Codchi

Codchi is ranked #23 of 50 in development environment managers on Freedom251. It runs on Linux, Windows. There is a free plan.

Compared on development environment managers

Runtime management: Yes
Dependency locking: Yes
Configuration as code: Yes
Shell integration: Yes
Container support: Yes

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Codchi

Purpose: Codchi manages a project's development environment using Nix so it can be installed, updated, and rolled back reproducibly.
Project setup: Development environments are defined in code in the project repository, supporting setup automation and an environment for each project commit.
Isolation: Codchi runs code machines in isolated environments using virtualization such as WSL on Windows and LXD containers on Linux.
Host integration: Codchi can create host start-menu shortcuts for graphical applications and provide a shell with the machine's tools.
NixOS compatibility: A Code Machine is a NixOS module, and Codchi supports NixOS options alongside its own options.
Windows support: Installation instructions cover Windows 10 and 11 and require WSL 2.0.14 or later.
Linux support: Linux installation uses LXD for virtualization, and Codchi is currently packaged with Nix on Linux.
macOS limitation: The installation page says macOS is not implemented.
Editor integrations: Documentation describes configuring VS Code, VSCodium, JetBrains IDEs, Vim, and Neovim inside a Code Machine.
Related tools: Codchi can be used alongside devenv.sh or Flox, which provide the development environment while Codchi provides consistency and host integration across Windows and Linux.
Secrets: Codchi's design documentation describes secrets as stored on the host and provided to a Code Machine when it starts; it says host-side storage should preferably be encrypted.
Beta status: Codchi is in beta and the maker warns that bugs and incomplete features may occur.
Support: The project offers community support through GitHub Issues and describes professional feature assistance, troubleshooting, training, and consulting through aformatik.
License and funding: The GitHub repository identifies an MIT license and says the project is funded through aformatik's use of Codchi and professional services.
Price from: Free

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Where it ranks on Freedom251

Best Development Environment Managers in 2026#23 of 50
Best Development Environment Management Tools in 2026#15 of 25

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Sources

codchi.dev/introduction/what-is-codchi/· checked 3 Oct 2026
codchi.dev· checked 3 Oct 2026
codchi.dev/introduction/installation/· checked 3 Oct 2026
codchi.dev/config/editor/· checked 3 Oct 2026
codchi.dev/config/devenv/· checked 3 Oct 2026
codchi.dev/contrib/internals/· checked 3 Oct 2026
github.com/aformatik/codchi· checked 3 Oct 2026
codchi.dev/introduction/what-is-codchi· checked 3 Oct 2026