AI Coding tool profile
Orca
An open-source Agent Development Environment (ADE) that runs several coding agents in parallel, each in an isolated git worktree, with built-in terminals, browser, diff review, and git tools — using your own agent subscriptions.
- Best for
- Developers who already pay for a coding agent subscription and want to fan one prompt across multiple agents and compare results without extra per-seat cost.
- Starting point
- Free and open source; a desktop app that runs your own agent subscriptions (e.g.
- Free plan
- Yes — Free and open source (MIT) - the app itself is free with no subscription; you bring your own...
- Key limitation
- Requires your own agent subscriptions/API access; it orchestrates rather than providing its own model quota.
Choose it if
Developers who already pay for a coding agent subscription and want to fan one prompt across multiple agents and compare results without extra per-seat cost.
Avoid it if
- Requires your own agent subscriptions/API access; it orchestrates rather than providing its own model quota.
- Open-source project under active development — features and stability can change quickly.
- Independent open-source project; not an official product of Anthropic, OpenAI, or any listed model provider.
Free-plan suitability
Free and open source (MIT) - the app itself is free with no subscription; you bring your own agent subscriptions (e.g. Claude Code, Codex) and API keys and run them side by side in Orca.
Where it fits
Developers who already pay for a coding agent subscription and want to fan one prompt across multiple agents and compare results without extra per-seat cost.
Pricing note
- Starting point
- Free and open source; a desktop app that runs your own agent subscriptions (e.g.
- Free plan
- Yes — Free and open source (MIT) - the app itself is free with no subscription; you bring your own...
Free and open source; a desktop app that runs your own agent subscriptions (e.g. Claude Code, Codex) in parallel — there is no separate per-seat fee, but you pay for the underlying agent subscriptions you connect. Check the official site for current details.
Verify the current plan, credits, output limits, and commercial terms before purchasing.
Is it legit?
Who is behind Orca, where it is based, and what is publicly known about its funding. Company details change — verify on the official site before committing.
- Company
- OnOrca (orca.dev)
Free plan details
Free and open source (MIT) - the app itself is free with no subscription; you bring your own agent subscriptions (e.g. Claude Code, Codex) and API keys and run them side by side in Orca.
Trade-offs to check
- Requires your own agent subscriptions/API access; it orchestrates rather than providing its own model quota.
- Open-source project under active development — features and stability can change quickly.
- Independent open-source project; not an official product of Anthropic, OpenAI, or any listed model provider.
What Orca does
- Open-source (MIT) Agent Development Environment (ADE) desktop app for macOS, Windows, and Linux, backed by Y Combinator (44.3k GitHub stars)
- Runs Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Grok, and 25+ other agent CLIs side by side, each task in its own isolated git worktree - no stashing or branch juggling
- Ghostty-inspired terminal with WebGL rendering, infinite splits, scrollback restored on restart, and full scrollback search
- Design Mode: a real Chromium window per worktree; click any UI element to send its HTML, CSS, and a cropped screenshot into your agent
- Native GitHub & Linear integration: browse PRs, issues, and Project boards in-app, open worktrees from tasks, review and approve PRs, create Linear issues with team selectors
- SSH worktrees run agents on remote machines with auto-reconnect and port forwarding; mobile companion app (iOS/Android) shows live agent status and usage
Evaluation guide
Step-by-step evaluation guides for Orca — workflow fit, pricing, rights, and a same-input test before paying.
Compare Orca with alternatives
Side-by-side pages that weigh Orca against overlapping tools on the same five fields.
Official sources
These links are retained beside the catalog record so changing details can be rechecked.