Matrix
Every cell cites its source
What each one claims.
Taken from vendor documentation and pricing pages, not from reviews. Follow any src↗ link to read the page we read. Cells marked unknown are ones the vendor does not state publicly.
| Axis | Cursor | Claude Code | Codex | Buzz | Hermes Agent | OpenClaw |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shape | IDE | CLI agent | CLI agent | Team workspace | Personal assistant | Personal assistant |
| Vendor | Anysphere | Anthropic | OpenAI | Block, Inc. | Nous Research | OpenClaw Foundation (created by Peter Steinberger) |
| First release | 2023-03 src↗ | 2025-02 src↗ | 2025-04 src↗ | 2026-07 src↗ | 2026-02 src↗ | 2025-11 src↗ |
| Open source | no src↗ | no src↗ | yes Apache-2.0 src↗ | yes Apache-2.0 src↗ | yes MIT src↗ | yes MIT src↗ |
| GitHub stars | unknown | 142,118 repo↗ | 107,092 repo↗ | 28,844 repo↗ | 233,440 repo↗ | 386,899 repo↗ |
| Self-hostable | unknown | no src↗ | yes src↗ | yes src↗ | yes src↗ | yes src↗ |
| Model support | multi-vendor src↗ | single-vendor src↗ | model-agnostic src↗ | model-agnostic src↗ | model-agnostic src↗ | model-agnostic src↗ |
| Pricing | free tier · from $20/mo · usage-based src↗as of 2026-08-20 | from $20/mo · usage-based src↗as of 2026-08-20 | free tier · from $8/mo · usage-based src↗as of 2026-08-20 | free tier src↗as of 2026-08-20 | free tier · usage-based src↗as of 2026-08-20 | free tier src↗as of 2026-08-20 |
| Interfaces | standalone-ide, terminal, web, mobile, chat-platform, api src↗ | terminal, ide-extension, web, mobile, chat-platform, api src↗ | terminal, ide-extension, web, mobile, chat-platform, api src↗ | terminal, api src↗ | terminal, chat-platform, web, api src↗ | terminal, web, mobile, chat-platform src↗ |
| MCP | yes src↗mcp.json; stdio, sse, httpas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗stdio, http, sse, ws; three scopesas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗mcp_servers config key, stdio and httpas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗buzz-acp bridges ACP agents to MCPas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗client and server, stdio and httpas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗client only, subject to tool policyas of 2026-08-20 |
| Plugins / custom tools | yes src↗plugins bundling skills, hooks, rulesas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗skills, MCP servers, Agent SDKas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗mcp_servers config, skills, slash commandsas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗MCP servers plus agent persona packsas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗python plugin SDK, self-written skillsas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗typescript plugin SDK, ClawHub installas of 2026-08-20 |
| Subagents | yes src↗nestable async subagents, parallel cloud agentsas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗lead agent delegates, parallel background sessionsas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗subagent hook events, parallel cloud tasksas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗agents as channel members, not processesas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗delegate_task spawns children, three concurrentas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗background subagents, no in-conversation parallelismas of 2026-08-20 |
| Hooks | yes src↗.cursor/hooks.json, shell or prompt handlersas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗settings.json events, five handler typesas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗eleven events, PreToolUse through Stopas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗_Stop and _PostCompact MCP tools, opt-inas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗four systems: gateway, plugin, shell, webhooksas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗HOOK.md plus handler.ts, gateway eventsas of 2026-08-20 |
| Persistent memory | yes src↗MEMORIES.md outside the workspace, plus rulesas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗CLAUDE.md plus auto memoryas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗AGENTS.md, global then project, concatenatedas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗shared relay event logas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗MEMORY.md and USER.md, frozen snapshotas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗markdown files; dreaming promotes daily notesas of 2026-08-20 |
| Background execution | yes src↗cloud VMs, scheduled and event automationsas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗cloud routines, scheduled tasks, web sessionsas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗isolated cloud tasks, scheduled runsas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗YAML workflows on message, schedule, webhookas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗cron scheduler, model calls backgroundedas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗task queue, push-driven completionas of 2026-08-20 |
| Sandboxing / permissions | yes src↗approval run modes, network allowlistsas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗bash sandbox, seatbelt, managed permissionsas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗seatbelt, bubblewrap, windows sandboxas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗identity-scoped keypairs; approval gates unfinishedas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗three approval modes, containers, hardline blocklistas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗off by default, opt-inas of 2026-08-20 |
| Git / PR integration | yes src↗cloud agents open merge-ready PRsas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗stages, commits, opens PRs; Actions reviewas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗cloud tasks open PRs, review feedbackas of 2026-08-20 | yes src↗nostr-signed git events via NIP-34, earlyas of 2026-08-20 | no src↗correctedno git tool; gh CLI patternas of 2026-08-20 | no src↗no git tool; generic exec onlyas of 2026-08-20 |
| Sentiment | -13 n=46, medium confidence | -12 n=69, medium confidence | +16 n=58, medium confidence | -40 n=65, low confidence | +1 n=110, medium confidence | -43 n=167, high confidence |
Rows cross shape boundaries. "Subagents" means something different for a terminal agent than for a team chat app, and a "no" for one shape is often a category difference. The per-product pages say what each cell means in context.