herdr
herdrdev/herdrA Rust terminal multiplexer for coding agents, with a skill that lets one agent split panes, start other agents and wait on them.
With caveats
Check first Depth 2/5
Orca Claude skills
An open-source desktop and mobile app for running several coding agents in parallel git worktrees, plus 11 thin skills that hand agents the app's CLI.
Our verdict Recommended with caveats
A heavily used app with honest, well-scoped skills, but the skills are stubs that only work with the Orca app installed and pull their real instructions from its binary.
Depth expertise shipped Security Review before installing Maintenance Updated today Adoption installs License MIT, commercial OK
The author changed the plugin manifest or hooks after our review (noticed Oct 29, 2026). The review describes the earlier version; we recheck changed skills weekly, the most significant changes first.
What Orca does
Orca is mainly an application, not a skill pack: a desktop app for macOS, Windows and Linux (with iOS and Android companions) that runs Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode and similar agents side by side, each in its own git worktree, with terminal splits, an embedded browser with a design mode, GitHub and Linear views, SSH worktrees, and usage tracking for Claude and Codex accounts.
The skills in the repo are small discovery stubs of roughly 2 KB each, with no scripts, references or tests. They tell the agent how to find the right Orca executable for the session (including a warning not to run bare orca on Linux, where it can be the GNOME screen reader) and then to run orca skills get <name> so the real, version-matched guide comes from the installed app. The set covers orca-cli (drive Orca's embedded browser and workspaces), orchestration (coordinate several agents), computer-use (GUI control of visible local windows), Jira and Linear ticket workflows, per-workspace environment setup, Android and iOS emulator control, and an inline-visuals skill for Orca's chat. Without the Orca app running, the skills do nothing useful, and the actual instructions live in the app's binary rather than in the repo.
Good for
- Developers who already run several agents and want worktree isolation in one app
- Teams that triage Jira or Linear tickets through agents
- Driving a phone or Android emulator from an agent while using Orca
Not for
- Anyone who wants self-contained skills they can read and audit in the repo
- Users who do not want to install a desktop app
What's inside depth 2/5
11 SKILL.md files averaging about 2.3 KB with no references, scripts or templates; the substance sits in the application code, not the skills.
- Skills
- 11
- Reference docs
- 0
- Scripts
- 0
- Tests / evals
- 34
- Templates
- 0
- Avg SKILL.md
- 2.3 KB
Counted from the repository file tree. How we score depth.
Dependencies and costs
- Orca desktop app (macOS, Windows or Linux) running locally
- Jira or Linear connections configured inside Orca for the ticket skills
- Android emulator or iOS simulator for the emulator skills
- Telemetry: The README links to privacy and telemetry docs describing anonymous usage data that the Orca app collects, with an opt-out. We did not verify the details because they sit on the project's website, not in the repo.
Security review
Review before installingSkills for the Orca desktop app: managing worktrees and terminals, Jira and Linear tickets, emulators, and GUI computer use. The SKILL.md files are stubs that load their real guide from the installed Orca CLI at run time, so what the agent is told can change with the app version and is not visible in this repo. The computer-use skill can control any visible window, including your browsers.
Worth knowing
- Relies on a CLI or package we could not reviewEach skill is a stub that tells the agent to run
orca skills get <name>and follow the version-matched guide printed by the locally installed Orca app; the real instructions and the CLI are not in the repo files.skills/orca-cli/SKILL.md:14 - browser_session_optionalThe computer-use skill (a last resort: 'prefer programmatic paths first') can drive visible app windows, including external Chrome, Edge and Safari windows, through
orca computer(accessibility tree, clicks, typing, screenshots), so it can act inside browsers you are logged in to; it does not read cookie stores.skills/computer-use/SKILL.md:3 - Sends usage data by default (can be turned off)The README links to docs saying the Orca app collects anonymous usage data and how to opt out; the details are on the project's website, not in the files.README.md:253
What we checked
The repository (41391 files) on Oct 29, 2026. Not a full review: 41255 of 41391 files were not downloaded (large repository; we reviewed the skill folders); it contains compiled binaries or archives we cannot read; it relies on code outside the repository: Orca desktop app and its `orca` CLI (including the guides returned by `orca skills get ...`); About 41,250 of the 41,391 repo files (the Electron app source) are not in our copy; only the skills folder and README were available.
NVIDIA SkillSpector static scan: 0 pattern hits. SkillSpector reported no hits. The skills contain no scripts; they are discovery stubs that defer to the Orca app, plus an inline-visual instruction that allows only HTML pages with CDN libraries and no network requests.
A review, not a certification. Skills change after we check them — read the files before installing.
License
MIT — commercial use allowed.
Can it run unattended?
Not really. The skills are launchers into an interactive app; unattended runs depend on the agents you run inside Orca, not on these skills.
Skills in this repository
| Skill | Installs |
|---|---|
| orca-cli | 355K |
| orchestration | 352K |
| computer-use | 240K |
Linked skills have their own review.
Alternatives to Orca
Paperclip
paperclipai/paperclipA self-hosted app for orchestrating teams of AI agents with org charts, budgets and approvals; its skills are mostly maintainer workflows.
With caveats
Broad access Depth 4/5
NanoClaw
nanocoai/nanoclawA small self-hosted assistant that runs Claude agents in Docker containers and connects to chat apps, extended by about 35 Claude Code setup skills.
With caveats
Broad access Depth 4/5
FAQ
What is Orca for coding agents?
Orca is an open-source app by Stably that runs agents such as Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode side by side, each in its own git worktree, with a mobile companion for monitoring them. The repo also ships 11 small skills that let agents drive Orca's CLI.
How do I install the Orca skills?
Install the Orca desktop app from onorca.dev first, since the skills call its CLI. The skills can then be added through the skills CLI, and each one fetches its full guide with orca skills get. Without the app they have nothing to talk to.
Is Orca safe to use?
The skills contain no scripts and the static scan found no issues. The main considerations are that the app collects anonymous usage data (with an opt-out described in its docs), and that the computer-use skill can control GUI windows on your machine, so grant it deliberately.
Orca vs herdr: what is the difference?
Both are runtimes for managing several coding agents at once. Orca is a full desktop and mobile app built around git worktrees, an embedded browser and ticket integrations. Compare herdr if you want a lighter runtime; check each project's README for current features.
Sources: GitHub repository (stars, license, file tree, last push Oct 29, 2026); install counts from skills.sh via Best Skills (CC BY 4.0). Review based on the README and SKILL.md files as published.