Template-based environments
Create sessions from templates that define a machine image, warmup script, and credentials, then start them through the dashboard, API, or MCP.
Bitrise Remote Dev Environments
Bitrise Remote Dev Environments provides on-demand macOS and Linux cloud VMs for mobile developers and AI coding agents. Templates, persistent sessions, remote access, and shared Bitrise CI tooling support development, testing, and agent workflows.
Remote development environments on Bitrise
Bitrise Remote Dev Environments (RDE) provides on-demand cloud virtual machines for developers and AI coding agents. The environments use the same machines, stacks, and caches as Bitrise CI or Build Hub, so code can be written, built, and tested in a more closely matched setup.
Teams can define a reusable template, warm an environment in seconds, connect with a preferred development client, and archive or destroy the session when work is complete. RDE supports macOS Apple Silicon and Linux environments and is designed for both interactive development and agent-driven work.
Core capabilities
macOS and Linux machines
Use macOS Apple Silicon VMs with Xcode, Simulator, and the Apple toolchain, or Linux machines ranging from 2 to 48 vCPUs with Docker support.
Remote access from multiple clients
Connect through SSH, VS Code Remote, Cursor, JetBrains IDEs, Xcode, VNC, Claude Code, Codex, or another compatible client.
Session lifecycle controls
Start, stop, archive, restore, and destroy sessions. Persistent disk and block-level archived state allow work to resume after a pause.
Shared CI toolchain and caches
Run the same toolchain and use shared caches across Bitrise CI, Build Hub, and RDE, making it possible to reproduce a CI failure inside the environment that produced it.
AI agent orchestration
Use the open-source MCP server to route tickets to agents, run parallel sessions headlessly, archive results, and support workflows that end with a pull request.
Practical use cases
Move mobile development off the laptop
Give engineers a ready-to-use cloud machine connected through VS Code, Cursor, JetBrains, Xcode, or another supported client. Developers can archive the session at the end of a work period and restore it later.
AI-assisted coding with build context
Run Claude Code, Codex, or another agent in an environment containing the tools and caches used by CI. This reduces the need for agents to spend work time configuring a separate machine.
Parallel autonomous agent work
Route tickets to agents through the MCP server, launch multiple sessions, run them headlessly, and collect archived results as part of a pull-request workflow.
Investigate CI failures
Reproduce a failed CI build inside the same type of VM that generated it, with matching toolchains and caches, so engineers can investigate in a closer approximation of the original build context.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Uses the same machines, stacks, and caches as Bitrise CI or Build Hub.
- Supports both interactive developer access and headless AI-agent workflows.
- Provides templates, warmup scripts, persistent disk, and archive/restore controls for repeatable sessions.
- Offers macOS Apple Silicon and Linux environments, including Docker support on Linux.
- Provides session isolation, session-scoped credentials, and per-workspace quotas according to the source page.
Cons
- The source provides only limited detail about retention policies, workspace administration, and the full set of environment controls.
- Pricing and included usage vary by machine type and plan; Enterprise capacity and limits require a conversation with Bitrise.
- RDE is focused on environments aligned with Bitrise infrastructure, so teams using unrelated build infrastructure may need to evaluate fit.
FAQ
What is Bitrise Remote Dev Environments?
RDE provides on-demand cloud virtual machines using the same machines, stacks, and caches as Bitrise CI or Build Hub. Developers can connect with tools such as VS Code or Cursor, while AI agents can work in the same build environment.
How are RDE environments created?
A session can be created from a shared template through the Bitrise dashboard, API, or an MCP call. Templates can include a machine image, warmup script, and credentials, and environments are available in seconds according to the source page.
Which clients and AI tools can connect to RDE?
Developers can connect through SSH, VS Code Remote, Cursor, JetBrains IDEs, Xcode, VNC, Claude Code, Codex, or other clients. The page also documents an open-source MCP server for agent orchestration.
What happens when an RDE session is archived?
Sessions can be stopped, archived, restored, or destroyed. Archived sessions preserve block-level state and persistent disk, allowing work to continue later without keeping the VM running; the source does not describe all retention rules.
How is RDE priced?
RDE is available in Basic and Pro offerings with a 14-day trial, while Enterprise pricing is customized. The source lists included minutes per operating system, pay-as-you-go overage up to a monthly cap, and concurrency limits that vary by tier.
Quick Facts
- Category
- Cloud developer environment
- Primary users
- Mobile developers, engineering teams, and AI coding agents
- Operating systems
- macOS Apple Silicon and Linux
- Infrastructure relationship
- Same fleet, stacks, and caches as Bitrise CI or Build Hub
- Access methods
- Dashboard, API, MCP, SSH, remote IDEs, and VNC
- Availability and pricing
- Basic and Pro plans with a 14-day trial; Enterprise pricing is custom
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