The Amp Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Amp in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Amp
The Insider’s Guide
Coding agent that runs in cloud machines it calls orbs
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI agents, read from Amp’s own pages.
Made by Amp Frontier Corporation · checked Nov 12, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Amp’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Amp’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 61 of the 101 other AI agents we grade
Amp is a coding agent and development environment from Amp Frontier Corporation. Agents run in cloud computers the vendor calls orbs, or on your own runners, and keep working after you close your laptop. There are desktop and phone apps for following threads, and you can use model subscriptions or API keys you already have.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Amp, taken from its own pages and our grades.
Hobby has no monthly fee, with pay-as-you-go orbs and your own model keys.
- 1
Best for a coding agent with cloud and self-hosted orbs
Amp is a coding agent that runs in cloud or self-hosted orbs, on web, Mac, Windows, Linux and phones.
- 2
Paid plans start at $20 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $20 per month (Megawatt tier).
- 3
There is a free plan
Hobby: no monthly fee, pay as you go for Amp-hosted orbs, unlimited self-hosted orbs, and your own model subscription or key.
- 4
It runs on 6 platforms
Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.
- 5
Cloud orbs
An orb is a cloud computer where an agent works remotely. Minutes are counted only while it runs and stop when it pauses while idle.
- 6
Self-hosted orbs
Orbs can run on your own infrastructure for free on Hobby, Individual and Teams, and they do not use orb minutes.
- 7
Bring your own models
You can use ChatGPT, Claude and other subscriptions or your own API keys with no Amp token fees; your provider's own limits and charges apply.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 61 of 101
That is against the other AI agents we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Amp you would be making an AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Amp at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $20 per month (Megawatt tier)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android
- Made by
- Amp Frontier Corporation
- Category
- AI Agents
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for a coding agent with cloud and self-hosted orbs
Amp is a coding agent that runs in cloud or self-hosted orbs, on web, Mac, Windows, Linux and phones. Hobby has no monthly fee, with pay-as-you-go orbs and your own model keys. Individual is $20 a month for 45,000 orb minutes, and the Mac app needs Apple silicon and macOS 26.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Individual is $20 a month, just over the $19 where the cheaper quarter of AI agent tools ends; the free tier needs your own model keys. |
| Free plan and trial | B | Hobby has no monthly fee: self-hosted orbs are free, but you bring your own model subscription or key, and Amp-hosted orbs are pay as you go. |
| Features | C | Cloud and self-hosted orbs, your own models, automations and team workspaces, but SCIM, audit logs and IP allowlisting are Enterprise. |
| Ease of use | C | No store rating on record. It is a coding agent with orbs, models and automations to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, Mac, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps, with four integrations named; no API is on record. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Amp is for
- Fits if you want a coding agent on your own machine with your own model key
- Works for a team that wants shared threads and billing
Who it is not for
- Tight if you stay on Individual: orb minutes are capped at 45,000 a month
- Not for you if your Mac is older: the app needs Apple silicon and macOS 26 or later
- Watch out: the Gigawatt tier appears on the pricing page without a readable price
- Skip it if you need SCIM, audit logs or IP allowlisting without Enterprise, whose price is not published
Good to know
Good for
- Developers who want agents running while their laptop is closed
- Teams that want to reuse the Claude or ChatGPT subscriptions they already pay for
- Companies that need self-hosted runners and SSO
Worth knowing
- Orb minutes on the Individual tier are capped at 45,000 a month; when they run out you upgrade or buy more credits.
- The Gigawatt tier appears on the pricing page but its price is not shown in the page text, so it is not listed here.
- The Mac app requires Apple silicon and macOS 26 or later, per the download page.
- Enterprise pricing is not published, and SCIM, audit logs and IP allowlisting are Enterprise-only.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$20
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Amp has a free plan. Paid plans start at $20 per month (Megawatt tier).
Hobby
$0
No monthly fee; Amp-hosted orbs are pay-as-you-go, self-hosted orbs are free, with no Amp token fees on your own keys.
Individual (Megawatt)
$20
per month
45,000 minutes of orb time on Amp-hosted orbs, plus Amp credits for inference. A Gigawatt tier also exists; its price was not readable.
Teams
$0
no extra charge for a workspace
Shared threads, portals and billing with SSO; each member stays on Hobby or a paid tier, and SSO needs one paid member.
Enterprise
Custom
Pooled credits with no paid seats, SCIM, audit logs, IP allowlisting, spend limits and custom orb pricing.
The free plan
Hobby: no monthly fee, pay as you go for Amp-hosted orbs, unlimited self-hosted orbs, and your own model subscription or key.
Read from ampcode.com on Nov 12, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Education
Megawatt for $10 a month for students and teachers
Students and teachers can get the Megawatt tier at $10 per month through the Education Discount.
Stated on ampcode.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
6
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android
Coding agent that runs in cloud machines it calls orbs. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, real-time collaboration, workflow automation, AI agents.
Cloud and self-hosted orbs, your own models, automations and team workspaces, but SCIM, audit logs and IP allowlisting are Enterprise.
- Cloud orbs
- An orb is a cloud computer where an agent works remotely. Minutes are counted only while it runs and stop when it pauses while idle.
- Self-hosted orbs
- Orbs can run on your own infrastructure for free on Hobby, Individual and Teams, and they do not use orb minutes.
- Bring your own models
- You can use ChatGPT, Claude and other subscriptions or your own API keys with no Amp token fees; your provider's own limits and charges apply.
- Automations that wake threads
- In the vendor's demo video, a thread uses automations to wake itself on a schedule and check production logs.
- Team workspaces
- Workspaces share threads, portals, plugins and skills, with multiplayer, permissions and SAML/OIDC SSO.
- Apps on desktop and phone
- The download page lists apps for Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, iPad and Android for following agents away from your desk.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- Linux
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Slack
- ChatGPT
- Claude
- Google Cloud
Amp is made by Amp Frontier Corporation.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
61/101
Other AI agents it is graded above
Amp's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 61 of the 101 other AI agents we grade, and level with 8.
It stands best on free plan and trial (B, above 82 of 101) and worst on features (C, above 1).
Its paid plans start at $20 a month, against a middle price of $22.13 for the category: 20 of the 65 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. 13 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 102 AI agents we grade, cut by the letter each got. Amp’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 17 of 101
- BFree plan and trialAbove 82 of 101
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 101
- CEase of useAbove 14 of 101
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 20 of 101
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 70 AI agents. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Amp is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Amp you would be making an AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $240 a year.
What you could not
- An AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it.
- Connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
- Several people working in it at the same moment.
- What a company asks for before it lets staff use something: single sign-on and roles and permissions.
What this rests on. Amp’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
Factory, Jules, Devin, OpenHands and goose
The 5 tools Amp is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 2.6GPA
Factory
Free plan · from $20/mo
Coding agents called Droids for desktop, terminal and web.
- Only Amp lists iOS and Android apps.
- 2.6GPA
Jules
Free plan
Google's asynchronous coding agent that opens pull requests.
- Only Amp lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- 2.4GPA
Devin
Free plan · from $20/mo
Autonomous software engineer that runs in the cloud or locally.
- Only Amp lists iOS and Android apps.
- Amp also covers workflow automation.
- 2.4GPA
OpenHands
Free plan · from $500/mo
Open-source platform for AI coding agents and automations.
- Only Amp lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android apps.
- OpenHands is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 2.8GPA
goose
Free
Open-source AI agent with a desktop app, CLI and API.
- Only Amp lists a web app.
- Only Amp lists iOS and Android apps.
- goose is open source, according to its own site.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Amp free?
Amp has a free plan. Hobby: no monthly fee, pay as you go for Amp-hosted orbs, unlimited self-hosted orbs, and your own model subscription or key.
How much does Amp cost?
Amp lists 4 plans. Hobby: $0.
What platforms does Amp work on?
Amp is available on Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS and Android.
Does Amp offer any discounts?
Amp publicly lists the following: Megawatt for $10 a month for students and teachers.
Is Amp open source?
Amp is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
What does Amp integrate with?
Amp's listing names Slack, ChatGPT, Claude and Google Cloud. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Does Amp have a student discount?
Megawatt for $10 a month for students and teachers. Students and teachers can get the Megawatt tier at $10 per month through the Education Discount.
Who makes Amp?
Amp is made by Amp Frontier Corporation.
What are the alternatives to Amp?
The closest alternatives to Amp in our directory are Factory, Jules, Devin, OpenHands and goose.
How does Amp compare with other AI agents?
Amp's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 61 of the 101 other AI agents we grade, and level with 8.
Is Amp good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Amp C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $20 a month, against a middle price of $22.13 for the category: 20 of the 65 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Amp?
To replace Amp you would be making an AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Amp’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Amp's own pages on 12 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by Amp Frontier Corporation. Prices change, so check ampcode.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
5,038
Tools graded, in 95 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
5,038
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Amp, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/amp
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Amp: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/amp
Know someone choosing between AI agents?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/amp/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded AI agents after Amp, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- AI Agents Insider's GuideEvery one of the 102 AI agents we grade, compared
- Genspark Insider's GuideAI workspace with an agent for research, slides, sheets and docs3.2 GPA
- Manus Insider's GuideGeneral AI agent for research, slides, websites and browser tasks3.2 GPA
- OpenClaw Insider's GuideOpen-source personal AI agent you run yourself and message in chat3.2 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Amp’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Amp is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Amp Frontier Corporation. Prices and plans change: check ampcode.com before you buy.