Custard vs. Claude Code
Short answer: keep Claude Code. Custard runs it for you, gives it a name, and lets it team up with Codex, OpenCode and Antigravity on the same job.
Side by side.
| Question | Claude Code | Custard |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Claude CodeAnthropic's coding agent, in your terminal, your IDE or the Claude app. | CustardA Mac app where the coding agents you already have work as a team. |
| Agents it runs | Claude CodeClaude Code, on Claude models. | CustardClaude Code, Codex, OpenCode and Antigravity. Pick one per job, or mix them. |
| Remembers who's who | Claude CodeProject notes in CLAUDE.md, and sessions you can pick back up. | CustardNamed Agents with a job and a face, who remember your decisions across Threads. |
| Several on one job | Claude CodeSubagents, all Claude. | CustardGroupies: agents from different makers split the work and check each other. |
| Where it runs | Claude CodeYour machine, or Anthropic's cloud on the web. | CustardOn your Mac, next to your code. No Custard cloud in the middle. |
| Sign-in | Claude CodeYour Claude plan or an Anthropic API key. | CustardNo new account. Codex, OpenCode and Antigravity keep their sign-ins; Claude Code uses your Anthropic API key. |
Checked against each product's own pages in November 2026.
Where Claude Code is ahead today.
- It runs on Mac, Windows and Linux. Custard is Mac only.
- It works with your Claude plan. In Custard, Claude Code needs an Anthropic API key.
- It can keep working in Anthropic's cloud while your laptop sleeps. Custard runs only on your Mac.
- It's out now. Custard hasn't launched yet.
Which one's for you?
Stick with Claude Code on its own if…
you work with one agent at a time, live in the terminal, and Claude is the only model you want.
Add Custard if…
you keep three terminal tabs open and lose track of which one did what, you'd like Codex to check Claude's work, or you want an agent that remembers last week.
Custard runs Claude Code as one of its Runtimes, with your own Anthropic key. Your CLAUDE.md comes along.
Custard isn't for you yet if you're on Windows or Linux, want AI typing beside you in your editor, or need agents running in the cloud while your Mac is off.
Bring your agents.
Made for the Mac.