Warp and Farol both run coding agents like Claude Code and Codex, side by side, each in its own git worktree, with a review panel that sends your comments back to the agent. Both are open source.
Where they split is scope. Warp is a platform: its own agent with a choice of models, cloud agents, team features and plans with agent usage included, on macOS, Windows and Linux. Farol is a free Mac terminal around the agents you already pay for, with no account, no telemetry and a free phone app.
I make Farol, so weigh what follows with that in mind. Every claim about Warp links to its own site or docs, and the page says where Warp is the better choice.
The short version
- Pick Farol if you're on an Apple silicon Mac, already pay for Claude Code or Codex, and want a free terminal around them with no account, no telemetry and no usage billing, plus a phone app that costs nothing.
- Pick Warp if you're on Linux, Windows or an Intel Mac, want a built-in agent with a choice of models, or work in a team that shares workflows and runs agents in the cloud.
Side by side
| Farol | Warp | |
|---|---|---|
| App | Native Swift app on libghostty | Its own app, written in Rust |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 for the client. Cloud products not described as open |
| Price | Free | Free tier. Build $20 a month, Max $200, Business $50 per user, each with agent usage included |
| Platforms | macOS 14+, Apple silicon | macOS on Apple silicon or Intel, Windows and Linux |
| Account | None | Optional for the terminal |
| Telemetry | None | Analytics and crash reports you can turn off. Needed for AI on the free plan |
| Built-in agent | No. It runs the agents you already use | Warp Agent, with models from several providers |
| Claude Code, Codex | Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode and Pi in one click. Any other through farol status | Runs Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode and others, with notifications and inline review |
| Agent status | A dot per session: working, waiting or done. Menu bar and notch too | A panel for conversations running in parallel |
| Worktree per task | Yes, also one task across several repos | Yes, one agent per worktree |
| Review | One scrolling diff, notes sent back to the agent, commit, push, open a PR | A Code Review panel, with inline comments sent to a running agent |
| Editor | File tree, tabs and Find in Files. Go to definition and references through language servers | A code editor with LSP and a file tree |
| Phone | Free iPhone app on the App Store, end-to-end encrypted | No phone app described for the terminal. Its docs have a Remote Control page for CLI agents |
| Remote machines | Servers in the sidebar, set up over ssh | Warp's features over ssh, and with its ssh extension, files, editor and review too |
| Teams and cloud | No | Warp Drive, session sharing, SSO, cloud agents |
Where Farol is ahead
Free, with nothing to meter
Farol has no plans. It runs Claude Code or Codex on the subscription you already have, and nothing in between counts usage. Warp's paid plans bundle usage for its own agent, and its free plan includes none for the Warp Agent, so using it there is pay as you go. If you only run Claude Code or Codex inside Warp, its free tier works too.
No account, no telemetry
Farol has no account and sends no analytics. Warp's login is optional for the terminal, and its analytics and crash reports can be turned off in Settings → Privacy, but AI on its free plan needs them on.
A lamp per agent, wherever you are
Each session has a dot that breathes while the agent works, ripples when it waits for you and fills when it's done, in the sidebar, the menu bar and a panel at the notch. A task can also start from a Jira ticket or a GitHub issue, or wait for later, once or on the days you pick, each run in a fresh worktree on your Mac.
The phone app is free
Farol for iPhone lists your sessions, notifies you when an agent waits, and lets you answer it with a tap. It's free on the App Store, and messages go through a relay that can't read them. How the encryption works.
Your Ghostty setup carries over
Farol is built on libghostty, the engine behind Ghostty, and reads your Ghostty config and themes. It's MIT licensed, which asks less of you than the AGPL if you build on it.
Where Warp is ahead
- Linux, Windows and Intel Macs. Warp runs on all three, and on macOS back to 10.14. Farol needs Apple silicon and macOS 14.
- Its own agent. The Warp Agent comes with models from several providers, and you can bring your own keys. Farol has no agent of its own.
- Cloud agents. Agents can run in the cloud, started by a schedule or from Slack, Linear or GitHub. Farol runs agents on your Mac or on a server of your own.
- Teams. Warp Drive shares notebooks, workflows and prompts, sessions can be shared, and the Business plan adds SSO and usage metrics.
- More over ssh. With its ssh extension, Warp brings its file tree, editor, review and git to a remote host. Farol shows a server's agents in the sidebar and opens their tmux windows.
- Agents that use a computer and a browser, and take screenshots and videos for a pull request.
Which one to pick
If you want one platform for you or your team, with an agent of its own, cloud runs and every OS, try Warp. If you're on a Mac, already pay for Claude Code or Codex, and want a fast, free terminal that keeps them in worktrees, shows which one needs you and puts your phone in the loop, try Farol.
Both are free to try, so it costs you a download.
Moving from Warp to Farol
- Install Farol and open Settings → Agents to connect Claude Code or Codex.
- Press ⇧⌘N, describe a task and pick an agent. Farol makes the worktree and starts it there.
- Farol doesn't read Warp's settings. It reads your Ghostty config if you have one, and has eight themes of its own.
Questions
Is Warp open source?
Its client is, under the AGPL-3.0, says its GitHub README. Farol is MIT licensed.
Can I run Claude Code in Warp?
Yes. Warp's docs say it runs Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode and others, with notifications and inline code review.
Do I need an account?
Not for Farol. For Warp, its install docs say you can skip logging in to use the terminal.
Does Farol have an AI agent of its own?
No. It runs the agents you already use, like Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode and Pi, and any other that runs in a terminal.
Sources
- warpdotdev/Warp on GitHub: the license, the Rust codebase and the agents it names
- Warp pricing: plans, prices, agent usage and models
- Warp plans and billing: what the free plan includes
- Warp installation: platforms and the optional login
- Warp agents: the Warp Agent, third-party CLI agents and parallel conversations
- Warp git worktrees and code review
- Warp over ssh
- Warp privacy: telemetry and how to turn it off
- Warp Remote Control and Warp Drive
- Farol on GitHub: features and changelog
All checked on November 8, 2026. Something here out of date or wrong? Open an issue and I'll fix it.
