# Orca: The Agent Development Environment for Running AI Coding Agents in Parallel

> Source: <https://dev.to/arshtechpro/orca-explained-the-agent-development-environment-for-running-ai-coding-agents-in-parallel-440n>
> Published: 2026-09-20 06:00:36+00:00

If you use Claude Code, Codex, or another AI coding agent in your terminal, you have probably hit this wall: the agent is busy on one task, you want to start a second one, and now you are juggling branches, stashing changes, and opening five terminal windows that all look the same.

Orca is a desktop app built to solve exactly that. This article explains what it is, how it differs from Cursor, what it costs, and where it falls short.

Orca calls itself an **ADE**, an Agent Development Environment. The idea is simple:

In practice, Orca is a desktop app (macOS, Windows, Linux) where every task you start gets:

Worktrees are the core idea behind Orca, so it is worth a 30-second refresher.

Normally, one repo folder has one checked-out branch. A worktree lets you check out *another* branch into a *separate folder* that shares the same git history:

```
git worktree add ../fix-login-race -b fix-login-race
```

Now you have two folders, two branches, one repo. No stashing needed.

Orca automates this. Click "+", name your task, pick an agent, and Orca creates a real git worktree and launches the agent inside it. Because these are standard worktrees, you can always `cd` into one and use plain git.

The Orca docs describe a "first 3-agent session" that sums up the whole product:

`origin/main`) as the base for new worktrees.` fix-login-race`.` fix-login-race-2` with Codex`fix-login-race-3` with Cursor CLI
That loop (add, worktree, agent, split, diff, ship) is essentially the whole product. Everything else is a deeper version of one of those steps.

**Parallel worktrees.** Every task is isolated, so five agents can work on the same repo without overwriting each other.

**Bring your own agent.** Orca ships preconfigured for a long list of CLI agents, including Claude Code, Codex, Gemini, Cursor CLI, GitHub Copilot, OpenCode, Amp, Goose, Cline, Kiro, and Qwen Code, and any other CLI agent can be added.

**Annotate AI diffs.** Leave markdown comments on specific diff lines, batch them, and send them back to the agent as feedback. You can also inspect CI, resolve conflicts, and open PRs in the app.

**Design Mode.** Each worktree gets a real Chromium window. Click a UI element and Orca sends its HTML, CSS, and a cropped screenshot to your agent. Useful for "fix this button" style front-end work.

**Terminal.** GPU-rendered, with unlimited splits, scrollback that survives restarts, and scrollback search. On first launch it can import your Ghostty settings.

**Editor.** It includes a VS Code-style (Monaco) editor with autosave, so you can make manual edits without leaving the app.

**SSH worktrees.** Run agents on a powerful remote machine with full file editing, git, and terminals, plus auto-reconnect and port forwarding.

**GitHub, Linear, and Jira integration.** Browse PRs and issues, open a worktree straight from a task, and review PRs without switching apps.

**Orca CLI.** Agents can drive Orca too, for example creating worktrees themselves, which enables orchestration and scheduled automations.

**Usage tracking.** See Claude and Codex usage and rate-limit reset times, and swap between Codex accounts.

**Mobile companion.** iOS and Android apps let you check agent status, get notifications, and keep terminal work moving when you are away from your desk.

Short answer: **they overlap, but they solve different problems.**

**Cursor** is an AI-first code editor (a fork of VS Code). The AI lives *inside* the editor: autocomplete as you type, chat in a sidebar, and an agent mode. You are the main author, and the AI assists you in one workspace. You pay Cursor for access to the models.

**Orca** is an orchestration layer for *CLI agents*. It does not provide its own model. Instead, it runs the agents you already have (including Cursor's own CLI agent) side by side, each in its own isolated branch, and gives you tools to review and merge their output.

|  | Orca | Cursor | 
|---|---|---|
| Core idea | Manage many agents in parallel | AI-assisted editor | 
| Built on | Desktop app wrapping CLI agents, terminals, browser, editor | Fork of VS Code | 
| AI models | Bring your own (Claude Code, Codex, Gemini, etc.) | Cursor's subscription and models | 
| Parallel agents | First-class, one worktree per task | Supported, but not the main workflow | 
| Inline autocomplete while you type | Not a headline feature | Yes, a core feature | 
| Open source | Yes, MIT | No | 
| Platforms | macOS, Windows, Linux | macOS, Windows, Linux | 
| Price of the tool itself | Free | Free tier plus paid plans | 

A useful way to think about it:

**Yes. The Orca app is free and open source under the MIT license.** There is no paid tier listed on the website.

There are two things to be aware of:

Download builds for each platform from the [download page](https://www.onorca.dev/download) or GitHub Releases. On macOS you can also use Homebrew:

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

A few notes:

`~/.claude`, `~/.codex`, and Ghostty settings.` orca-ide` so it does not clash with the GNOME Orca screen reader.
Orca is worth a look if:

You can probably skip it if you rarely use agents, prefer AI autocomplete while you type, or want a single all-in-one subscription that handles the models for you.

**Links**