Development Containers Alternatives

Development Containers is described as 'A development container (or dev container for short) allows you to use a container as a full-featured development environment. It can be used to run an application, to separate tools, libraries, or runtimes needed for working with a codebase, and to aid in continuous integration' and is an app. There are four alternatives to Development Containers for a variety of platforms, including Mac, Windows, Linux, Docker and Flathub apps. The best Development Containers alternative is DevPod, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Development Containers are Flox.dev, Jetify Devbox and devenv.

  • FreeOpen Source
  • ...

A development container (or dev container for short) allows you to use a container as a full-featured development...

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Development Containers alternatives page was last updated Jun 23, 2025
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  1. DevPod icon
     5 likes
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    DevPod is infrastructure-independent and client-only, which makes it incredibly easy to get started with. Codespaces but open-source, client-only and unopinionated. Works with any infra, any programming language, any IDE, etc.

    22 DevPod alternatives

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1. Git icon  Git integration

    DevPod VS Development Containers

     
    Comments about DevPod as an Alternative to Development Containers
    pt1997
    Apr 24, 2025
    0

    DevPod is a client-only tool to create reproducible developer environments based on a devcontainer.json on any backend. Each developer environment runs in a container and is specified through a devcontainer.json. Through DevPod providers these environments can be created on any backend, such as the local computer, a Kubernetes cluster, any reachable remote machine or in a VM in the cloud.

    https://containers.dev/supporting

    Development Containers Icon
    DevPod icon
    • DevPod is the most popular Windows, Mac & Linux alternative to Development Containers.

    • DevPod is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Development Containers.

    • DevPod is Free and Open SourceDevelopment Containers is also Free and Open Source
    • DevPod is LightweightDevelopment Containers is not according to our users
  2. Flox.dev icon
     1 like
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    Flox is a virtual environment and package manager all in one. With Flox you create environments that layer and replace dependencies just where it matters, making them portable across the full software lifecycle.

    License model

    • Free PersonalOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Docker

    Flox.dev VS Development Containers

     
  3. Jetify Devbox icon
     2 likes
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    Devbox is a command-line tool that lets you easily create reproducible, reliable dev environments. You start by defining the list of packages required by your development environment, and devbox uses that definition to create an isolated environment just for your application.

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Country of Origin

    • US flagUnited States

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux

    Jetify Devbox VS Development Containers

     
    Comments about Jetify Devbox as an Alternative to Development Containers
    pt1997
    Apr 24, 2025
    0

    Jetify (formerly jetpack.io) is a Nix-based service for deploying applications. DevBox provides a way to use Nix to generate a development environment. Jetify’s VS Code extension allows you to quickly take advantage of DevBox in any Dev Container Spec supporting tool or service.

    Development Containers Icon
    Jetify Devbox icon
    • Jetify Devbox is Free and Open SourceDevelopment Containers is also Free and Open Source
  4. devenv icon
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    Fast, Declarative, Reproducible, and Composable Developer Environments using Nix

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Mac
    • Docker
    • Windows

    devenv VS Development Containers

     
4 of 4 Development Containers alternatives