Comparison
Orbit vs Claude Code
Both started with Claude. Claude Code is a terminal agent. Orbit is a development environment with a visual agent, 200+ models, and a canvas. Same DNA, broader surface area.
Terminal-first CLI. Also available as extensions in VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf, and JetBrains.
Native desktop app. Editor, embedded browser, terminal, canvas, and vault in one window.
Agentic CLI — reads files, runs commands, edits code. Sub-agent orchestration for parallel work. Opus 4.6 with 1M context.
One conversational agent across every surface. Sees your running app via embedded browser. Subagents for parallel work. 200+ models across 20+ providers.
No built-in browser. The agent writes and runs code but can't see the visual result.
Embedded. Screenshots, navigation, click-to-select, form filling.
MCP servers, plugins, hooks, custom slash commands, CLAUDE.md project files, worktrees.
Skills Marketplace with 20K+ community skills, plugins, built-in MCP creator, slash commands. Own extension system.
Included in Pro ($20/mo), Team ($25-150/user/mo), and Max plans. API pricing: Opus 4.6 at $5/$25 per million tokens.
Free during early access. Sign in with Claude OAuth or bring your own key.
macOS, Windows, Linux.
macOS only (Apple Silicon). Windows and Linux coming.
Where Claude Code is better
Terminal power. Full bash execution, deep codebase indexing, sub-agent orchestration, worktrees.
Cross-platform. macOS, Windows, Linux. Orbit is macOS only.
IDE extensions. Available in VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf, and JetBrains. Use it in your existing editor.
MCP ecosystem. Rich extension system with MCP servers, plugins, hooks, and project files.
Maturity. Backed by Anthropic. Large user base, extensive documentation, included in Pro plans. Orbit is in early access.
Where Orbit is different
The agent sees your running app. Embedded browser with screenshots, navigation, and click-to-select.
200+ models. Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, AWS, Azure, and more. Not locked to a single provider.
Visual-first workflow. Code, app, terminal, canvas, and docs in one window. No tab-switching.
Skills Marketplace. 20K+ community skills, built-in MCP creator, and subagents for parallel work.
Non-developers welcome. Founders and PMs can direct the agent visually. No terminal required.
Vault for context. Drop docs and designs in. The agent reads them alongside your code.
The honest take
Claude Code is one of the best coding agents available. Now included in Pro plans and available as extensions across major editors, it's deeply integrated into the developer ecosystem. If you live in the terminal, it's hard to beat.
Orbit started with Claude but now supports 200+ models across 20+ providers. It gives the agent more surfaces — the embedded browser, canvas, and Skills Marketplace are the biggest differences.
If you want a powerful terminal agent with cross-platform support and IDE integration, Claude Code is the right choice. If you want the agent to see your running app, access to 200+ models, and a visual development environment, try Orbit.
Many developers use both — Claude Code for terminal-heavy work, Orbit for building with visual context.
See how Orbit compares
Free during early access
Sign in with your Claude account or bring your own API key. 200+ models included.