# HB Code vs Happier

> HB Code runs Claude Code and Codex on Mac and Windows without an account. Happier is an open-source tool for 19 agents on Linux, Mac, Windows, and web.

HB Code and Happier both run coding agents on your own computer and connect them to your phone. HB Code is a closed-source Mac and Windows app built for Claude Code and Codex. Happier is an MIT-licensed desktop, web, phone, and CLI setup that connects 19 coding agents through a relay server.

## The main difference

HB Code focuses on Claude Code and Codex on macOS and Windows. It runs the unchanged Claude Agent SDK executable and HB Code's build of the Codex app-server. Happier marks OpenCode as stable alongside Claude Code and Codex, and it adds 15 experimental agents plus custom ACP tools. Happier runs on macOS, Windows, Linux, and in the browser.

On the desktop, HB Code needs no account and no payment. You buy HB Code Pro after a 10-day preview when you connect a phone over HB Code's TLS relay. Happier is free on every device and uses a key-based account on Happier Cloud or your own self-hosted relay. Happier encrypts session content end to end on your devices before the relay receives it.

Each app builds different tools around your local sessions. Happier can move live Claude Code or OpenCode sessions between machines and pool provider accounts for automatic quota fallback. HB Code lets one session send a task to another and connects agents to your Chrome browser through an extension. With your own Gemini API key, HB Code agents can also make speech audio or a short explainer video.

## Side by side

| Topic | HB Code | Happier |
| --- | --- | --- |
| License and source | Not open source. The source isn't public. | Open source under the MIT license. The license covers the CLI, desktop app, phone apps, web app, and relay server. |
| 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. | Free to use across the CLI, desktop app, phone apps, web app, and relay server. Happier has no trials or paid tiers, and it doesn't count seats. |
| Desktop | macOS 12 or later on Apple silicon, and Windows 10 version 1809 or later on x64. No Linux app. | Happier provides a desktop app alongside a CLI and background service for macOS (Apple silicon and Intel) and x64 Windows and Linux. Linux builds come as AppImage or DEB and RPM packages, and you can mirror native terminal sessions to every device. |
| Phone and web | iPhone with iOS 18 or later and Android 8.0 or later. No web app. | Native iPhone and iPad apps on the App Store, plus an Android app on Google Play or as a direct APK. A web app runs at cloud.happier.dev or on a self-hosted relay. |
| Coding agents | Claude Code and Codex. | Three built-in agents are marked stable, covering Claude Code and Codex plus OpenCode. Happier also includes 15 experimental agents (such as Gemini, Cursor, Copilot, and Qwen) and supports custom Agent Client Protocol (ACP) CLIs. |
| 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. | Agents use the subscriptions or API keys in your local CLIs and connect straight to their model providers. You can also store credentials in Connected Services or set custom endpoints like Azure OpenAI or Vertex AI with backend profiles. |
| Account with the maker | None for work on the desktop. Remote access and the phone apps need an HB Code account. | You need an account on Happier Cloud or your self-hosted relay before sign-in. Accounts use a device-generated secret key by default, and self-hosted relays can also use GitHub OAuth, OIDC, mTLS, or anonymous signup. |
| 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. | Agents run on your own computer, VPS, or dev box in your local project, and Happier runs no cloud agents. You can start sessions in Git worktrees and move live Claude Code or OpenCode sessions between machines. |
| 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. | Devices sync through Happier Cloud or a self-hosted relay over HTTPS, LAN, Tailscale, or SSH tunnels. Session content is encrypted end to end on your devices by default, while the relay sees routing metadata. |
| 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. | Shows quota meters and reset times for connected Claude and Codex accounts, as well as Gemini accounts. You can pool multiple accounts per provider for automatic fallback, or let Happier wait at a limit and resume when quota resets. |
| 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. | The app has server-controlled flags for PostHog analytics and Sentry crash reports with no user switch. It also has an experimental usage reporting toggle that defaults to on. |

## Happier: when it fits better

- You work on Linux or in a web browser, or you want to move live Claude Code or OpenCode sessions between machines.
- You run coding agents beyond Claude Code and Codex, such as OpenCode, Gemini, Cursor, Copilot, or custom ACP CLIs.
- You want an MIT-licensed open-source app and relay that you can self-host with end-to-end encrypted session storage.
- You want to pool multiple Claude or Codex accounts for automatic fallback or auto-resume sessions when usage limits reset.

## HB Code: when it fits better

- You want to use Claude Code and Codex on your Mac or Windows desktop without creating an account or setting up a relay.
- You want desktop and phone apps with no analytics or crash-report SDKs and opt-in daily usage reporting.
- You want your coding agent to work in your own Chrome browser through the Browser Bridge extension.
- You want your agents to make speech audio or short explainer videos using your own Gemini API key.

## Sources

- https://happier.dev/
- https://happier.dev/download
- https://github.com/happier-dev/happier
- https://docs.happier.dev/
- https://docs.happier.dev/getting-started
- https://docs.happier.dev/getting-started/get-the-apps
- https://docs.happier.dev/agents/capabilities
- https://docs.happier.dev/accounts/connected-services
- https://docs.happier.dev/security
- https://docs.happier.dev/self-hosting/auth
- https://docs.happier.dev/extras/feature-flags
- https://apps.apple.com/de/app/happier-remote-claude-codex/id6758554297
- https://github.com/happier-dev
- https://docs.happier.dev/agents

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)