# Shuriken vs Orca (2026) > Orca is a free, MIT-licensed agent IDE with one-click account swaps. Shuriken moves your running chats to another account by itself when one runs out. Source: https://shuriken.sh/compare/orca Orca is a free, MIT-licensed, cross-platform agent IDE with one-click account swaps and phone companions, a strong pick if you're happy to swap accounts yourself. Shuriken does it by itself: when an account reaches its limit, your running chats move to the next one, on every device. By Shuriken Updated 27 October 2026 5 min read **Contents** We make Shuriken. We tried to be fair; corrections welcome at office@shuriken.sh. ## Quick answer # Orca is a free agent IDE under the MIT licence, for macOS, Windows and Linux, with 27 supported agents and phone companions you can install today. To change accounts you click the Claude or Codex chip in its status bar and pick another one. Shuriken is the Orca alternative for people who don't want to be the one clicking: at 99% of a limit, by default, the running chat moves to your next account on its own, on every device you've linked. Of the agent apps we compare, Orca is one of the closest to Shuriken on accounts, so most of this page is about that one click. ## At a glance # Orca facts are from its site and docs, read on 2026-10-22. Each cell links to the page. | | Orca | Shuriken | | --- | --- | --- | | Platforms | macOS (Apple silicon and Intel), Windows, Linux ([home](https://www.onorca.dev/)) | macOS 13+ (Apple silicon), Windows 10/11 (x64), Linux (x64 and Arm), headless servers | | Agents | 27 supported, plus any CLI agent ([home](https://www.onorca.dev/)) | 67, including Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Copilot, Cursor and OpenCode | | Isolation | A git worktree per task ([home](https://www.onorca.dev/)) | A git worktree and branch per chat if you want one, plus a Main chat | | Several Claude accounts | Yes, swap in one click ([Claude Code docs](https://www.onorca.dev/docs/agents/claude-code)) | Yes, each one a source | | Several Codex accounts | Yes, hot-swap for new sessions ([Codex docs](https://www.onorca.dev/docs/agents/codex-hot-swap)) | Yes, each ChatGPT sign-in a source | | At a limit | You swap; a warning chip appears at 80% ([usage docs](https://www.onorca.dev/docs/agents/usage-tracking)) | The chat moves by itself at your switch point (99% by default) or the provider's limit | | Starting idle 5-hour windows | Not documented ([Claude Code docs](https://www.onorca.dev/docs/agents/claude-code)) | session limits, on by default | | MCP sign-ins | Kept across a swap ([Claude Code docs](https://www.onorca.dev/docs/agents/claude-code)) | One list for every project and account, sign-ins synced end-to-end encrypted | | Remote machines | Agents over SSH ([home](https://www.onorca.dev/)) | Your own servers, installed from the app | | Phone | Companion for iOS and Android, in beta ([mobile docs](https://www.onorca.dev/docs/mobile)) | Web app in any phone browser; native iOS and Android apps planned for November 2026 | | Licence and price | MIT, free ([home](https://www.onorca.dev/)) | Free plan; Pro €49 a month or €490 a year (2 months free) | ## What Orca does well # It's MIT-licensed and the site calls it free, so you can read the code, fork it and build it yourself. It runs on all three desktop systems, Intel Macs included. Its account swaps are good. Orca holds several Claude accounts and swaps between them in one click, "even with live Claude sessions running", and it holds the switch behind a guard so two auth refreshes can't overlap. Your shared MCP sign-ins survive the swap, so you don't log in to every server again ([Claude Code docs](https://www.onorca.dev/docs/agents/claude-code)). Codex accounts swap the same way, for new sessions only. The usage readout is broad. Orca reads usage for Claude Code, Codex, Gemini, Cursor, OpenCode and others, puts it in the status bar next to the time each window resets, and shows a warning chip once you cross 80% ([usage docs](https://www.onorca.dev/docs/agents/usage-tracking)). Its phone companions have shipped, ours haven't. iOS is on the App Store and Android downloads from Orca's own site, both marked beta. From the phone you can watch agent status, read output, reply by text or dictation, commit, switch accounts and get a push when an agent finishes ([mobile docs](https://www.onorca.dev/docs/mobile)). There's more in the box than accounts: - a real Chromium window per worktree, for design work - agents over SSH - GitHub and Linear built in ([home](https://www.onorca.dev/)) Shuriken keeps one MCP list for all your agents, and an MCP sign-in follows you to every account and computer. [Download](https://shuriken.sh/download) ## Where Shuriken is different # ### Switching happens without you # In Orca a swap is something you do. In Shuriken it's a rule you set once. Each Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini or other account you own goes in as a source. The setting is Switch at, 99% of what the app shows by default and anywhere from 50% to 100%. When the source in use reaches it, or the provider reports a limit, your chats move to the source with the most room. That difference shows up when nobody is at the desk: overnight, during a meeting, with the laptop shut. A Claude Code chat moves on its next request, subagents and workflows included, and the task carries on. Other agents move when their turn ends. The chat gets a "Switched to …" card naming the account that took over and the reason ("Switch point reached" or "Limit reached"). Distribute mode works differently: every 15, 20, 30, 45 or 60 minutes it moves chats to the account with the most left. [How source switching works](https://shuriken.sh/features/source-switching). ### Session limits # A Claude 5-hour window starts the first time an account is used. Swap only when you run out and every idle account's window starts late, so its limit comes back late too. Shuriken's [session limits](https://shuriken.sh/features/session-clock) send an idle account one tiny background request, once per window, which starts its window while you stay where you are. The limit then comes back earlier, and the request never shows in a chat. ### One choice, every device # Pick an account with Use or Switch now and every one of your computers and servers gets that choice at once. The usage readings are shared too, so a laptop and a server show the same numbers. ### MCPs per project, everywhere # Orca keeps MCP sign-ins through a swap, which is the hard part, and does it well. Shuriken's [global MCPs](https://shuriken.sh/features/global-mcps) add two things. You assign each server to all projects or to the ones you choose, and its sign-in travels end-to-end encrypted to all your devices, servers included. The same MCP can go in twice with two sign-ins, say work and personal Notion. ### Servers you own # Add a Linux, macOS or Windows server from Settings › Devices. The installer sets up the agent CLIs and the GitHub sign-in, runs Shuriken as a service and only ever updates it to signed releases, so agents keep working while your laptop sleeps. Run any chat on another of your computers with Run on…, and the same chat carries on there. Only add accounts you own and are entitled to use. Anthropic's [Consumer Terms](https://www.anthropic.com/legal/consumer-terms) don't let you share your login with anyone else. ### When Orca is the better pick # If you sit at the desk while your agents run, keep an eye on the usage chip and swap when the 80% warning shows, Orca does that well and costs nothing. If you want to read the code of the tool that holds your sign-ins, MIT settles it. And if a phone app you can install now matters more to you than automatic switching, Orca has one and we don't yet. ## Pricing # Orca is free under MIT. Shuriken is priced in euros, VAT included for EU consumers. Free needs no card and isn't a trial: two sources, two linked devices, every agent, automatic switching and session limits. Pro is €49 a month or €490 a year (2 months free) for unlimited sources and devices. Shuriken never bills model usage. See [pricing](https://shuriken.sh/pricing). With two accounts and no objection to clicking, Orca and Shuriken Free both cost nothing. Pro is for more accounts than you want to watch. ## Using them together # Both can run on one repo, because each keeps its agents in their own worktrees. Let only one of them switch accounts, so a chat's account is never in doubt. [Claude account switchers compared](https://shuriken.sh/compare/claude-account-switchers) puts Orca next to the CLI switchers, and [the best parallel coding agent tools](https://shuriken.sh/compare/best-parallel-coding-agent-tools) has it in a table with six others. To try automatic switching, [download Shuriken](https://shuriken.sh/download). Share [X](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https%3A%2F%2Fshuriken.sh%2Fcompare%2Forca&text=Shuriken%20vs%20Orca%20(2026))[LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fshuriken.sh%2Fcompare%2Forca)[Hacker News](https://news.ycombinator.com/submitlink?u=https%3A%2F%2Fshuriken.sh%2Fcompare%2Forca&t=Shuriken%20vs%20Orca%20(2026))[Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/submit?url=https%3A%2F%2Fshuriken.sh%2Fcompare%2Forca&title=Shuriken%20vs%20Orca%20(2026))[E-mail](mailto:?subject=Shuriken%20vs%20Orca%20(2026)&body=https%3A%2F%2Fshuriken.sh%2Fcompare%2Forca) ## Sources - [Orca home page](https://www.onorca.dev/) (accessed 22 October 2026) - [Orca docs: Claude Code](https://www.onorca.dev/docs/agents/claude-code) (accessed 22 October 2026) - [Orca docs: Hot-swap Codex accounts](https://www.onorca.dev/docs/agents/codex-hot-swap) (accessed 22 October 2026) - [Orca docs: Usage and rate-limit tracking](https://www.onorca.dev/docs/agents/usage-tracking) (accessed 22 October 2026) - [Orca docs: Mobile companion](https://www.onorca.dev/docs/mobile) (accessed 22 October 2026) - [Anthropic Consumer Terms](https://www.anthropic.com/legal/consumer-terms) (accessed 22 October 2026) ## Frequently asked questions **Does Orca switch accounts automatically?** Its docs describe one-click swaps that you start yourself, for Claude and Codex, and a warning chip at 80% of a limit. We found no automatic switch at a limit in Orca's docs on 2026-10-22. **Does a swap in Orca move a running session?** For Claude, Orca says switching works even with live sessions running. For Codex, its docs say running sessions keep their original account until restarted; new sessions use the new one. **Does Orca have a phone app?** Yes. Orca's mobile companion is on the App Store for iOS, and the Android version downloads from Orca's own site; its docs say the companion is in beta. Shuriken's phone app is a web app today, with native iOS and Android apps planned for November 2026. **How much does Orca cost?** Orca says it's free and open source under the MIT licence. Shuriken has a free plan (two sources, two linked devices, no card) and Pro at €49 a month or €490 a year (2 months free). **Is it allowed to use several Claude accounts?** Only use accounts you own and are entitled to use, such as a personal plan and a work seat. Anthropic's terms don't allow sharing your login with anyone else. Global MCPs One MCP list for every agent. Add an MCP server once, choose its projects and sign in once. Your Claude Code, Codex and Gemini CLI chats all get it. [Download](https://shuriken.sh/download) [Other platforms](https://shuriken.sh/download#main) ## Keep reading - [Shuriken vs Agentastic (2026): Comparison 27 Oct 2026 7 min read Agentastic is a free Mac multi-agent IDE with Design Mode and cloud targets. Shuriken runs on Mac, Windows and Linux and moves chats between your accounts.](https://shuriken.sh/compare/agentastic) - [Set up Shuriken in your first hour: Guide 27 Oct 2026 5 min read Set up Shuriken in order: sign in, add a project, add your accounts and keys, choose when chats switch, add MCP servers once, then your phone and servers.](https://shuriken.sh/guides/set-up-shuriken) - [Claude Code across many projects: keep them apart: Guide 27 Oct 2026 6 min read Claude Code ties sessions, CLAUDE.md, settings and MCP servers to the folder you start it in. Run one session per project; put shared setup in user scope.](https://shuriken.sh/guides/claude-code-multiple-projects) - [Claude Code skills vs subagents vs MCP: which one to use: Guide 27 Oct 2026 6 min read Claude Code skills vs subagents: a skill is know-how in your chat, a subagent is work in its own context, MCP is a live outside system. One table to pick.](https://shuriken.sh/guides/claude-code-skills-vs-subagents) - [Shuriken vs Emdash (2026): Comparison 27 Oct 2026 6 min read Emdash is a free, open-source agent workspace for Mac, Windows and Linux. Shuriken adds account switching, session limits, your phone and voice.](https://shuriken.sh/compare/emdash) - [Too many MCP servers? How they eat Claude Code's context: Guide 27 Oct 2026 5 min read Too many MCP servers in Claude Code take little context with tool search on. Tools loaded upfront and big results still fill it, and /context shows which.](https://shuriken.sh/guides/too-many-mcp-servers-context) - [Why Claude Code uses so many tokens: Guide 27 Oct 2026 7 min read Claude Code uses so many tokens because every request resends your whole context: CLAUDE.md, files read, tool output. Caching makes that cheaper, not free.](https://shuriken.sh/guides/why-claude-code-burns-tokens) ## Free tools - [Claude limit reset tracker](https://shuriken.sh/tools/limit-resets/claude) - [Codex limit reset tracker](https://shuriken.sh/tools/limit-resets/codex)