AWS CodeCommit vs Cloud9 IDE: What are the differences?

Introduction

AWS CodeCommit and Cloud9 IDE are two services provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS) to support software development and collaboration. While both services aim to enhance the development process, there are key differences that set them apart.

1. Integration with AWS Code Pipeline: AWS CodeCommit is tightly integrated with AWS CodePipeline, a fully managed continuous integration and continuous delivery service. This integration allows developers to easily create and manage their pipelines, enabling seamless code changes and automated deployment. On the other hand, Cloud9 IDE is an integrated development environment that provides a web-based code editor, but it does not have the same level of integration with AWS CodePipeline.

2. Collaboration Features: AWS CodeCommit provides collaboration features such as pull requests, code reviews, and branch-level permissions. These features facilitate team collaboration and ensure code quality. In contrast, Cloud9 IDE primarily focuses on providing a collaborative coding environment, with features like real-time collaboration and shared workspaces. While it supports version control systems like Git, it does not offer the same level of collaboration features as AWS CodeCommit.

3. Hosting Repositories: AWS CodeCommit allows users to host Git repositories in the cloud, offering secure and scalable storage for code. It provides features like branch-level permissions, encrypted data transfer, and integration with AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM). On the other hand, Cloud9 IDE does not offer built-in repository hosting. Instead, it relies on integration with external version control systems like Git, making it more suitable for developers who already have their repositories hosted externally.

4. Code Editing Capabilities: Cloud9 IDE offers a powerful web-based code editing environment, with support for multiple programming languages, syntax highlighting, and customizable themes. It also provides advanced features like code completion, debugging, and terminal access. AWS CodeCommit, on the other hand, primarily focuses on version control and does not provide an extensive code editing experience. Developers using CodeCommit usually perform their code editing tasks in an integrated development environment (IDE) of their choice.

5. Serverless Development: Cloud9 IDE is well-suited for serverless development on AWS. It provides built-in integrations with various AWS services, allowing developers to easily create, test, and deploy serverless applications within the IDE. In contrast, AWS CodeCommit does not specifically cater to serverless development. It is more general-purpose and can be used for any type of software development project.

6. Pricing Model: AWS's pricing model for AWS CodeCommit is based on the number of active users and the amount of data stored in the repositories. On the other hand, Cloud9 IDE has a pricing model based on the compute resources used by the development environment. While both services have their own pricing structures, the specifics may vary depending on the individual usage requirements.

In summary, AWS CodeCommit and Cloud9 IDE have distinct features and use cases. CodeCommit offers seamless integration with AWS CodePipeline, collaboration features, and repository hosting, while Cloud9 IDE focuses on collaborative coding, serverless development, and a rich code editing environment. The choice between the two would depend on the specific needs and preferences of the development team or individual developer.