Clave vs Cortex AI IDE

Clave is a free, open-source desktop app for running coding-agent sessions in tabs, groups, and project workspaces. It supports Claude Code, Codex, Antigravity, Pi, plain terminals, and remote agents over OpenClaw. Claude Code and Codex can use a chat view with rendered answers, grouped tool calls, attachments, and model selection. Groups retain sessions, folders, saved terminals, and prompts, while workspace files can act as project templates. A side panel combines a file tree, editors, HTML preview, and git tools for diffs, history, and one-click sync. Its MCP server provides twenty-three tools for tab and group management, file opening, and messaging. Clave runs locally without an account or cloud backend, with remote access through SSH and SFTP. macOS supports Apple Silicon and Intel; the early Windows build has stated limitations. The app is MIT-licensed and costs nothing.

Cortex AI IDE is an agentic coding workspace for planning changes, editing files across a project, running terminal commands, and checking results through reviewable diffs. Its workflow includes Git, grep, glob, semantic search, web search, LSP tools, and task tracking, with more than 250 skills for debugging, refactoring, documentation, SEO, and design reviews. Eight built-in AI provider integrations are listed, and Cortex Connect supports OpenAI-compatible endpoints such as Ollama, vLLM, Groq, and NVIDIA NIM. MCP servers can add external tools and services. Project memory and chat history are stored locally in each project. The free BYOK plan costs nothing; Pro Monthly costs $10 a month and Pro Yearly $80 a year. AI features require internet access and a supported API key. Native Windows and Linux builds are offered; macOS uses a source-build guide.