Compare · Agent worktree IDE
Zentty vs Orca
A worktree IDE for agents, and a terminal that stays a terminal.
Overview
Orca is built for fanning out coding agents across isolated worktrees, then reviewing what they produce. Zentty is built for developers who still want the terminal to be the home base. The difference is not whether agents matter; it is whether you want an IDE/worktree orchestration layer or a restrained terminal.
What each tool is
Zentty is a native macOS terminal, written in Swift and AppKit and built on libghostty. It runs your agents in real shells across worklanes and surfaces the moment an agent needs you: running, idle, needs input, needs approval, done. No telemetry. No editor, file tree, git diff UI, or cloud runtime. It stays a terminal.
Orca is a desktop IDE for running multiple AI coding agents side by side. Each task gets its own git worktree, agent terminal, browser tab, and review surface.
Who each tool is best for
Zentty is best for Mac developers who run CLI agents like Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, or OpenCode in parallel and want to stay in flow while those agents work in other panes and worklanes.
Orca is best for developers who want several agents working in parallel across isolated tasks, with built-in browser and diff-review workflow around those worktrees.
Capability comparison
| Dimension | Zentty | Orca |
|---|---|---|
| Primary purpose | Native Mac terminal with worklanes and agent attention | IDE for parallel AI coding agents |
| Isolation model | Your real shells and directories | One git worktree per task |
| Browser and review surfaces | No — use your existing tools | Yes — browser tabs and diff review |
| Workflow scope | Terminal panes and worklanes | Agent IDE with terminal, browser, git, and review |
| Agent attention | Running / idle / needs input / needs approval / done | Varies by tool |
| Built-in editor | No — keep your editor | Varies by tool |
| Cloud runtime | No — local only | Varies by tool |
How to choose
- You want CLI agents in normal terminal panes.
- You do not want every task wrapped in a worktree IDE workflow.
- You prefer to review diffs and browse with your existing tools.
- You want multiple agents racing or working in isolated worktrees.
- You want terminal, browser, and diff review in one agent IDE.
- You need a stronger orchestration layer than a terminal should provide.
Common questions
Orca includes agent terminals, but it is broader than a terminal: it is an IDE for worktree-isolated agent work.
No. Zentty can run shells inside worktrees you create, but it does not create or manage worktrees for you.
Keep comparing
Sources
Last reviewed: 2026-05-23
Run your agents in real panes, and see which one needs you.
Free Native macOS No telemetry