Amp vs Claude Code (2026)
Side-by-side comparison of Amp vs Claude Code: pricing, capabilities, integrations, deployment complexity, and ratings. Last updated September 24, 2026 by The AI Agent Index Editorial Team.
Data sourced from The AI Agent Index
Amp and Claude Code are both agentic coding tools that run from the terminal, and developers comparing them are usually choosing between two ways of paying for an agent. Amp, from Amp Frontier Corporation, runs multi-step threads, spawns subagents and can work remotely, and it connects to external tools as an MCP client. It does not charge for model tokens when you bring your own: developers can use their own API keys or an existing subscription such as ChatGPT with no Amp token fees. What Amp sells is time on orbs, the cloud computers that run its agents remotely, plus credits for inference. The free Hobby tier pays for orbs as it goes or runs on your own machines at no charge, and the Individual plan starts at $20/mo with an orb-time allowance. Claude Code is Anthropic's agent for the terminal, VS Code, JetBrains, Slack, the web, desktop and iOS, and it both exposes and consumes MCP servers. It is sold as part of a Claude subscription, from $17/mo billed annually on Pro, with higher-usage Max plans. The price row is two different offers. Amp separates the model bill from the compute bill, so the model cost depends on which keys or subscription you bring. Claude Code bundles model use into one subscription with usage limits. Model choice is the other structural difference. Amp works with models from more than one provider. Claude Code runs Anthropic's models only. The certification row is accurate: Claude Code lists a wider set, including HIPAA, ISO 27001 and ISO 42001, while Amp lists SOC 2 Type II and states a zero or minimal data retention policy for every user. Choose Amp for a multi-model agent where you control the model spend. Choose Claude Code for an Anthropic-native agent on one subscription with broad platform reach. Many developers keep both.
Amp
by Amp Frontier Corporation
Multi-model coding agent and dev environment from Amp Frontier Corporation that runs agents in cloud orbs from the web, Mac, iOS or CLI. Free Hobby tier, Individual from $20/mo (USD).
Best for
Developers who want a multi-model coding agent that uses their own model keys or subscriptions, with cloud execution billed separately
Claude Code
by Anthropic
Anthropic's agentic coding agent for terminal, VS Code, JetBrains, Slack, web, desktop, iOS and Android. Pro from $17/mo billed annually (USD), Max $100 to $200/mo. MCP server and client.
Best for
Developers who want Anthropic's coding agent across terminal, editors, Slack, web and mobile on one Claude subscription
Capabilities
Amp
Claude Code
Pros & Limitations
Editorial assessmentAmp
Pros
- ✓Each thread can run in a cloud orb set up with the project's code, tools and plugins, so agents keep working after the laptop closes, and threads can be started or followed from the web, Mac, iPhone or the CLI.
- ✓Multi-model by design: four modes route work across OpenAI, Anthropic and fast models, and on Hobby, Individual and Teams developers can bring a ChatGPT subscription or their own keys with no Amp token fees.
- ✓Team features come at no extra charge, including shared threads, multiplayer, shared portals, plugins and skills and pooled credits, and a GitHub App lets agents open pull requests and read CI status.
Limitations
- –Model usage beyond a tier's included credits is paid separately, through the developer's own provider subscription or keys or through Amp credits at provider API prices, and purchased credits expire after twelve months.
- –Paid tiers are billed monthly and orb time is metered by the minute: Megawatt's 45,000 minutes go faster on larger orbs, and the largest orb size is limited to Gigawatt and Enterprise.
- –SCIM, audit logs, IP allowlisting and regional endpoints are on the quote-based Enterprise tier, and SAML or OIDC SSO needs at least one workspace member on a paid tier.
Claude Code
Pros
- ✓Available across the terminal, VS Code, JetBrains, Slack, the web, desktop, iOS and Android from one subscription, with GitHub Actions and GitLab CI/CD for runs in CI.
- ✓Works as an MCP client and an MCP server at once. It connects out to external servers over HTTP, SSE, stdio and WebSocket, and the claude mcp serve command exposes Claude Code itself for other applications to connect into.
- ✓Runs on Anthropic's own models, with Fable 5.1, Opus 5.5, Sonnet 5 and Haiku 4.5 selectable, and auto mode lets long tasks run with a classifier reviewing each action instead of a per-step prompt.
Limitations
- –There is no standalone Claude Code plan and no free tier: it shares one usage pool with chats on the Claude subscription, so terminal work draws down the same rolling five-hour and weekly limits.
- –The public GitHub repository holds plugins, the changelog and the issue tracker under a license reading All rights reserved, with use governed by Anthropic's Commercial Terms of Service, so the agent's source code is not published.
- –HIPAA coverage is limited to Enterprise and the API and requires a Business Associate Agreement granted case by case after review, and Claude Team is outside that scope.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Amp vs Claude Code?
Amp and Claude Code are both agentic coding tools that run from the terminal, and developers comparing them are usually choosing between two ways of paying for an agent. Amp, from Amp Frontier Corporation, runs multi-step threads, spawns subagents and can work remotely, and it connects to external tools as an MCP client. It does not charge for model tokens when you bring your own: developers can use their own API keys or an existing subscription such as ChatGPT with no Amp token fees. What Amp sells is time on orbs, the cloud computers that run its agents remotely, plus credits for inference. The free Hobby tier pays for orbs as it goes or runs on your own machines at no charge, and the Individual plan starts at $20/mo with an orb-time allowance. Claude Code is Anthropic's agent for the terminal, VS Code, JetBrains, Slack, the web, desktop and iOS, and it both exposes and consumes MCP servers. It is sold as part of a Claude subscription, from $17/mo billed annually on Pro, with higher-usage Max plans. The price row is two different offers. Amp separates the model bill from the compute bill, so the model cost depends on which keys or subscription you bring. Claude Code bundles model use into one subscription with usage limits. Model choice is the other structural difference. Amp works with models from more than one provider. Claude Code runs Anthropic's models only. The certification row is accurate: Claude Code lists a wider set, including HIPAA, ISO 27001 and ISO 42001, while Amp lists SOC 2 Type II and states a zero or minimal data retention policy for every user. Choose Amp for a multi-model agent where you control the model spend. Choose Claude Code for an Anthropic-native agent on one subscription with broad platform reach. Many developers keep both.
Which is best for my team: Amp vs Claude Code?
Amp is best for: Developers who want a multi-model coding agent that uses their own model keys or subscriptions, with cloud execution billed separately. Claude Code is best for: Developers who want Anthropic's coding agent across terminal, editors, Slack, web and mobile on one Claude subscription.
How does pricing compare between Amp vs Claude Code?
Amp uses a freemium model, starting at $20 per month. Claude Code uses a subscription model, starting at $17 per month on an annual commitment (month-to-month costs more).
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