Orca IDE Unifies Claude Code, Codex, and OpenCode for Seamless Multi‑AI Collaboration

What is Orca

Orca is not a model and does not sell models; it is a desktop IDE that the author calls an ADE (Agent Development Environment). Its sole purpose is to bundle Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Cursor CLI and similar agents into one window for parallel work.

Backed by stablyai, a YC‑backed team

Codebase mainly TypeScript, built with Electron, with installers for macOS, Windows and Linux

MIT‑licensed, free to use

Very fast iteration – version v1.4.152 at the time of writing, with multiple releases per day

How it works

One prompt, five agents run

The core gameplay lets the same task be dispatched to several agents with a single click. Each agent runs in its own independent git worktree, so they do not interfere with each other. After execution, the results are compared and the best changes are merged.

A detail the author likes: the worktrees are real git worktrees, not a proprietary format, so native git commands can be used at any time.

Design Mode – click elements for AI edits

Orca embeds a real Chromium window. When you click a button or area on a page, Orca captures the element’s HTML, CSS and a screenshot, and injects them into the agent’s prompt, eliminating the need to describe the element in words.

Annotate diffs to make agents rework

After an agent modifies code, you can write a comment on any line in the diff view; the comment is sent back to the agent, which then revises the code. Review, modify and commit all stay inside the same window.

Native GitHub and Linear integration

Pull requests, issues and project boards can be viewed directly inside Orca. Clicking an issue can spawn a new worktree for an agent to fix, removing the need to switch between browser and editor.

SSH worktree – offload heavy agents to remote machines

If the local machine cannot handle many agents, a remote server can host the worktree. File editing, git and terminal remain accessible, with automatic reconnection and port forwarding.

Mobile monitoring

There is an iOS App Store version and an Android APK. When an agent finishes, a notification appears on the phone, and the user can send follow‑up commands without being at the computer.

The official README shows the author’s own usage: 5,065 agents run, 26 days 10 hours of cumulative agent time, and 359 pull requests created.

Orca CLI – agents can control Orca

A command‑line interface lets the entire workflow be scripted, for example:

orca worktree create
orca snapshot
orca click
orca fill

This means agents can not only work inside Orca but also drive Orca itself.

The terminal uses WebGL rendering, infinite split‑screen, and preserves scrollback after restart (described as Ghostty‑class). File editing uses the VS Code engine, supporting drag‑and‑drop of files and images into prompts.

Installation quick start

Prerequisite: Orca does not ship models. It can launch Claude Code, Codex, etc. only because those agents are already installed and authenticated on the machine.

Download from onorca.dev/download or GitHub Releases and install the package for your OS.

Open Orca and add a local repository.

Create a worktree, choose a base branch, select the agent to run, and start.

Install the mobile app and pair it with the desktop client.

Use cases

Run the same bug fix with Claude Code and Codex, compare diffs and pick the better solution.

Front‑end styling: use Design Mode to point at elements instead of describing them in text.

When away from the computer, receive agent notifications on the phone and send further commands.

If a local MacBook is overloaded, offload agents to a remote server.

Opinion

The author’s favorite aspect is Orca’s clear positioning: it does not sell a key, does not rely on model‑API margins, and the tool itself is open‑source and free. How it will monetize later is unknown, but there is no forced bundling now.

Compared with other multi‑agent management tools that have appeared this year, Orca is heavier because it builds its own terminal, editor, browser and mobile client. The benefit is a fully integrated experience without having to stitch together separate pieces.

The trade‑off is higher memory consumption due to Electron and multiple agents running simultaneously. With over 26 k stars and more than 2 k open issues, rapid iteration brings many users but also many bugs.

Open‑source repository

https://github.com/stablyai/orca