The Observatory · 8 min mission
The Grand Comparison: Every Agent, One Matrix
Compare all eight hub agents across surface, cost, model lock, and trust — and find the one row that fits how you work.
On this page
Reference matrix for the eight coding agents in this hub — Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Devin Desktop, Cline, and the historical Roo Code row with Zoo Code as its maintained successor — across eight dimensions: surface, context window, free tier, pricing model, models, MCP, sandboxing, and extensibility. Baseline cells are the 2026-06-15 snapshot; selected Gemini authentication, Cursor, Copilot, Devin/Cascade, Cline, and Zoo decision facts were refreshed 2026-08-22.
The grand comparison matrix — eight tools, eight dimensions
The grand comparison
Eight coding agents, eight dimensions that actually decide a choice. They run the same agentic loop — the differences are where it lives, what it costs, whose model drives it, and how much it locks down. Highlight the axis that matters to you, filter the field, and click any cell for the exact spec.
Highlight an axis
Filter the field
All eight agents in the hub.
Tip: tap a column header to focus it, or an axis chip above to highlight a group.
Three recent product changes — this matrix is dated
2026-05-15
Roo Code
VS Code extension shut down; repo archived/read-only (final v3.54.0). Do not install — successors are Zoo Code (fork) and Cline (upstream).
2026-06-02
Windsurf → Devin Desktop
The Windsurf desktop app became Devin Desktop; Windsurf remains the JetBrains plugin name and in compatibility paths. Devin Local is primary/default. Cascade remains a documented legacy lane with enterprise defaults off and no published global removal date.
2026-06-18
Gemini CLI auth guidance
Google's June 18 notice moved individual accounts to Antigravity, but current Gemini CLI docs again list Google sign-in for individual free-tier, Google AI Pro, and Google AI Ultra. An open v0.54.0 issue reports Pro OAuth fallback, so verify sign-in on the latest stable release.
Prefer Devin Local for new work, but do not invent a Cascade shutdown date: Cognition still documented Cascade on 2026-08-22. Do not recommend installing Roo Code.
Baseline cells were checked 2026-06-15; selected Claude model/context, Cursor, Copilot, Roo/Zoo, Cline, and Devin/Cascade facts were refreshed 2026-08-22. Prices, model rosters, and versions move weekly — re-check live vendor pages before relying on a number.
The matrix, frozen for reference
Static copy of the dataset the island renders. "Per model" means the cell inherits the chosen model's value, so a single number would be wrong. Roo Code's row is historical.
| Tool | Surface | Context | Free tier | Models | Sandboxing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Code | Terminal CLI | 1M (Haiku 200k) | No | Claude only | Built-in /sandbox |
| Codex | Terminal CLI | Per model | No | OpenAI GPT-5 only | On by default |
| Gemini CLI | Terminal CLI | 1M | Google sign-in + API-key free tiers | Gemini only | Opt-in (--sandbox) |
| Cursor | Editor (VS Code fork) | Per model (Max Mode) | Yes — Hobby | Multi-vendor + Composer | Per-action approval |
| GitHub Copilot | In-editor + cloud agent | Per model | Yes — Free $0 | Multi-vendor + Auto | Approval / cloud-isolated |
| Windsurf / Devin | Editor (VS Code fork) | Per model | Yes — Free $0 | Multi-vendor + SWE-1.7 | Devin Local OS sandbox |
| Cline | VS Code family / JetBrains / preview CLI + ACP | Per model (BYO) | Yes — free OSS | Any provider (BYO) | Per-action approval |
| Roo Code | Discontinued 2026-05-15 | Per model (BYO) | Was free OSS | Any provider (BYO) | Per-action approval |
Free tier — check this cell first
The most-mistaken column. Three tools have no free tier; five have a free-to-start route. Gemini CLI documents personal Google sign-in at 1,000 requests/day plus a separate 250-request/day, Flash-only API-key route. Its June transition notice and open OAuth issue make the personal route one to verify before choosing.
| Tool | Free tier? | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Code | No | Anthropic's $0 plan excludes Claude Code; cheapest entry is Pro $20/mo |
| Codex (CLI) | No | Cheapest entry is ChatGPT Plus $20/mo or pay-as-you-go API key. Free-across-all-plans applies to *Codex Mobile*, not the CLI |
| Gemini CLI | Yes — documented Google sign-in or API key | Individual Google account: 1,000 requests/day. Unpaid API key: 250 requests/day, Flash only. Google’s June notice conflicts with the current sign-in docs |
| Cursor | Yes | Hobby plan, no card: limited Agent requests + Tab completions |
| GitHub Copilot | Yes — $0 | Limited completions + chat/agent; no cloud agent on Free |
| Windsurf / Devin | Yes — $0 | Light agent quota, limited models, unlimited inline edits + Tab |
| Cline | Yes — free OSS | Extension is free/open-source; you pay only for inference (BYO key) |
Pricing — four kinds, not just four prices
The billing model matters more than the dollar amount. Each tool falls into exactly one kind.
| Tool | Billing kind | Tiers (verified) |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Code | Flat subscription | Pro $20/mo ($17 annual) · Max from $100/mo · or Anthropic API per-token |
| Codex | Bundled into existing sub | Included in ChatGPT Plus/Pro/Business/Edu/Enterprise (usage-metered) · or API key |
| Gemini CLI | Free + paid upgrades | Personal Google sign-in · Google AI Pro/Ultra · free/paid Gemini API key · Google Cloud · Code Assist Standard/Enterprise |
| Cursor | Free + paid upgrades | Hobby free · Pro $20 · Teams $40/user (Pro+/Ultra named but not itemized) |
| GitHub Copilot | Usage-metered (AI Credits) | Free $0 · Pro $10 · Pro+ $39 · Max $100 · Business $19/seat · Enterprise $39/seat |
| Windsurf / Devin | Usage-based quotas | Free $0 · Pro $20 · Max $200 · Teams $40/seat · Enterprise (ACUs) |
| Cline | Bring-your-own-key | Free OSS, pay provider directly · optional at-cost managed inference · Enterprise custom |
Sandboxing — three trust tiers
"Sandboxed" means OS-level isolation. Editor tools instead use permission modes, optional auto-approval, and checkpoints, which are not OS-parity with the CLIs; Copilot's Autopilot explicitly overrides fine-grained approvals and auto-approves every tool call after its one-time warning.
| Tool | Posture | Control / mechanism |
|---|---|---|
| Codex | OS sandbox, on by default | sandbox_mode = read-only / workspace-write (default) / danger-full-access; macOS Seatbelt, Linux/WSL2 bubblewrap |
| Claude Code | OS sandbox, one command | Run /sandbox; macOS Seatbelt, Linux/WSL2 bubblewrap; no native Windows (use WSL2) |
| Gemini CLI | OS sandbox, opt-in | Pass --sandbox / -s or set GEMINI_SANDBOX; Docker / Podman / sandbox-exec / gVisor / LXC |
| GitHub Copilot | Cloud-isolated (agent) | Cloud agent runs in an ephemeral GitHub Actions container with a 59-min cap and one branch; assigning an issue always creates one PR, while prompt-started sessions are branch-only by default and may request at most one PR later |
| Cursor | Approval gate | Per-tool approve/deny + Auto-review mode (3.6) + checkpoints |
| Cline | Approval gate | Plan prevents workspace mutation; staged 4.1.x SDK permits read-only shell investigation; Act/auto-approve can mutate; checkpoints |
| Windsurf / Devin | OS sandbox (Devin Local) | Devin Local adds OS sandboxing and granular capability permissions; legacy Cascade remains documented for features that have not migrated |
MCP — universal, so compare scope not presence
All eight tools support the Model Context Protocol; it is table stakes. The differences are config path, capability scope, and limits.
| Tool | Config path | Nuance |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Code | /mcp | Tool definitions deferred by default — only server names enter context until a tool is used |
| Codex | ~/.codex/config.toml | Native |
| Gemini CLI | ~/.gemini/settings.json | stdio + remote |
| Cursor | .cursor MCP config | MCP + skills + hooks on paid plans |
| GitHub Copilot | .vscode/mcp.json | Agent Plugins package MCP; enterprise allow/deny policy can govern servers, and deny wins |
| Windsurf / Devin | Devin Local .devin/config*.json; Cascade ~/.codeium/windsurf/mcp_config.json | Separate paths; Cascade has the 100-tool cap and Marketplace |
| Cline | ~/.cline/mcp.json (CLI) | MCP Marketplace one-click install; can scaffold/clone servers as an agent task |
Pick a tool: weight the axis that matches how you work
Need OS-level isolation in a terminal
Choose a sandbox-first CLI: Codex (on by default) or Claude Code (
/sandbox). Gemini CLI with--sandboxalso qualifies through its documented Google sign-in, API-key, Google Cloud, and organization-managed routes.Need zero cost to start
Choose Cursor (Hobby), GitHub Copilot (Free), Windsurf/Devin (Free), Cline (free OSS, pay only for inference), or Gemini CLI with documented personal Google sign-in (1,000 requests/day) or an unpaid API key (250 requests/day, Flash only). Avoid Claude Code and the Codex CLI — neither has a free tier. Verify Gemini’s personal route because Google’s June notice and current authentication docs conflict.
Have a model loyalty
Single-vendor lock decides it: Claude Code (Claude), Codex (GPT-5), Gemini CLI (Gemini). Refuse all lock-in? Use Cline (any provider via BYO key).
Prefer an editor over a terminal
Choose Cursor or Windsurf/Devin (VS Code forks), or GitHub Copilot (in-editor + async cloud agent). Or run a CLI agent inside the editor over ACP.
Before committing
Re-pull the live vendor page from Sources — prices, model rosters, and version numbers move fastest, and the recent Roo, Devin, and Gemini product changes remain easy to misstate.
Knowledge check
A beginner asks which of these tools they can start using today at no cost. Which answer is correct as of 2026-08-22?
Three recent product changes
Three of the eight tools changed identity or access inside an eight-week window. Re-pull the live vendor page before relying on any cell for these three.
Roo Code is discontinued. Repo archived read-only 2026-05-15 (final v3.54.0); cloud services offline. Do not recommend installing it. Zoo Code v3.78.0 is the maintained direct successor; v3.76.0 added opt-in Dynamic Context Gathering, group approvals, and provider isolation. Cline is the upstream alternative.
The Windsurf desktop app is now Devin Desktop. Rebranded 2026-06-02; Windsurf remains the JetBrains plugin name and in compatibility paths. Devin Local is primary/default, with Normal/Plan/Ask, persistent plans, subagents, worktrees, OS sandboxing, granular permissions, and extensibility. Cascade remained documented and selectable on 2026-08-22 for legacy-only Memories, Workflows, Code Lenses, App Deploys, and Arena. Enterprise defaults are off; no global removal date is published. Current in-house model family: SWE-1.7.
Gemini CLI personal-account guidance conflicts. Current authentication, plans, and quota docs list individual free-tier, Google AI Pro, and Google AI Ultra sign-in. Google’s 2026-06-18 notice still directs those users to Antigravity, and open issue #28717 reports Pro OAuth fallback in v0.54.0. Treat Google sign-in as the current documented route, verify it on the latest stable release, and keep API-key, Vertex AI, or Antigravity fallbacks. Antigravity migration has partial parity: default GEMINI.md and AGENTS.md workspace rules carry over, but commands, skill paths, and MCP files and schema change.
Reach the end and this star joins your charted sky.