Claudock vs opcode

Both are free, open-source desktop apps for Claude Code, and they do different jobs. opcode runs Claude Code sessions and agents in a window. Claudock edits the ~/.claude folder they use, and you keep running Claude Code in your terminal.

Running Claude Code

opcode wraps the Claude Code CLI. You pick a project, start a session or resume an old one, and work in opcode's window. Its checkpoints save the state of a session as you go, so you can jump back, branch off, or diff two points. Its CC Agents feature runs a custom agent in a background process with its own file and network permissions and keeps a log of each run.

Claudock doesn't run sessions. You keep running claude in your terminal or editor, and Claudock shows which sessions are working, done, or waiting for you, with one alert when a session starts waiting. It lists past sessions per project and lets you read them, Trash one, or clear out sessions older than a number of days you pick.

Changing your setup

Claude Code's behaviour comes from files in ~/.claude: settings.json, hooks, permission rules, skills, agents, commands, plugins, and MCP servers in ~/.claude.json. opcode's README covers two of them, CLAUDE.md and MCP servers. It doesn't mention settings, hooks, permissions, skills, commands or plugins.

Claudock has a screen for each one. Settings open as a form, with the raw JSON one click away. Hooks are grouped by event, with the matcher and command visible. Skills turn on and off through skillOverrides, so you don't have to move folders. ⌘K searches across all of it.

Safety

Claudock saves a copy of each file outside ~/.claude before it writes. Then it writes to a temp file and renames it over the original, so a crash can't leave a half-written file. For ~/.claude.json, which Claude Code rewrites while it runs, Claudock re-reads the file just before writing and changes only the key you edited. Deletes go to the OS Trash. It never reads .credentials.json.

opcode's checkpoints are about sessions: they undo what Claude did in your project. Its README doesn't describe how it writes config files.

Usage and cost

opcode has a usage dashboard: cost and tokens by model, project and date, with charts and export. Its README lists usage alerts as "coming soon".

Claudock shows your 5-hour and weekly limits exactly as Claude Code reports them, in the app and the menu bar, and the tokens used in each window when no percentage has been reported. It also shows activity: messages, sessions, longest session, top model and a heat map you can post as an image. Its Share card adds one cost estimate a week, at Anthropic's API prices. For cost reports, use opcode or ccusage.

Install and updates

Claudock runs with npx claudock on macOS, Windows and Linux. npm downloads don't carry the macOS quarantine flag or the Windows Mark of the Web, so there's no security warning. There are also installers for macOS (Apple silicon and Intel), Windows and Linux. They aren't signed, so their first launch needs one extra click. There's no auto-update; the app tells you when a newer release is out.

opcode's v0.2.0 release has a macOS .dmg and a Linux AppImage and .deb. It lists no Windows file, so on Windows you build it from source with Rust and Bun. Its README still says release executables "will be published soon".

opcode's last release was v0.2.0 on 31 August 2025, and its last code change was on 13 October 2025. Claudock's first release was on 25 October 2026.

Who opcode is best for

• You want to run and resume Claude Code sessions from a window instead of a terminal.
• You use checkpoints to rewind or fork a session.
• You want background agents with their own permissions.
• You want a cost dashboard in the same app.

Who Claudock is best for

• You run Claude Code in a terminal or editor and want a window for its setup, and your limits in the menu bar.
• You have many skills, hooks, MCP servers or permission rules and want to see them all and turn them on or off.
• You've broken settings.json or ~/.claude.json before and want undo.
• You're on Windows.
• Your ~/.claude folder has grown to gigabytes.
• You keep separate Claude Code setups, such as work and personal.

Switching from opcode

There's nothing to import. Claudock reads ~/.claude directly, so your settings, skills, MCP servers and transcripts show up on first launch. opcode's own data, such as its CC Agents and checkpoints, stays in opcode. They do different jobs, so you can keep both: they both read ~/.claude/projects, and Claudock writes only when you change something.

To look before you trust it with your real folder, clone the repo and run npm run dev. It opens on a generated fake config. npm run dev:real opens your real ~/.claude with every write turned off.

FAQ

Is Claudock a fork of opcode?

No. They are separate projects with separate code. Claudock is built on Electron, opcode on Tauri.

Can Claudock run Claude Code sessions like opcode?

No. Claudock manages the config folder. You keep running Claude Code where you run it now.

Does opcode work on Windows?

Its README lists Windows 10 and 11 for building from source. Its latest release (v0.2.0) has no Windows installer.

Are either of them official?

No. Both say they are not affiliated with Anthropic.

See also Claude Code GUIs in 2026, which covers CC Switch, ccusage and Claude Code's own apps too.

Facts about opcode come from github.com/winfunc/opcode (README and releases), checked 28 October 2026. If something here is wrong or out of date, open an issue and it will be fixed.