# Orca review

> Orca is a desktop agent development environment for running Claude Code, Codex, and other CLI coding agents in parallel, each in its own git worktree.

Devtoolwatch Board, the week of Oct 25–31, 2026. Canonical page: https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/stablyai-orca/

## TL;DR

Orca is a free, open source desktop app for running many CLI coding agents side by side, each in an isolated git worktree. Orca is for developers who work with several agents at once and want terminals, diffs, a browser, GitHub and Linear in one place. A mobile companion lets you monitor and steer agents from your phone.

## Orca at a glance

- **Category:** [Coding agents](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/categories/coding-agents/)
- **Maintained by:** Stably (organization, [@stablyai](https://github.com/stablyai) on GitHub)
- **License:** MIT
- **Language:** TypeScript, JavaScript, Swift
- **Repository:** [github.com/stablyai/orca](https://github.com/stablyai/orca)
- **Website:** [orca.dev](https://orca.dev)
- **Latest release:** [v1.4.245](https://github.com/stablyai/orca/releases/tag/v1.4.245) on GitHub, Oct 30, 2026
- **First published:** Mar 17, 2026

## What Orca does

- Orca fans one prompt across several agents, each in its own isolated git worktree, so you can compare results and merge the best one.
- Orca runs any CLI agent, including Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Pi, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, and Goose.
- Orca lets you comment on AI diff lines and send the comments back to the agent, then review, edit, and commit in the app.
- Orca's Design Mode sends a clicked UI element's HTML, CSS, and a cropped screenshot from a Chromium window into the agent prompt.
- Orca shows GitHub PRs, issues, and Linear project boards in the app, and can open a worktree from any task.
- Orca runs agents on remote machines over SSH with file editing, git, terminals, auto-reconnect, and port forwarding.
- Orca tracks Claude and Codex usage and rate-limit resets, and switches accounts without logging in again.

### How it works

Orca is a desktop app for macOS, Windows, and Linux. It hosts any terminal-based coding agent in its own git worktree, using your own agent subscription. It connects to GitHub, Linear, and SSH hosts. An Orca CLI lets you script workflows. A mobile app pairs with the desktop host through a relay so you can follow agents from your phone.

## How to install Orca

**macOS with Homebrew**

```
brew install --cask stablyai/orca/orca
```

**Arch Linux (AUR)**

```
yay -S stably-orca-bin
```

### Requirements

- macOS (Apple Silicon or Intel), Windows, or Linux for the desktop app.
- Your own subscription or account for each coding agent you run.
- A git repository, since agents run in git worktrees.

### First steps

1. Download the Orca desktop app for macOS, Windows, or Linux from onorca.dev or GitHub releases.
2. Start a CLI agent such as Claude Code or Codex inside Orca, each in its own worktree.
3. Optionally pair the iOS or Android companion app with your desktop app to get notified when agents finish.

## Who Orca is for

- Developers running several coding agents in parallel on the same codebase.
- Teams comparing output from different agents before merging one result.
- Developers running agents on remote machines over SSH.
- Developers who want to check on agents from a phone.

### Limitations

- Orca does not include its own model; it runs CLI agents that you must pay for or sign into separately.
- The Homebrew cask needs the full name; bare `orca` installs an unrelated Plotly cask.
- Orca collects anonymous usage data by default; the privacy docs explain how to opt out.
- Chrome extensions in Orca's browser are experimental, and Android mobile builds are marked pre-release.

## Usage data (the week of Oct 25–31, 2026)

- Board rank: #9 overall, #3 in Coding agents, momentum score 95
- New GitHub stars per week (last 12 weeks): Aug 9: 5.8k; Aug 16: 5.2k; Aug 23: 5.5k; Aug 30: 5.5k; Sep 6: 5.1k; Sep 13: 5.6k; Sep 20: 6.2k; Sep 27: 5.6k; Oct 4: 4.9k; Oct 11: 6.5k; Oct 18: 9.6k; Oct 25: 7k

## Orca alternatives

| Rank | Tool | Stars | Downloads/wk |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | [Cindy](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/makecindy-cindy/) | 8.8k | – |
| #2 | [OpenMausBot](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/milind-soni-openmausbot/) | 9.6k | – |
| #4 | [OpenBot](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/copilotkit-openbot/) | 9.1k | – |
| #5 | [Agent Reach](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/panniantong-agent-reach/) | 107.2k | – |
| #6 | [Skill Recorder](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/microsoft-skill-recorder/) | 5.6k | – |
| #7 | [ARTEMIS](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/google-artemis/) | 15.9k | – |

## Orca FAQ

### Is Orca free and open source?

Yes. Orca's source code is on GitHub (stablyai/orca) under the MIT license, so you can use it for free.

### How do I install Orca?

Run `brew install --cask stablyai/orca/orca`. The install section above has the other options from the project's README.

### Is Orca still maintained?

Yes. The stablyai/orca repository was last updated on Nov 1, 2026, and the latest release, v1.4.245 on GitHub, came out on Oct 30, 2026.

### How popular is Orca?

Orca has 111.7k GitHub stars as of Nov 1, 2026. It gained 7k new stars in the week of Oct 25–31, 2026, against a 12-week average of 6k a week. That made it #3 among AI coding agents on the Devtoolwatch Board.

### Orca vs herdr: how do they compare?

Orca and herdr are both tracked by Devtoolwatch as AI coding agents. Orca has 111.7k GitHub stars and herdr has 47.1k. herdr is an open source terminal runtime for coding agents that keeps their sessions running in a background server and shows each agent's status. [herdr review](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/herdrdev-herdr/)

### Orca vs cmux: how do they compare?

Orca and cmux are both tracked by Devtoolwatch as AI coding agents. Orca has 111.7k GitHub stars and cmux has 28.6k. [cmux review](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/manaflow-ai-cmux/)

### What are the best alternatives to Orca?

Other AI coding agents on the Devtoolwatch Board in the week of Oct 25–31, 2026, by momentum: Cindy (#1), OpenMausBot (#2), OpenBot (#4), Agent Reach (#5), Skill Recorder (#6). The alternatives table above has their numbers.

### What is Orca for developers?

Orca is an agent development environment (ADE) from Stably. It runs Claude Code, Codex, and other CLI coding agents in parallel, each in an isolated git worktree, with terminals, diffs, a browser, and a CLI in one app.

### Which coding agents does Orca support?

Orca works with any CLI agent that runs in a terminal. Listed agents include Claude Code, Codex, Grok, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, OpenCode, Pi, Amp, Cline, Goose, Kiro, and Qwen Code.

### How do I use Orca on my phone?

Orca has a mobile companion for iOS and Android. Pair it with the desktop app to monitor agents, get notified when one finishes, and send follow-ups.

### Can Orca run agents on a remote server?

Yes. Orca's SSH Worktrees run agents on a remote machine with full file editing, git, and terminals, plus auto-reconnect and port forwarding.

### Can I script Orca?

Yes. The Orca CLI lets agents and scripts drive Orca with commands such as `orca worktree create`, `snapshot`, `click`, and `fill`.

## Sources

1. [stablyai/orca on GitHub](https://github.com/stablyai/orca)
2. [Orca README](https://github.com/stablyai/orca/blob/main/README.md)
3. [Orca website](https://orca.dev)
4. [Release mobile-android-v0.0.61 (Oct 30, 2026)](https://github.com/stablyai/orca/releases/tag/mobile-android-v0.0.61)
5. [Release v1.4.245 (Oct 30, 2026)](https://github.com/stablyai/orca/releases/tag/v1.4.245)
6. [Release v1.4.244 (Oct 29, 2026)](https://github.com/stablyai/orca/releases/tag/v1.4.244)
7. [Hacker News: Show HN: Open Source 'Conductor + Ghostty'](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47549197)
8. [Devtoolwatch Board, the week of Oct 25–31, 2026](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/)