# Codex Relay vs Orca IDE

The clearest difference is rating: Orca IDE at 4.7 against Codex Relay's 4.2. Orca IDE also leads on review sentiment (84% vs 63%) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 9 days). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Orca IDE holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 56 and 38 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of Codex Relay's written reviews are positive against 84% of Orca IDE's.

Codex Relay ships an update every 9 days, Orca IDE every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Codex Relay | Orca IDE |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (56 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/codex-relay-remote-codex-app/id6764463488/reviews) | **[4.7 (38 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orca-ide/id6766130217/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **56** | 38 |
| Positive reviews | 63.2% of reviews | **83.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #35 | **#17** |
| Size | 118 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kang Sungyu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895791948) | [Lovecast LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1498017204) |

## What reviewers say

### Codex Relay

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/codex-relay-remote-codex-app/id6764463488)

**Currently charting:** #35 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

Manage your Codex workflow remotely from your phone. Track active threads, send prompts, review output, and respond to requests. Designed for developers to stay connected to their work without being at their desk.

**Highlights:** Follow Codex conversations remotely, Send prompts and follow-up instructions, Respond to approval and input requests, Attach images for context, Review workspace and thread activity, Manage relay server state, Check usage statistics

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Orca IDE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orca-ide/id6766130217)

**Currently charting:** #17 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

This app mirrors your desktop terminal sessions, including AI agent interactions, directly to your iPhone. It provides full keyboard input and multi-terminal support for seamless remote coding management. All processing remains on your desktop, ensuring your data stays secure.

**Highlights:** Live desktop terminal mirror, AI agent session management, Full keyboard input, Multi-worktree, multi-terminal support, Phone-fit zoom and smart keyboard, Background command execution, End-to-end encrypted pairing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Codex Relay free?

Codex Relay is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Orca IDE free?

Orca IDE is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Codex Relay or Orca IDE?

Orca IDE is rated higher. Codex Relay averages 4.2 out of 5 from 56 ratings, while Orca IDE averages 4.7 from 38 ratings.

### Do Codex Relay or Orca IDE have ads?

Neither Codex Relay nor Orca IDE shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Codex Relay or Orca IDE?

Codex Relay ships an update every 9 days, and Orca IDE every 3 days. Most recently, Codex Relay was updated on October 16, 2026 and Orca IDE on October 15, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Codex Relay or Orca IDE?

Codex Relay currently peaks at #35 in the App Store charts, and Orca IDE at #17. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*