When comparing Koding vs Google Cloud Shell, the Slant community recommends Koding for most people. In the question“What are the best cloud IDEs?” Koding is ranked 3rd while Google Cloud Shell is ranked 10th. The most important reason people chose Koding is:
All languages, databases, and command-line tools are supported. Most machines are already set up with web project basics like Apache, PHP, MySQL, Ruby, Node.js, Perl, and Python and anything else can be installed via the SSH root access.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Everything is supported
All languages, databases, and command-line tools are supported. Most machines are already set up with web project basics like Apache, PHP, MySQL, Ruby, Node.js, Perl, and Python and anything else can be installed via the SSH root access.
Pro Ability to signup with Github
And link account to oDesk and Facebook.
Pro Great community
Koding has a community feature that makes it easy to collaborate and share ideas with like minded developers all over the world. And the community itself is very active and helpful community.
Pro Real-time collaboration
Real-time code and terminal collaboration with integrated chat abilities.
Pro Built-in terminal
With 256-color support.
Pro Various file upload options
Koding supports drag & drop, Dropbox, clone from Github, FTP and the ability to access them using SSH.
Pro Built-in package manager
The Koding Package Manager (a successor to Apps) is command line tool for installing packages like nginx, Redis, VNC, Wordpress and many others. It consists of officially supported and user-built packages.
Pro Communities
Ability to create different sized communities that can be public or private.
Pro Social Stream
There's a built-in social network with developers from all over the world.
Pro Unlimited domains and subdomains
Unlimited user-defined domains and subdomains for private or shared VMs can be set up.
Pro Capable editor
Koding uses the Ace editor that's developed by Cloud9. Besides the basics, it covers most important advanced code editor features such as code folding, converting cases, auto-completion, code analysis and refactoring, regex search and offers easy access to relevant documentation.
It also gives access to the CLI, has support for Vim and Emacs keybindings, includes multiple cursors and zen coding mode that removes all distractions and allows focusing on code.
Pro Inexpensive
Google Cloud Shell is free for Google Cloud Platform customers.
Pro Already has Google Cloud SDK and other tooling installed
Thus eliminating a setup step for interacting with Google Cloud.
Pro Already provisioned with Google Application Default Credentials
This makes it easier to run/test code that interacts with Google APIs.
Pro VM is always up-to-date, making it more secure
Because the VM image is managed by Google and either provided entirely by Google or configured by a Dockerfile (which is regularly rebuilt), packages are far more likely to be kept up-to-date with the last patches and security fixes compared with Cloud IDEs that give you your own VM and make you, yourself, in charge of applying updates.
Pro Supports multiple open files at the same time
One can split the screen and edit two files at once, making it easy to edit one file while consulting the contents of some other file.
Pro Supports editor and terminal in the same screen
This makes it easy to run commands while editing files at the same time.
Pro Built-in integration with tmux
Pro Supports "Boost Mode"
Allowing you to provision a more powerful instance when necessary.
Pro Supports custom software packages via a Dockerfile configuring the Cloud Shell image
With Cloud Shell custom environments (an early access feature), it is possible to specify a "Dockerfile" to specify a custom VM image to use for the Cloud Shell environment. This Dockerfile can be used to install packages with apt-get, npm, pip, etc. globally.
Pro Includes Eclipse Orion IDE already configured
Eclipse Orion can be difficult to setup/configure if creating a do-it-yourself VM running Eclipse. This makes it easier to have a working IDE.
Cons
Con Not a cloud IDE
Have to provide your own IDE, so not a cloud IDE.
Con No real individual user support
While they do have plans available for 1-10 users, they are not focused on individual developers, so much as teams.
Con Ephemeral Disk
Software installed globally as root (such as via "sudo apt-get install..." ) can be lost when restarting Cloud Shell; any software that needs to be persistent has to be installed in the user directory (or made part of the Docker image for the custom Cloud Shell image).
Con Minimal UI
Cloud Shell's editor is not as featureful as some alternatives.