something out.
Features
A Docker container in the cloud, where 1 session = 1 codespace. Configuration is codified in devcontainer.json inside the repo.
How to connect (from anywhere)
- ๐ Browser โ Open directly from
github.comwith a single URL - ๐ป VS Code Desktop โ Remote connection from local VS Code
- ๐ฅ๏ธ GitHub CLI (
gh codespace ssh) โ Connect directly from the terminal
Container environment
- ๐ณ Docker-based โ Declare base image + features + post-create script in
devcontainer.json - ๐ฆ Reproducible โ Open the same repo and everyone gets the same environment
- ๐ VS Code extensions pre-installed โ Copilot, MCP servers, linters can all be pre-configured
- โก Machine size โ Switchable on demand (up to 32 cores / 128 GB RAM / 128 GB storage)
When you want to run heavy builds or AI agents in parallel, choose a larger size. You can also change the size after startup.
Benefits
- ๐ Zero setup time โ Just press โOpen in Codespacesโ
- ๐ฅ Same environment for everyone โ โIt works on my machineโ disappears
- ๐ Access from anywhere โ All you need is a browser
- ๐ช Works on low-spec machines โ Even an old PC at hand can use up to 32 cores / 128 GB RAM on the cloud side
- ๐ก๏ธ Safely isolate AI โ If something breaks, throw it away and start fresh
- ๐ค AI tools pre-installed โ Pre-equipped with Copilot CLI, MCP servers, and Skills