# Amp Coding agent and development environment that works with several models in the terminal, in apps and on cloud machines (orbs). Canonical profile: https://ki-agentenkompass.de/en/agents/amp/ Editor: [Michael Meierhoff](https://ki-agentenkompass.de/en/about/) Sources reviewed: 2026-11-05 Basis: provider documentation. Examples are editorial suggestions, not hands-on product tests. ## Overview Amp is operated by Amp Frontier Corporation. You install the CLI with a script from the website; no public repository was reviewed. - Provider: Amp Frontier Corporation - Product family: Amp - Profile type: Coding agent with cloud environments - Environment: Terminal CLI (macOS, Linux, Windows via WSL), web, macOS, iPhone, iPad and Android apps - Connections: MCP, skills, plugins, GitHub, editor connection and optionally a ChatGPT or Claude subscription - Setup: Create an account, install Amp by script or Homebrew and sign in with amp login. Orbs can run in the Amp cloud. - Pricing model: Hobby is free, Individual costs 20 US dollars a month. Orb time and additional credits are billed separately. ## Key features ### Orbs as cloud machines Each orb thread gets a fresh, isolated environment with your code, plugins and tools. The agent keeps working when your laptop is closed. Source: https://ampcode.com/docs/orbs ### The Dial: four modes The modes low, medium, high and ultra bundle model, reasoning effort, system prompt and tools. The page advises choosing by task rather than model name. Source: https://ampcode.com/docs/models-and-subagents ### CLI with execute mode amp -x runs a single prompt without an interactive session and prints the answer. For scripts and CI you set AMP_API_KEY. Source: https://ampcode.com/docs/cli/execute-mode ### Save and share threads Threads have a URL and can be private, visible to the workspace, to groups (Enterprise only) or to anyone with the link, and can be exported as Markdown. Source: https://ampcode.com/docs/threads ### Schedules and webhooks A thread can have a schedule; a plugin in an orb can register webhooks that wake the agent. Source: https://ampcode.com/docs/orbs/automations ### Subagents Task handles delegated work, Read Thread reads other threads. Oracle, Librarian and Finder can be installed as plugins on a model you choose. Source: https://ampcode.com/docs/models-and-subagents ### MCP and AGENTS.md You configure MCP servers locally or as remote definitions; AGENTS.md files carry project and personal instructions. Source: https://ampcode.com/docs/customize/mcp ## Example workflows ### Change in an orb, taken over by sync - Your input: A project with AGENTS.md and a limited task that you start in an orb. - Possible result: The agent works in the orb, and amp sync mirrors the changes into your local checkout. - What to check: Check the diff and tests locally; keep an eye on orb minutes and credits. ### Scripted task in CI - Your input: A script that calls amp -x with a prompt and AMP_API_KEY. - Possible result: The agent’s final message appears on standard output. - What to check: Check the output in the pipeline; without built-in approvals, keep permissions small. ## Requirements and limits ### Account needed Requirement: You create an account and sign in; you can optionally connect a ChatGPT Plus or Pro subscription. Source: https://ampcode.com/manual ### No approval before tool calls Limitation: According to the tools page, Amp does not ask for approval before running tools. Control is through a custom plugin; for untrusted sources the page suggests a policy or an isolated environment. Source: https://ampcode.com/docs/tools ### Webhooks: no signature check Limitation: Amp does not verify signatures from external services; the plugin must do it. Requests are capped at 1 MB and the handler has 30 seconds. Source: https://ampcode.com/docs/orbs/automations ### Orb start limit Limitation: Each user can start a burst of 20 metered orbs, then one every five minutes. Source: https://ampcode.com/docs/orbs ### Data location in Europe Not yet confirmed: The security page names Google Cloud in the US as primary infrastructure and says nothing about the EU or GDPR. Source: https://ampcode.com/security ### Plan coverage of schedules Not yet confirmed: The orb automations page does not say which plans include schedules and webhooks. Source: https://ampcode.com/docs/orbs/automations ## A good fit if … - you want agents to keep working on cloud machines and follow them from phone, Mac or terminal - you want to share threads with your team and link other threads as context - you want to build the agent into scripts or CI through the CLI ## Less suitable if … - you expect approvals before every tool call to be built in - you need documented EU data hosting - you want to inspect or self-host the source Editorial assessment based on provider documentation. Not a product test. ## Usable AI models Open choice You choose a mode from low to ultra, Amp decides on the model behind it, and plugins can set their own models. Model Routing lets you connect your own keys, ChatGPT or Grok subscriptions, OpenRouter and other gateways, or an OpenAI- or Anthropic-compatible endpoint. Enterprise admins can forbid personal connections; the docs do not mention local models, only Ollama Cloud. - Model families named: Anthropic (Claude), OpenAI (GPT), Google (Gemini), xAI (Grok) · Other models can be connected freely - Model choice: Automatic or your choice - Your own API key: Yes - Router or custom endpoint: Yes - Local models: Not stated - Depends on: Admin approval Documented · Sources accessed on: 2026-11-05 - [Amp: Modes & Models](https://ampcode.com/docs/models-and-subagents) - [Amp: Model Routing](https://ampcode.com/docs/customize/model-routing) - [Amp: The Dial](https://ampcode.com/docs/the-dial) ## Europe & regional availability Security page and terms reviewed. They name no data region or country release for Europe. Reviewed scope: Cloud service with CLI and apps Reviewed on: 2026-11-05 ### Europe: no provider statement Availability still unclear The security page names Google Cloud in the US as primary infrastructure and mentions neither the EU nor GDPR; it points to security@ampcode.com. In the terms, GDPR appears only in the definition of sensitive data, and there is no statement on storage locations. Region covered: EU/EEA, United Kingdom and Switzerland Documented reason: The reviewed sources name no country release for this. Official source: https://ampcode.com/security Official source: https://ampcode.com/terms ## Accounts & permissions Based on provider documentation. Permissions depend on the account, integration and organization policies. Review the permissions actually requested before use. Configuration covered: Amp account, optionally with a ChatGPT or Claude subscription Sources reviewed: 2026-11-05 ### Account used Documented: You create an account and sign in to the CLI with amp login. For scripts you set AMP_API_KEY, and workspaces have service accounts. Teams lists SAML/OIDC SSO. Evidence: https://ampcode.com/manual Evidence: https://ampcode.com/docs/cli Evidence: https://ampcode.com/docs/cli/execute-mode Evidence: https://ampcode.com/pricing ### Admin approval Documented with conditions: Workspace MCP servers from .amp/settings.json must be approved before they run. Workspace admins can distribute permission plugins globally. Further enterprise rules (model allowlist, MCP registry) were not reviewed. Evidence: https://ampcode.com/docs/customize/mcp Evidence: https://ampcode.com/docs/tools ### Data access & team sharing Documented: According to the tools page, Amp does not ask before tool calls. Orb threads run in a fresh, isolated environment. Evidence: https://ampcode.com/docs/tools Evidence: https://ampcode.com/docs/orbs ## Prices and included usage Pricing checked: 2026-11-05 Hobby is free, Individual costs 20 US dollars a month as Megawatt with 45,000 orb minutes and 200 US dollars as Gigawatt with 480,000. Teams cost nothing extra, Enterprise is custom. ### Hobby Free All product features, pay-as-you-go for Amp-hosted orbs, free self-hosted orbs and your own runners. Price source: https://ampcode.com/docs/pricing ### Individual (Megawatt) 20 US dollars per month 45,000 minutes of orb time for Amp-hosted orbs plus unlimited self-hosted orbs and repositories. Price source: https://ampcode.com/pricing ### Individual (Gigawatt) 200 US dollars per month A larger allowance, according to the pricing page 480,000 orb minutes. Price source: https://ampcode.com/pricing ### Teams No extra charge Shared billing and pooled credits, shared portals and plugins, SAML/OIDC SSO; members pay per their own plan. Price source: https://ampcode.com/pricing ### Enterprise Custom Pooled credits only with no paid user seats, SCIM sync, spend limits, audit logs and IP allowlisting. Price source: https://ampcode.com/pricing Included usage does not roll over at the end of the month; purchased credits expire after twelve months. Orb usage is billed separately by the minute. Pricing details: https://ampcode.com/pricing ## Operation & oversight Based on public provider documentation. Assessments are editorial inferences from the stated properties. Actual time requirements and reliability have not been measured. Deployment covered: CLI, orbs and apps Sources reviewed: 2026-11-05 ### Files and working state Documented: An orb pauses after the run and wakes on the next prompt with conversation, files and services in place. A sleeping orb costs nothing. Evidence: https://ampcode.com/docs/orbs Evidence: https://ampcode.com/docs/threads ### Sign-ins Documented: amp login saves the account; AMP_API_KEY overrides saved accounts. For scripts the CLI rejects the short-lived session token from amp login; an access token from settings is used instead. Evidence: https://ampcode.com/docs/cli Evidence: https://ampcode.com/docs/cli/execute-mode ### Starting further runs Documented: With -x a single prompt runs non-interactively and the CLI exits; with -ox it runs in an orb. Schedules (one per thread, once or repeating) and webhooks start the agent without you. Evidence: https://ampcode.com/docs/orbs/automations Evidence: https://ampcode.com/docs/cli/execute-mode ### Human intervention Documented: Amp does not ask before tool calls. Remote MCP tools can be set to Ask First, then the owner approves each call. A snoozed thread that waits for approval or an answer shows in the sidebar and notifies you. Evidence: https://ampcode.com/docs/tools Evidence: https://ampcode.com/docs/customize/mcp Evidence: https://ampcode.com/docs/orbs/automations ### Detecting errors Documented: If a scheduled run fails, Amp shows the error. Webhook events are retried after 5 seconds, with the wait growing up to 5 minutes; after an hour of rejection they are dropped and logged. Evidence: https://ampcode.com/docs/orbs/automations ### Resuming after failures Documented: You resume paused schedules after fixing the problem. Archived threads can be unarchived unless their project was deleted; deleted ones cannot. Evidence: https://ampcode.com/docs/orbs/automations Evidence: https://ampcode.com/docs/threads ### Editorial assessment The agent gets a lot of freedom, but there are no built-in approvals. If you need control, build it through plugins or work in isolated orbs. ## Memory and conversation continuity Scope: Threads and AGENTS.md Sources accessed: 2026-11-05 Threads have a URL and can be shared, searched, referenced and deleted; AGENTS.md carries project knowledge. The pages describe no automatic long-term memory. ### Storage and scope Partly documented: Each thread has a URL on ampcode.com that opens in web, CLI and apps. The threads page does not say whether it is stored on a server or locally; the security page describes encryption for data stored by the Amp server. AGENTS.md lives as a file with you. - [Amp: Threads](https://ampcode.com/docs/threads) - [Amp: Security](https://ampcode.com/security) - [Amp: AGENTS.md](https://ampcode.com/docs/customize/agents-md) ### Selection and timing Partly documented: Amp can offer to generate an AGENTS.md and you can ask it to update the file. Handoff starts a fresh thread with the relevant context. The reviewed pages describe no automatic remembering. - [Amp: AGENTS.md](https://ampcode.com/docs/customize/agents-md) - [Amp: Threads](https://ampcode.com/docs/threads) ### Inspect, edit and delete Documented: Archiving removes a thread from lists while the URL still works. Deleting removes it permanently with its artifacts; per the security page, deleted threads are removed within 30 days. Export as Markdown by adding .md to the URL. - [Amp: Threads](https://ampcode.com/docs/threads) - [Amp: Security](https://ampcode.com/security) ### Agent and channel boundaries Documented: Visibility: private (plus workspace admins through audited access), workspace, group (Enterprise only) or anyone with the link. AGENTS.md is read from directories up to $HOME, subtrees, and personal and system-wide files. - [Amp: Threads](https://ampcode.com/docs/threads) - [Amp: AGENTS.md](https://ampcode.com/docs/customize/agents-md) ### Retrieval Documented: With @T-… or @@ in the CLI you point to other threads, which the agent reads. The activity page and amp threads search look through visible threads. - [Amp: Threads](https://ampcode.com/docs/threads) ### Session reset and compaction Partly documented: You continue long threads in a new thread through handoff. The models page names context compaction as a task of supporting models; the threads page does not cover it. - [Amp: Threads](https://ampcode.com/docs/threads) - [Amp: Modes and models](https://ampcode.com/docs/models-and-subagents) ## Context A repository, an account and a limited task. According to the documentation Amp does not ask before tool calls; you build approvals through a plugin. Website, manual, pricing, security and terms pages reviewed. Feature descriptions come from the provider; example tasks are editorial. Hands-on tests are still pending. ## Open points Europe, availability still unclear: - Europe: no provider statement Requirements and limits, not yet confirmed: - Data location in Europe - Plan coverage of schedules ## Sources - https://ampcode.com - https://ampcode.com/manual - https://ampcode.com/docs - https://ampcode.com/pricing - https://ampcode.com/docs/pricing - https://ampcode.com/security - https://ampcode.com/terms - https://ampcode.com/docs/cli - https://ampcode.com/docs/cli/execute-mode - https://ampcode.com/docs/threads - https://ampcode.com/docs/orbs - https://ampcode.com/docs/orbs/automations - https://ampcode.com/docs/models-and-subagents - https://ampcode.com/docs/tools - https://ampcode.com/docs/enterprise/minimal-data-retention - https://ampcode.com/docs/customize/agents-md - https://ampcode.com/docs/customize/mcp ## Provider According to the terms, Amp Frontier Corporation, based in San Francisco, operates the service; California law applies. - Operator: Amp Frontier Corporation - Organization: Provider - Website: https://ampcode.com - Reviewed: 2026-11-05 - Provider source: https://ampcode.com - Provider source: https://ampcode.com/terms [Sources and method](https://ki-agentenkompass.de/en/sources/)