Amp vs Claude Code
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
AI tool · Freemium
An agentic coding tool from Sourcegraph for the terminal and editors, built to use frontier models without token limits.
AI tool · Paid
Anthropic's agentic coding tool that works in your terminal, IDE and the web: it reads your codebase, edits files, runs commands and supports skills.
Our verdict
Amp and Claude Code are both agentic coding tools that read a codebase, edit files and run multi-step tasks from a terminal or editor. Amp stands out for shared agent threads and a freemium entry point, but its usage-based costs can climb on long tasks. Claude Code is a paid tool built around the terminal, with skills, hooks, subagents and MCP integrations, and it covers web and more platforms. Neither page has hands-on testing yet, so choose based on pricing model and the workflow features you need.
Pick Amp if your team wants to share agent threads and you're comfortable with usage-based costs that can rise on long tasks.
Pick Claude Code if you want a paid terminal-first agent with custom skills, hooks and MCP integrations, and you work across terminal, IDE or web.
| Key difference | Amp | Claude Code |
|---|---|---|
| Price model | Freemium with usage-based pricing; costs can be high on long tasks | Paid tool; listed as paid only |
| Platforms | CLI and VS Code extension | CLI, macOS, Windows, Linux and web, plus VS Code and JetBrains |
| Team features | Shared agent threads and subagents | Subagents, hooks and skills for customizing agent behavior |
| Integrations | Works with VS Code and GitHub | Works with VS Code, JetBrains and GitHub; supports MCP integrations |
| Best at | Heavy agentic coding with shared threads | Multi-step work across a repository and terminal-centric workflows |
Written with AI from both products' catalogue entries · updated 2026-10-29
Who each one is for
Choose Amp if you need…
- Heavy agentic coding
- Teams sharing agent threads
Choose Claude Code if you need…
- Agentic coding tasks across a repository
- Terminal-centric developers
- Custom agent skills
Side-by-side
| Amp | Claude Code | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Coding · Coding agents | Coding · Coding agents |
| Price | Freemium | Paid |
| Platforms | CLI, VS Code | CLI, macOS, Windows, Linux, Web |
| Works with | VS Code, GitHub | VS Code, JetBrains, GitHub |
| Hands-on tested by us | Not yet | Not yet |
| Last checked | 2026-10-29 | 2026-10-29 |
What each one is
Amp
An agentic coding tool from Sourcegraph for the terminal and editors, built to use frontier models without token limits. Capable and opinionated. Usage-based costs can be high on long tasks.
Claude Code
Anthropic's agentic coding tool that works in your terminal, IDE and the web: it reads your codebase, edits files, runs commands and supports skills. Capable at multi-step work in real repositories. It can run commands, so configure permissions carefully and review its diffs.
Best for
Amp
- Heavy agentic coding
- Teams sharing agent threads
Claude Code
- Agentic coding tasks across a repository
- Terminal-centric developers
- Custom agent skills
Strengths
Amp
- CLI and editor extension
- Shared threads
- Subagents
- Usage-based pricing
Claude Code
- Terminal and IDE agent
- Runs commands and tests
- Skills, hooks and subagents
- MCP integrations
Frequently asked questions
Should I use Amp or Claude Code?
Amp and Claude Code are both agentic coding tools that read a codebase, edit files and run multi-step tasks from a terminal or editor. Amp stands out for shared agent threads and a freemium entry point, but its usage-based costs can climb on long tasks. Claude Code is a paid tool built around the terminal, with skills, hooks, subagents and MCP integrations, and it covers web and more platforms. Neither page has hands-on testing yet, so choose based on pricing model and the workflow features you need. Pick Amp if your team wants to share agent threads and you're comfortable with usage-based costs that can rise on long tasks. Pick Claude Code if you want a paid terminal-first agent with custom skills, hooks and MCP integrations, and you work across terminal, IDE or web.
What is the difference between Amp and Claude Code?
Amp: An agentic coding tool from Sourcegraph for the terminal and editors, built to use frontier models without token limits. Claude Code: Anthropic's agentic coding tool that works in your terminal, IDE and the web: it reads your codebase, edits files, runs commands and supports skills. Amp suits heavy agentic coding, while Claude Code suits agentic coding tasks across a repository.
Are Amp and Claude Code free?
Amp: Freemium. Claude Code: Paid.
What are other alternatives to Amp and Claude Code?
Other options people compare them with include Gemini CLI, OpenAI Codex, Aider, Cline, Devin.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.