Environment classes define the specifications of your cloud development environments run by AWS runners. They control computing resources like instance type and disk size to meet your development needs.

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Default environment classes

Gitpod comes with several pre-configured environment classes for your AWS runners. These defaults offer a range of computing resources to support different development workloads. By default, Gitpod creates the following environment classes:
Class NameInstance TypeDisk SizeSpot Instance
SmallM6i Large (m6i.large)45 GBNo
RegularM6i XLarge (m6i.xlarge)80 GBNo
LargeM6i 2XLarge (m6i.2xlarge)100 GBNo
Extra LargeM6i 8XLarge (m6i.8xlarge)200 GBNo
Extra Large SpotM7i 8XLarge (m7i.8xlarge)200 GBYes
Data Science LargeG5 4XLarge (g5.4xlarge)300 GBNo
Data Science Large SpotG5 4XLarge (g5.4xlarge)300 GBYes

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Creating custom environment classes

You can create custom environment classes tailored to your team’s specific requirements:
  1. Navigate to your Gitpod organization settings
  2. Select Environment Classes under AWS runners
  3. Click Add Environment Class
  4. Configure the following:
    • Name: A clear, descriptive identifier
    • Description: Details about the purpose or resources
    • Disk size: Storage capacity for the environment
    • Instance type: AWS EC2 instance type determining CPU and memory
      • Supports any x64 EBS-enabled instance type (e.g., t3.medium, m5.large, c5.xlarge)

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Managing environment classes

Add a new environment class

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Modifying environment classes

Once an environment class is created, only its name and description can be updated. To change configuration values like disk size or instance type, you must:
  1. Create a new environment class with the desired specifications
  2. Optionally disable the previous class

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Disabling environment classes

When you disable an environment class:
  • Existing environments using this class will continue to run
  • Users cannot create new environments with this class
  • Scheduled or automated processes cannot create new environments with this class

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Using environment classes

Users can select environment classes when creating new development environments by:
  • Manually selecting the environment class during environment creation
  • Using a project that’s configured to use a specific environment class

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Supported instance types

AWS runners support any instance type that meets the following requirements:
  • Any EC2 instance with EBS volume support
  • X64 architecture (Intel or AMD processors)
This gives you flexibility to choose from a wide range of compute options based on your development needs, including:
  • General purpose: t3.medium, t3.large, m5.large, m5.xlarge
  • Compute optimized: c5.large, c5.xlarge
  • Memory optimized: r5.large, r5.xlarge
  • Storage optimized: i3.large, d2.xlarge
Select an instance type that aligns with your workload requirements for CPU, memory, and cost efficiency.

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Considerations

  • Regional availability: Not all instance types are available in every AWS region
  • Quotas: Ensure your AWS account has sufficient quota for your chosen instance types
  • Costs: Different instance families have varying pricing models
  • Instance generations: Newer generations generally offer better price-performance ratio
  • Storage: Use an instance type which has more storage than RAM.
For more information, see:

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Best practices

  • Be prescriptive with your environment classes to standardize resources across your organization
  • Limit the environment classes to what your teams actually need
  • Create specialized classes for specific workloads (e.g., data processing, frontend development)
  • Review usage patterns regularly and adjust available classes accordingly