Api vs Herdr
Api (getcargo.ai) and Herdr (herdrdev) side by side on public data, as of Nov 7, 2026.
Herdr shipped 7 stable releases in the past 90 days.
Which should you choose?
Choose Api if
- you want the one gaining users faster (downloads up 422% in 30 days, +120% in the last 7)
Choose Herdr if
- you want to start free: it has a free plan, Api does not
- you want code you can read, fork or self-host (Apache-2.0)
- you prefer the more widely used tool, with more docs and answers around (Gid Score 54 against 46)
Built from documented features, official prices, status pages and usage data on this page; it does not judge output quality.
Side-by-side numbers
| Metric | Api | Herdr |
|---|---|---|
| Gid Score | 46 | 54 |
| Usage data as of | Nov 6 | Nov 7 |
| Rank by Gid Score | #54 | #26 |
| Downloads, last 7 days | 70.8K | — |
| Downloads, 7-day change | up 120.4% | — |
| Downloads, 30-day change | up 422.0% | — |
| VS Code installs | — | — |
| Marketplace rating | — | — |
| GitHub stars | — | 48.9K |
| Homebrew installs, 30 days | — | — |
| Hacker News mentions, 30 days | 0 | 16 |
| Latest stable release | — | 0.9.5 · 24d ago |
| Stable releases, 90 days | — | 7 |
| Terminal-Bench (best run) | — | — |
| Price | — | Free (OSS) |
| License | — | Apache-2.0 |
| First released | — | March 2026 |
| Interfaces | — | — |
| Models | — | — |
A dash means there is no public data for that metric as of Nov 7, 2026.
Api
Typed TypeScript client for the Cargo API — models and records, orchestration runs and batches, connectors and integrations, agents, segments, and billing. The programmatic surface behind the cargo-ai CLI.
Herdr
Open-source workspace for running coding agents such as Claude Code and Codex in real terminals: a terminal app (Herdr TUI) and a native desktop app built on herdr-core, a local server that keeps agents running after the window closes. The sidebar shows which agent is working, done or waiting, remote machines join over SSH, and agents can start other agents and get their reports back.
Pricing: Open source under Apache-2.0 (Herdr TUI, the desktop app and herdr-core); you bring your own coding agents and their plans.
Latest release 0.9.5:
- Prefix shortcuts work again when the terminal sends the next key as plain text. This affected Tern, Chinese, Japanese and Korean input methods on macOS, and Ghostty text: keybinds that send the…
- Codex sessions no longer start with a "clamping Interrupt hook timeout" warning. Herdr no longer installs Codex turn hooks, and Codex status comes from screen detection again.
- Claude Code questions show as blocked in named sessions.
- On Windows, plugin panes start even when a folder on PATH has the same name as the plugin's program.
Api vs Herdr: common questions
How do Api and Herdr prices compare?
Api: —. Herdr: Free (OSS). Prices come from each vendor's pricing page.
Is Api or Herdr open source?
Herdr is open source (Apache-2.0); Api is proprietary.
Which is more popular, Api or Herdr?
Herdr has a Gid Score of 54 against 46 for Api. The score combines package downloads, editor installs, GitHub activity and attention, updated daily.