Amp

Amp is an AI coding agent that writes, runs and tests code from your terminal or on remote machines for developers who want to delegate whole tasks. Where many assistants live inside an editor and wait for you, Amp is built around long-running threads: you describe the work, and the agent can keep going on a remote machine after you shut your laptop. That remote layer, which Amp calls orbs, is the main thing that sets it apart from a plain command line agent.

What is Amp used for?

Developers use Amp to hand off feature work, bug fixes and refactors that take more than a few prompts. The CLI runs locally against your files and tools, and a headless mode covers servers and CI runners.

• Running the agent in a local repository to read code, edit files and execute shell commands
• Starting threads on orbs, remote machines that get a fresh copy of your code, plugins and tools for each task
• Opening a portal to run the app inside an orb and check the agent's changes with live reload
• Triggering agents on a schedule or from webhooks, for example when a new Linear issue is filed
• Sharing threads with teammates, working in a shared terminal, and catching up with a Recap summary after time away

Who Amp is best for

Amp suits experienced engineers who are comfortable in the terminal and want an agent that can work in parallel with them, plus small teams that want to queue up issues and review the results later. If you mainly want inline autocomplete while you type, or you prefer a graphical editor with chat in a side panel, an IDE-based assistant will feel more natural.

Amp pricing

As of October 2026, Amp's pricing page lists a free Hobby tier. It lets you use tokens from your own ChatGPT, Claude or other subscriptions or bring your own API keys, includes unlimited self-hosted orbs, and charges pay-as-you-go for orbs that Amp hosts. The Individual plan costs $20 per month and adds 45,000 minutes of hosted orb time, custom domains for portals and the same no-fee token access. Team features such as shared billing, pooled credits, thread sharing, permissions and SAML or OIDC single sign-on come at no extra charge, with members on any tier. Enterprise pricing is custom and adds SCIM, audit logs, IP allowlisting, spend limits and regional endpoints.

Limitations to keep in mind

• Model costs still exist: on the free tier you pay through your own subscriptions or keys, and hosted orb time is metered
• The workflow is terminal-first, which has a learning curve for developers used to an editor sidebar
• Amp-hosted orbs mean your code runs on Amp's machines unless you self-host them

Amp vs alternatives

Claude Code is the closest comparison: a terminal agent from Anthropic that is tightly tuned to Claude models and is a good fit if your team already pays for Claude. OpenAI Codex is the better pick if you live in the ChatGPT ecosystem and want cloud tasks launched from the ChatGPT interface. Cursor wins for developers who want an AI-first editor with autocomplete and visual diffs rather than a command line. OpenCode is a free, open-source terminal agent for people who want full control over models and hosting. Choose Amp when remote machines, live previews and automated triggers matter more than staying inside one editor.

Tips for getting started with Amp

Start locally in a small repository so you can watch how the agent reads files and runs commands before you trust it with remote work. Link an existing model subscription or API key first, since the free tier does not charge token fees on top of it. When you try orbs, give each thread a narrow, testable goal and open a portal to check the result in a running app.

Amp FAQ

Is Amp free?

Yes, Amp has a free Hobby tier where you use your own model subscriptions or API keys and pay as you go for Amp-hosted orbs. The Individual plan is $20 per month as of October 2026.

Can I use my ChatGPT or Claude subscription with Amp?

Yes. Amp's pricing page says you can use tokens from your own ChatGPT, Claude or other subscriptions, or bring your own API keys, without Amp token fees.

What is the best alternative to Amp?

Claude Code is the closest terminal-based alternative, OpenAI Codex suits ChatGPT users, and Cursor is better if you prefer working inside an AI code editor.