Stably Orca vs Code Airlock
Detailed side-by-side comparison to help you choose the right tool
Stably Orca
🔴Developerdeveloper-tools
Desktop AI orchestrator by Stably that runs multiple coding agents side-by-side, each in its own isolated git worktree, tracked in one place.
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CustomCode Airlock
🔴Developerdeveloper-tools
A thin CLI wrapper around Docker Sandboxes that runs Claude Code, Codex, or OpenCode in a disposable microVM against a clone of your repo, then brings the work back as ordinary git commits for review.
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CustomFeature Comparison
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Stably Orca - Pros & Cons
Pros
- ✓Wraps any CLI agent — vendor-neutral so it stays useful as the coding-agent market churns
- ✓Isolated git worktrees per agent make parallel experimentation genuinely safe
- ✓Design Mode collapses the screenshot-plus-CSS-plus-prompt loop into a single click
- ✓SSH remote worktrees let expensive agent runs live on beefier hardware
- ✓Mobile companion means you can monitor and steer agents without being at the desk
Cons
- ✗Desktop-only — no browser or hosted control plane if your primary workstation is locked down
- ✗No MCP support currently — integration is CLI and Orca-CLI-based
- ✗Running multiple frontier agents in parallel multiplies your token bill quickly
- ✗Design Mode requires the Chromium browser inside Orca; it does not observe external browsers
- ✗Newer entrant — configuration and workflow patterns are still solidifying compared to established IDEs
Code Airlock - Pros & Cons
Pros
- ✓Real security boundary at the microVM level — not just agent-side prompts
- ✓Host repo stays read-only; every change comes back as a reviewable git commit
- ✓Multi-agent: swap between Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode with one flag
- ✓Sandbox never needs GitHub creds — PRs push from the host
- ✓MIT licensed with npm/Homebrew/curl installs and preflight `doctor` diagnostics
Cons
- ✗Requires Docker Sandboxes and KVM/virtualization on the host
- ✗No MCP integration — wraps agents but doesn't extend their tool surface
- ✗Extra latency vs. running the agent directly on the host
- ✗Small project (thin wrapper) — you're also depending on the underlying sbx CLI
- ✗Adds cognitive load: another layer between you and the agent
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