A GitHub Codespaces alternative that uses your own machine
If you're leaving Codespaces, it's usually about the bill, the cold starts, or the cloud checkout. CodeMote skips all three by using the machine you already have.
GitHub Codespaces runs a clone of your repo on a cloud VM. It’s great for disposable, standardised environments — but people start looking for an alternative for three reasons: the per-hour compute bill, the wait for a container to spin up, and the fact that your code is checked out onto a third-party server.
What CodeMote does instead
CodeMote doesn’t host anything. It connects your phone to the VS Code on your own computer, with your real local state — the uncommitted changes, the running dev server, the environment you already configured. There’s no cloud copy of your code and no metered compute.
- No cloud VM to pay for by the hour.
- No cold starts — your machine is already running.
- Works on any local folder, not just repos pushed to GitHub.
How to switch
Install the CodeMote extension in VS Code (or Cursor / Windsurf), install Microsoft’s free devtunnel CLI once, then start a session and scan the QR code. Your existing local setup is the environment — nothing to migrate.
Take your dev environment with you.
Drive your AI agents, terminals and Git from your phone — with no cloud copy of your code.