AWS Cloud9 is a cloud-based integrated development environment that enables developers to write, run, and debug code using only a web browser, eliminating the need for local development environment setup. It solves the problem of inconsistent development environments across team members by providing a standardized, pre-configured workspace that runs on Amazon EC2 instances or any Linux server accessible via SSH. Cloud9 is particularly useful for serverless application development and working with AWS services directly from the development environment.
Cloud9 comes pre-packaged with tooling for over 40 programming languages including Node.js, JavaScript, Python, PHP, Ruby, Go, and C++, along with a built-in terminal, code editor with syntax highlighting, code hinting, and step-through debugger. It supports real-time collaborative editing where team members can see each other typing and chat within the IDE, making pair programming and code reviews seamless. The environment includes direct integration with AWS services, making it straightforward to develop, test, and deploy Lambda functions and other serverless applications.
Cloud9 is designed for AWS-centric development teams, serverless application developers, and organizations that want to standardize development environments across distributed teams. It is especially valuable for onboarding new developers who can start coding immediately without environment setup. However, it is important to note that AWS announced in July 2024 that no new features would be added to Cloud9, and new AWS accounts can no longer access it. Existing users can continue using the service, but teams evaluating cloud IDEs should consider alternatives like GitHub Codespaces or Gitpod for long-term projects.