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Developer Tools · head to head

Eclipse IDE vs Ona (formerly Gitpod)

Eclipse IDE logo

Eclipse IDE

Developer Tools

Open-source, extensible IDE historically centered on Java development

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Ona (formerly Gitpod) logo

Ona (formerly Gitpod)

Developer Tools

Cloud development environments repositioned as a control plane for software engineering agents

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Eclipse IDE startup time and UI responsiveness lag behind newer editors like VS Code.; Ona (formerly Gitpod) acquisition risk has already materialised: the company closed a sale to OpenAI on 10 August 2026 and now sits inside the Codex team, so nothing public guarantees pricing, continuity or neutrality between model vendors beyond honouring existing commitments.
  • They diverge on capability: Eclipse IDE covers Java Development Tools (JDT), Ona (formerly Gitpod) covers Ephemeral environments.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Eclipse IDE and Ona (formerly Gitpod) actually diverge.

Attributes where Eclipse IDE and Ona (formerly Gitpod) differ
AttributeEclipse IDEOna (formerly Gitpod)
Pricing modelopen-sourcePer month by compute unit
Platformswindows, mac, linuxWeb, Linux, macOS, Windows, AWS, Google Cloud Platform
Founded2001Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Developer Tools).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Eclipse IDE

  • Java Development Tools (JDT)
  • Plugin Architecture
  • Git Integration
  • Refactoring Tools
  • Workspace and Project Management

Only in Ona (formerly Gitpod)

  • Ephemeral environments
  • Agent sessions
  • Bring your own cloud
  • Devcontainer standard
  • Compute unit budgeting
  • Enterprise identity

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Eclipse IDE

  • Enterprise Java application developmentnot Ona (formerly Gitpod)
  • Academic and educational programming coursesnot Ona (formerly Gitpod)
  • Extending the IDE for niche languages via pluginsnot Ona (formerly Gitpod)
  • Multi-module builds with Maven or Gradlenot Ona (formerly Gitpod)

Ona (formerly Gitpod)

  • Giving a large engineering team identical, disposable environments so onboarding is a link rather than a two day setupnot Eclipse IDE
  • Running several coding agents in parallel against real databases and services instead of on a laptopnot Eclipse IDE
  • Keeping source code off contractor and offshore laptops by moving the whole environment into a controlled accountnot Eclipse IDE
  • Reproducing a hard-to-configure toolchain for a short-lived project without polluting anyone machinenot Eclipse IDE

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Eclipse IDE

  • Startup time and UI responsiveness lag behind newer editors like VS Code.
  • Plugin quality and compatibility can be inconsistent across versions.
  • Modern language support (e.g. for web frameworks) is weaker than dedicated tools.
  • Configuration and workspace setup has a steeper learning curve for newcomers.

Ona (formerly Gitpod)

  • Acquisition risk has already materialised: the company closed a sale to OpenAI on 10 August 2026 and now sits inside the Codex team, so nothing public guarantees pricing, continuity or neutrality between model vendors beyond honouring existing commitments.
  • Two disruptive changes of direction inside a year, from development environments to agent orchestration and then from independence to acquisition, mean the product a browser IDE buyer originally chose no longer exists in that form.
  • The Gitpod Classic sunset on 15 October 2025 required manual conversion of configuration, hand-moved secrets, self-rescued workspace data and a brand new account, which is the clearest available precedent for how the vendor handles deprecation.
  • Community self-hosting is finished: the AGPL-3.0 repository is deprecated by its own README, and self-hosted now means a vendor-operated install in your AWS or GCP account, with no Azure, no on-premises and no air-gapped path.
  • Pricing is difficult to model because it runs on a compute unit currency where subscription credits expire at the end of the month, the mapping from units to actual compute is not published on the pricing page, and Enterprise is quotation only.

Pricing, plan by plan

Eclipse IDE

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Full IDE and plugin ecosystem, no paid tiers

Ona (formerly Gitpod)

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Up to 3 parallel environments
    • Machines up to 4 vCPU, 16 GB memory and 80 GB disk
    • Ona Cloud multi-tenant only
  • Core$20/month
    • From 20 US dollars a month, up to 100 team members
    • Includes 80 to 2,200 recurring compute units a month depending on tier
    • Additional units from 10 US dollars per 40 units
  • Enterprise$undefined/year
    • Single-tenant deployment in your own AWS or GCP account
    • SAML and OIDC single sign-on
    • Dedicated account management and forward deployed engineers

Which should you pick?

Choose Eclipse IDE if

  • You need java development tools (jdt).
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on windows, mac, linux.
  • You also want plugin architecture.
Eclipse IDE review

Choose Ona (formerly Gitpod) if

  • You need ephemeral environments.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux, macOS, Windows, AWS, Google Cloud Platform.
  • You also want agent sessions.
Ona (formerly Gitpod) review

Questions people ask

Is Eclipse IDE or Ona (formerly Gitpod) better?
Neither clearly leads. Eclipse IDE starts at Free and Ona (formerly Gitpod) at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Eclipse IDE or Ona (formerly Gitpod)?
Eclipse IDE starts at Free and Ona (formerly Gitpod) at Free.
Does Eclipse IDE or Ona (formerly Gitpod) run on more platforms?
Eclipse IDE runs on windows, mac, linux. Ona (formerly Gitpod) runs on Web, Linux, macOS, Windows, AWS, Google Cloud Platform.
Can I use Eclipse IDE for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Eclipse IDE best used for?
Eclipse IDE is most often used for enterprise java application development, academic and educational programming courses, extending the ide for niche languages via plugins, multi-module builds with maven or gradle. Of those, enterprise java application development and academic and educational programming courses are not what Ona (formerly Gitpod) is typically brought in for.
What can Eclipse IDE do that Ona (formerly Gitpod) cannot?
Eclipse IDE covers Java Development Tools (JDT), Plugin Architecture, Git Integration, Refactoring Tools. Ona (formerly Gitpod) covers Ephemeral environments, Agent sessions, Bring your own cloud, Devcontainer standard.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Eclipse IDE: Is Eclipse IDE free to use, including commercially?

Yes, Eclipse is released under the Eclipse Public License 2.0, a free and open-source license that permits commercial use with no purchase required.

Source
Ona (formerly Gitpod): Is Gitpod still called Gitpod?

No. It rebranded to Ona in September 2025, and gitpod.io now redirects to ona.com. The company was acquired by OpenAI in a deal that closed on 10 August 2026.

Eclipse IDE: How do I extend Eclipse with plugins?

Extensions are installed from the Eclipse Marketplace, which hosts over 1,300 solutions spanning tools, languages, IoT support, and RCP applications, using drag-and-drop installation via the Marketplace Client.

Source
Ona (formerly Gitpod): Can I still self-host it for free?

No. The AGPL-3.0 self-hosted project is deprecated by its own README. What is offered now is a vendor-operated single-tenant install in your AWS or GCP account on the Enterprise plan.

Eclipse IDE: What license do Eclipse Marketplace plugins use?

Marketplace listings can be filtered by license type, including EPL, GPL, Apache 2.0, and MIT, since individual plugin authors choose their own licensing terms.

Source
Ona (formerly Gitpod): What happened to Gitpod Classic?

Pay-as-you-go Classic was switched off on 15 October 2025. Migration required converting gitpod.yml to devcontainer.json, moving secrets by hand, downloading workspace data before the cutoff and creating a new account.

Eclipse IDE: Where can I get help with Eclipse?

Support channels include community forums, project office hours, and a contact page maintained by the Eclipse Foundation, in addition to the official Eclipse Platform help documentation.

Source
Ona (formerly Gitpod): What does it cost?

Core starts at 20 US dollars a month and includes a monthly allowance of Ona Compute Units, with more from 10 dollars per 40 units. Subscription credits expire monthly. Enterprise is quoted.

Eclipse IDE: Is Eclipse limited to Java development?

No, while Eclipse's Java Development Tools are its best-known feature, the plugin architecture and marketplace extend it to C/C++, PHP, JavaScript, and many other languages.

Source
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