Free web-version of the RStudio

RStudio Server is a development application developed by RStudio. This free app works as a web browser version of the RStudio. It functions similarly to the desktop-based app. It allows users to access their work anywhere, provided that they have a web browser and a working internet connection available.

RStudio Server works better at accessing larger CPU and memory footprints. It also leverages computer resources more efficiently. Moreover, it is the better choice in ensuring that the R package versions used are standardized. However, if you are looking for enterprise-ready tools, RStudio Workbench is the best choice.

What is RStudio Server?

RStudio is an integrated development environment that allows users to develop and edit programs in R. It does this by supporting a large number of statistical packages, higher-quality graphics, and the ability to manage your workspace. This tool is often used to create free and open-source software for data science, scientific research, and technical communication. However, as it is a standalone app, it requires downloading and installation.

RStudio Server is a web-based cousin of RStudio. As mentioned, it functions in a similar way to the desktop application but allows you to access its features using a web browser. It enables you to provide a browser-based interface to a version of R running on a remote Linux server. With this app, you can move computation closer to the data and scale compute and RAM centrally.

By default, this server runs on port 8787 and accepts connections from all remote clients. Although, it prompts for a username and password and authenticates them through its data. However, there are a couple of notes about user authentication. For one, it will not permit logins by system users or those with user IDs lower than 100. Moreover, each user needs to be created with a home directory.

Is the app good?

All in all, RStudio Server is a handy alternative for RStudio users. The app functions similarly to its desktop counterpart, so you get the same features. However, you can access them anywhere as long as you have a web browser and a working internet connection. Moreover, you can leverage resources more efficiently. Although, troubleshooting issues can be a hassle as its support comes from community forums only.