# HB Code vs Claude Code Remote Control

> Claude Code Remote Control connects to local Claude Code sessions. HB Code runs Claude Code and Codex on your desktop with iPhone and Android apps.

Claude Code Remote Control and HB Code both let you reach a coding session on your desktop from your phone. Claude Code Remote Control is built into Anthropic's tools and works with Claude Code on a paid claude.ai plan. HB Code is a separate desktop and phone app that runs both Claude Code and OpenAI's Codex on your machine.

## The main difference

Claude Code Remote Control is a feature inside the Claude Code CLI, the Claude Desktop app, and the VS Code extension. It runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux, and you connect from the Claude phone app or a web browser at claude.ai/code. HB Code is a standalone desktop app for macOS on Apple silicon and Windows on x64, paired with iPhone and Android apps.

The two tools also differ in which agents they run and how their servers handle session data. Claude Code Remote Control runs Claude Code on a paid claude.ai plan and stores the active session transcript on Anthropic servers. HB Code runs both Claude Code and its own build of the Codex app-server, and it shows usage limits across several accounts. When you connect from a phone, HB Code's relay server passes your messages over TLS without storing the content.

## Side by side

| Topic | HB Code | Claude Code Remote Control |
| --- | --- | --- |
| License and source | Not open source. The source isn't public. | Proprietary feature built into Claude Code by Anthropic PBC. Anthropic reserves all rights under its Commercial Terms of Service. |
| Price | The desktop app needs no payment. A phone gets a 10-day connected preview and then needs HB Code Pro from the App Store or Google Play. | Included with Claude Pro ($20/month or $17/month billed annually), Max (from $100/month), Team ($25/seat/month or $20/seat/month annual Standard), and Enterprise plans. Anthropic API keys and the Free plan aren't supported. |
| Desktop | macOS 12 or later on Apple silicon, and Windows 10 version 1809 or later on x64. No Linux app. | Runs on macOS, Windows 10 version 1809 or later, Windows Server 2019 or later, and Linux. You can start a session from the Claude Code CLI, the Claude Desktop app, or the VS Code extension. |
| Phone and web | iPhone with iOS 18 or later and Android 8.0 or later. No web app. | You can connect from a web browser at claude.ai/code or from the Claude app on iOS, iPadOS, and Android. You open a session from the session list, a session URL, or a terminal QR code. |
| Coding agents | Claude Code and Codex. | Runs Claude Code. You can switch the Claude model and effort level for the active session from a connected device. |
| Agent sign-in and billing | Claude Code is the unchanged executable of Anthropic's Claude Agent SDK. Codex is HB Code's own build of OpenAI's open-source Codex app-server. Both run on your own Claude and ChatGPT sign-in, and HB Code includes neither plan. | Needs a claude.ai subscription sign-in on a Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise plan communicating with api.anthropic.com. Console API keys, custom endpoints, Amazon Bedrock, Google Cloud's Agent Platform, and Microsoft Foundry aren't supported. |
| Account with the maker | None for work on the desktop. Remote access and the phone apps need an HB Code account. | Needs a claude.ai account on a paid subscription plan. On Team and Enterprise plans, an organization Owner must turn on the Remote Control toggle in Claude Code admin settings. |
| Where the agent works | In your project folders on your own computer. HB Code creates no worktrees and lists the ones that the repository has. No cloud. | Claude Code runs on your local machine, where code execution, filesystem access, MCP servers, and project configuration stay local. Your computer must stay on with the Claude Code process running. |
| How the phone reaches the desktop | Through HB Code's relay server over TLS. The connection isn't end-to-end encrypted. The server passes the content and doesn't store it. | The local session makes outbound HTTPS requests over TLS and opens no inbound ports. Anthropic servers route messages over a streaming connection and store the session transcript while connected. Organizations with Zero Data Retention or HIPAA configurations can't turn on Remote Control. |
| Accounts and usage limits | Several Claude accounts and ChatGPT subscriptions. Settings › Agents lists each one with its limit windows, and the phone apps show the same windows. | Usage draws from your plan's rolling five-hour and weekly limits, with optional usage credits. Each interactive instance registers one remote session, and server mode allows up to 32 concurrent sessions by default. Staying signed in to multiple accounts at once requires separate configuration directories. |
| Usage analytics in the app | No analytics or crash-report SDK in the desktop app or the phone apps. The desktop app sends one daily usage signal, with a random ID not linked to your account, only if you allow it. With remote access on, the server keeps device status data. | Claude Code sends usage metrics to Anthropic and third-party logging services over TLS by default. With a Pro or Max sign-in, it also sends error reports to a third-party error tracking service. DISABLE_TELEMETRY=1 turns off the metrics, but CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_NONESSENTIAL_TRAFFIC turns off Remote Control too. |

## Claude Code Remote Control: when it fits better

- You use a paid claude.ai plan and want a remote feature built into the Claude Code CLI, VS Code extension, or Claude Desktop app.
- You run your sessions on a Linux desktop, or you want to open your local session in a web browser at claude.ai/code.
- You manage remote access for a team or enterprise through the Remote Control toggle in Anthropic's Claude Code admin settings.

## HB Code: when it fits better

- You run both Claude Code and OpenAI's Codex on your desktop, or you track usage windows across several accounts in one view.
- You want a relay server that passes messages between your phone and desktop over TLS without storing your session transcript.
- You want your agents to work in your own Chrome browser through the Browser Bridge extension or send tasks between sessions.
- You want a desktop app that includes no analytics or crash-report SDK and needs no account for local work.

## Sources

- https://code.claude.com/docs/en/remote-control
- https://code.claude.com/docs/en/mobile
- https://code.claude.com/docs/en/desktop
- https://code.claude.com/docs/en/setup
- https://code.claude.com/docs/en/authentication
- https://code.claude.com/docs/en/costs
- https://code.claude.com/docs/en/data-usage
- https://claude.com/pricing
- https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/blob/main/LICENSE.md

We read these pages on October 24, 2026. Prices and features can change after that date. If a statement on this page is wrong or out of date, tell us and we'll correct it. [Write to support](https://www.hbcode.ai/support)

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## Guides

- [How to check usage limits and use more than one account](https://www.hbcode.ai/claude-code-usage-limits.md)
- [How to check what Claude Code or Codex did](https://www.hbcode.ai/claude-code-ui.md)
- [How to run several Claude Code and Codex sessions](https://www.hbcode.ai/claude-code-sessions.md)
- [How to use Claude Code or Codex on your phone](https://www.hbcode.ai/claude-code-mobile.md)
- [How to see what the subagents of Claude Code do](https://www.hbcode.ai/claude-code-subagents.md)
- [How to try Claude Code and Codex on the same task](https://www.hbcode.ai/claude-code-vs-codex.md)
- [How to run Codex in a desktop app on Mac and Windows](https://www.hbcode.ai/codex-desktop-app.md)
- [Download HB Code](https://www.hbcode.ai/downloads)