SpeakCode vs Orca: canvas or worktree per task?

Updated 2026-09-13 · competitor facts verified 2026-09-13

Verdict

Pick Orca if…

Pick Orca if built-in worktree isolation, broad CLI support, free MIT licensing, or desktop and mobile access are requirements.

Pick SpeakCode if…

Pick SpeakCode if you want a native macOS 26+ canvas with an agent inbox, turn-triggered belts, and shared terminals, and will manage worktrees yourself.

A free, MIT-licensed agent workspace built around an isolated git worktree and branch for every task.

Platforms: macOS ARM64 and Intel, Windows, Linux; iOS and Android companions. · Pricing: Free. · License: Open source, MIT.

Visit Orca

Orca and SpeakCode, feature by feature

Orca facts verified 2026-09-13 from their public site and repo. Spotted an error? Email info@speakcode.ai.

What Orca organizes

Orca is a free, open-source MIT project from Stably AI. Its central model is an isolated git worktree and branch for every task. The interface uses split panes for agents, terminals, browsers, diffs, and files. It can send the same prompt to several agents so you can compare the results and keep the one you prefer.

Orca lists macOS on ARM64 and Intel, Windows, Linux, and iOS and Android companion apps. SSH remote hosts are supported, and an Orca CLI lets agents script Orca itself. Orca lists roughly 27 to 30 supported CLI agents, plus 'any CLI agent'. Named options include Claude Code, Codex, Cursor CLI, Gemini, Copilot, OpenCode, Pi, and others.

What SpeakCode organizes

SpeakCode is a closed-source native macOS app requiring macOS 26 or later. It costs $20/month or $200/year with every feature included and no free trial. You bring your own Claude Code and Codex accounts, and SpeakCode hosts those real CLIs in SwiftTerm VT100/xterm terminals. It is not available as a Windows or Linux desktop app.

The organizing unit is a Workspace with one project folder and one infinite 2D canvas. Terminal, agent, task, browser, note, files, and editor cards share that canvas, with tabs across the top. This single-canvas-per-project model does not create branch isolation. SpeakCode does not manage git worktrees; you create and maintain them yourself, then point each terminal at its intended directory.

Where the workflows overlap

Both apps can support work with Claude Code and Codex, nearby browser views, and multiple agents. Both also have ways to reach remote terminals: Orca lists SSH hosts and mobile companions, while SpeakCode's shipping remote terminal uses SSH plus a named tmux session with automatic reattachment.

For example, ask two agents to investigate separate implementations and then inspect their changes. Orca explicitly supports broadcasting the same prompt and choosing a result. SpeakCode has Blueprints for fanning out headless agents from a saved set and a task dependency graph read by the Conductor. Those features share a parallel-work use case, but their task setup and review interfaces differ.

Differences that determine the better fit

Worktrees come first in Orca

Orca assigns an isolated git worktree and branch to every task. Its diff review includes inline annotations, and each worktree gets a real Chromium window. GitHub, Linear, and Jira integrations are also listed. This makes Orca a direct fit when your primary requirement is a separate checkout for each task and an interface for reviewing the resulting changes.

SpeakCode's canvas and dependency graph do not supply that git management. If three agents must edit three branches, prepare three worktrees outside SpeakCode before assigning directories. The parallel agent overview explicitly includes choosing each agent's directory yourself. Pick Orca when you want the app to own this part of the workflow.

Split panes, canvas cards, and attention

Orca uses split panes and lists session restore with scrollback. It tracks Claude and Codex usage and rate-limit resets, and supports multiple Claude accounts with one-click switching. These are concrete session-management benefits. Orca's per-agent idle/working/waiting/exited status and an inbox of agents waiting on you are not listed on their site.

SpeakCode provides those four phase indicators, an Activity feed per node, and an Agent inbox of waiting agents with a standup-style summary. Detection works without configuration; optional Claude Code Stop/Notification hooks or Codex notify provide exact signals. Below a zoom threshold, live terminal cards become placeholders. Choose the canvas if arranging context and scanning those status controls fits how you supervise work.

Prompt fan-out and output hand-offs

Orca's documented fan-out sends the same prompt to several agents. SpeakCode's belts connect cards and fire when a source agent completes its turn. The available modes are Press Enter, Run command, and Deliver output, with the last 40 non-blank captured screen lines used for output delivery. These are different operations: one starts parallel attempts, while the other delivers at a turn boundary.

SpeakCode does not wait for a busy belt target, and it drops delivery if the target is not running. Use a running destination and an intentional hand-off schedule. Orca's corresponding turn-triggered delivery rules are not listed on their site.

Remote access and shared workspaces

Orca supports SSH hosts and offers iOS and Android companions. Its shared-session roles and per-terminal typing permissions are not listed on their site. SpeakCode supports SSH plus tmux remote terminals and has no mobile companion.

SpeakCode replicates real terminals and workspace state for teammates, with a waiting room, editor/viewer/blocked roles, and per-terminal typing grants. LAN sharing works out of the box. Internet sessions require self-hosted LiveKit plus a token service in Settings → Collaboration. Remote terminal status over SSH and tmux falls back to a quiescence sampler, which detects pauses in terminal output.

Who should pick which, and when to use both

Pick Orca for built-in worktree isolation, MIT source, free use, broad CLI support, or its desktop and mobile platform coverage. Those are substantial advantages over SpeakCode. If the main issue is preparing isolated tasks and reviewing branch changes, Orca addresses that requirement directly.

Pick SpeakCode for an Agent inbox, turn-triggered belts, and a native canvas with controlled shared terminals on macOS 26+. An Orca-style worktree-per-task workflow is also possible manually: create the worktrees yourself and point separate SpeakCode terminals at those directories. The belt guide covers the next-step delivery mechanics once your terminals are running.

Questions

Does SpeakCode create an isolated worktree for each task?

No, SpeakCode does not manage git worktrees. Orca explicitly runs each task in its own isolated worktree and branch.

Does Orca support remote and mobile access?

Yes, Orca lists SSH remote hosts plus iOS and Android companion apps. Orca's shared-session role details are not listed on their site.

Can I use a worktree-per-task setup with SpeakCode?

Yes, create the worktrees yourself and point individual SpeakCode terminals at their directories. You manage those worktrees outside SpeakCode.

Sources

• https://www.onorca.dev/
• https://github.com/stablyai/orca

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