Amp vs Crush
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Crush is completely free, while Amp is freemium.
At a glance
Best for
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Terminal and editor agent
- Cloud orbs
- Shared threads
- Subagents
- Daily free credits
- Terminal UI
- LSP-aware context
- MCP support
- Mid-session model switching
- Per-project sessions
| Feature | Amp | Crush |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Frontier coding agent with cloud orbs and pass-through pricing | Charm's polished terminal coding agent with LSP context |
| Category | Coding | Coding |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Free |
| Starting price | $20/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes, fully free |
| Made by | Amp Frontier Corporation | Charm |
| Based in | United States | United States |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
Crush is completely free, while Amp is freemium.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
2 plans
Individual
$20/mo
- All product features
- 45,000 minutes of hosted orbs
- Unlimited self-hosted orbs
Enterprise
Contact sales
- Bring your own keys
- Higher quotas and rate limits
- Priority support and invoicing
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Amp
- No markup on model usage
- Agents keep running in the cloud
- Team thread sharing
- Fewer model choices by design
- Pricing changed often in 2026
Crush
- Attractive, fast terminal UI
- Works with many providers
- Free to use
- You pay for your own API usage
- Source-available, not fully open source
Which one should you choose?
Choose Amp if you want:
- No markup on model usage
- Agents keep running in the cloud
- Team thread sharing
Watch out: fewer model choices by design.
Choose Crush if you want:
- Attractive, fast terminal UI
- Works with many providers
- Free to use
Watch out: you pay for your own api usage.
Amp vs Crush FAQ
What is the difference between Amp and Crush?
Amp: Frontier coding agent with cloud orbs and pass-through pricing. Crush: Charm's polished terminal coding agent with LSP context. Both are coding tools.
Is Amp or Crush cheaper?
Crush is completely free, while Amp is freemium.
Do Amp and Crush have free plans?
Amp: Yes. Crush: Yes, fully free.
Who makes Amp?
Amp is made by Amp Frontier Corporation, based in United States.
Who makes Crush?
Crush is made by Charm, based in United States.
Which should I choose, Amp or Crush?
Choose Amp if you value no markup on model usage and agents keep running in the cloud. Choose Crush if you value attractive, fast terminal ui and works with many providers.