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Stoneforge vs Claude Code Teams

Self-Hosted AI Alternative

Looking for a Claude Code Teams alternative? Compare Stoneforge's free, self-hosted AI coding agent orchestration with Claude Code Teams pricing and features.

Feature comparison

Feature Stoneforge Claude Code Teams
Cost & Licensing
Pricing Free and open-source (Apache 2.0) Included with Claude Pro ($20/mo), Team ($25-$150/seat/mo), or Max plans
API costs BYO API keys, pay providers directly Included in subscription (usage limits apply)
License Open-source (Apache 2.0), modify freely Proprietary
Privacy & Control
Data privacy Code stays on your machine, API calls go to your chosen provider Runs locally, but code context is sent to Anthropic's API
Self-hosted orchestration Yes, runs entirely on your infrastructure CLI runs locally, but requires Anthropic's API by default
Air-gapped environments Yes, works fully offline with local models Possible via third-party proxies (Ollama, LiteLLM), but not officially supported
Agent Architecture
Multi-agent parallelism Unlimited parallel agents with automatic dispatch Lead/teammate model with parallel execution and worktree isolation
Agent-agnostic Yes, works with Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, or any CLI agent Claude models only
Role-based agents Yes, Director, Worker, Steward, Daemon roles Lead/teammate structure with task delegation
Task dispatch Daemon assigns tasks based on priority, dependencies, and availability Lead assigns tasks; teammates can self-claim available work
Git & Merge
Git worktree isolation Yes, each agent works in its own worktree Yes, supports --worktree flag and worktree isolation for agents
Automatic merge & review Yes, Steward agents handle merge and review No, branches require manual merging
Dependency-aware task ordering Yes, DAG-based dependency system Yes, tasks auto-unblock when dependencies complete
Infrastructure
Managed infrastructure No, you manage your own setup Minimal setup, but you manage your own Claude Code installation
Team collaboration Local orchestration (team features planned) Team plan includes admin tools, SSO, and shared billing
Official vendor support Community support and GitHub issues Official Anthropic support with Team and Enterprise plans

Pricing

Stoneforge

Free / open-source
  • No per-seat pricing
  • Self-hosted, full control
  • Apache 2.0 license
  • BYO API keys

Claude Code Teams

Paid / per-seat or usage-based
  • Per-seat or subscription pricing
  • Managed infrastructure
  • Vendor-managed updates

Claude Code Teams vs Stoneforge: two approaches to multi-agent AI coding

Looking for a Claude Code Teams alternative? Both Claude Code Teams and Stoneforge coordinate multiple AI coding agents working in parallel on a codebase. They differ in scope, pricing, and philosophy. Here’s how they compare for teams evaluating a self-hosted AI coding agent setup.

Claude Code Teams is a feature built into Claude Code. A lead session breaks work into tasks, assigns them to teammate sessions, and synthesizes results. Each teammate gets its own context window and can work in an isolated git worktree. It’s tightly integrated with Claude’s models and ecosystem.

Stoneforge is a standalone, open-source orchestration layer. It coordinates agents from different providers (Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, or others) through a structured role system: Directors plan work, Workers execute tasks, Stewards handle merge and review, and Daemons dispatch tasks automatically. It runs entirely on your infrastructure.

Where they overlap

Both support git worktree isolation for parallel AI development. Both have task dispatch (Claude Code Teams’ lead assigns tasks; Stoneforge’s Daemon distributes them based on priority and dependencies). Both track task dependencies so blocked work unblocks automatically.

Where they differ

Agent flexibility. Stoneforge is agent-agnostic. You can use Claude Code for some tasks, Codex for others, or a local model via OpenCode for air-gapped work. Claude Code Teams only works with Claude models.

Merge workflow. Stoneforge’s Steward agents automatically review and merge completed work back to the main branch. With Claude Code Teams, each teammate commits to its own branch, but merging is manual.

Claude Code Teams pricing vs Stoneforge. Claude Code Teams is included with paid Anthropic plans ($20-$150/seat/mo). Stoneforge is free and open-source — your only cost is the underlying AI model usage.

Infrastructure. Claude Code Teams requires minimal setup since it’s built into the CLI you already have. Stoneforge requires installing and configuring the orchestration layer, managing worktrees, and running the Daemon process.

Support and maturity. Claude Code is backed by Anthropic with official support channels. Stoneforge is a newer open-source project with community support via GitHub issues.

# Example: dispatch tasks with Stoneforge
sf plan create --title "Sprint 22 Features"

sf task create --title "Add OAuth2 integration" --plan "Sprint 22 Features"
sf task create --title "Refactor payment service" --plan "Sprint 22 Features"
sf task create --title "Build notification system" --plan "Sprint 22 Features"
sf task create --title "Add API rate limiting" --plan "Sprint 22 Features"
# These get dispatched to available agents automatically

When to choose Stoneforge

Consider Stoneforge as a Claude Code Teams alternative when you want agent flexibility (not just Claude), full self-hosted AI coding agent control, or automatic merge handling via Steward agents. It's a good fit for teams that want to mix AI providers, need to work in air-gapped environments, or prefer free, open-source tooling. Stoneforge is community-supported, while Claude Code Teams has Anthropic's infrastructure and support team.

When to choose Claude Code Teams

Frequently asked questions

Is there a free Claude Code Teams alternative?
Yes. Stoneforge is a free, open-source Claude Code Teams alternative. It provides multi-agent orchestration, task dispatch, and git merge management, all self-hosted. You bring your own API keys and pay providers directly instead of paying Claude Code Teams pricing per-seat fees. The trade-off is that you manage the infrastructure yourself.
Can I self-host an AI coding agent like Claude Code Teams?
Claude Code Teams runs locally as a CLI tool, but relies on Anthropic's API for model inference. Stoneforge provides a fully self-hosted AI coding agent orchestration layer that can coordinate Claude Code alongside other agents, giving you more control over the full stack.
How do I run multiple Claude Code agents at once?
Claude Code Teams lets one lead session coordinate multiple teammate sessions, each working in isolated git worktrees. Stoneforge takes a different approach with persistent roles (Director, Worker, Steward, Daemon) and a task queue that automatically dispatches work to available agents.
What is the difference between Claude Code Teams and Stoneforge?
Claude Code Teams is Anthropic's built-in multi-agent feature where a lead session coordinates teammates. Stoneforge is an open-source orchestration layer with a more structured role system, agent-agnostic design (it works with Claude Code, Codex, and other CLI agents), and automatic merge handling via Steward agents.
Does Stoneforge work with Claude Code?
Yes. Stoneforge is agent-agnostic and supports Claude Code as one of its AI coding agents. You can use Claude Code for all workers, or mix agents based on task needs.
How much does Claude Code Teams cost vs Stoneforge?
Claude Code Teams pricing is included with Claude Pro ($20/mo), Team ($25-$150/seat/mo), or Max plans, with usage limits. Stoneforge is free and open-source — you bring your own API keys and pay providers directly. If your team already uses the Claude ecosystem, Claude Code Teams is the path of least resistance. If you want vendor independence or a self-hosted AI coding agent setup, try Stoneforge.

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