Herdr vs Spider Cloud

Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, and ratings

Analysis reviewed Live tool data as of 2026-09-02
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At a glance

DimensionHerdrSpider Cloud
CategoryAgent terminal multiplexerWeb crawling & scraping API
PricingFree, open-sourceFreemium; AI Studio add-on $6/mo
Key FeaturePersistent multi-agent TUI over SSHRust-powered crawling + AI extraction
Best ForRunning multiple AI coding agents in one terminalBuilding RAG pipelines with live web data
Open SourceYes (self-hosted Rust binary)Core open-source on GitHub
Latest NewsHN discussion (2026-06-29)Browser AI commands, scraper catalog (2026-02-25)

Herdr and Spider Cloud serve completely different needs. Herdr is a terminal multiplexer for running multiple AI coding agents side-by-side with persistence over SSH – perfect for power users who live in the terminal. Spider Cloud is a web scraping API that feeds real-time data to AI agents and RAG pipelines. There's no overlap; choose based on whether you manage agents or need to ingest web data.

Try HerdrTry Spider Cloud
Herdr
Herdr

Persistent open-source runtime that keeps your coding agents alive and reattachable via SSH from anywhere with a keyboard.

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Spider Cloud
Spider Cloud

AI web scraping API: crawl, scrape, search any site into markdown or JSON at 10k req/min.

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Pricing
Free
Freemium
Plans
$0/mo
$1/GB + $0.001/min compute
$40/mo (2 concurrency)
$6/mo
Popularity
22 views
7.5k views
Skill Level
Intermediate
Intermediate
API Available
Platforms
CLIDesktop
WebAPICLI
Categories
🛠️ Autonomous Coding Agents⚙️ Developer Infrastructure
🌐 Web Scraping & Search APIs🖱️ Browser & Computer-Use Agents
Features
Persistent agent server across sleep, close, and reboot
Reattach from any device via SSH, including phone
Real PTYs—not tmux or screen multiplexing
Per-pane status: working, blocked, idle
Agent-native CLI and JSON socket API
Agents can split panes, start each other, and prompt each other
Session persistence across updates, restarts, and large sessions
Live server updates replace without killing pane processes
CPU optimizations cut repaints by up to 95%
Detects 21 agent CLIs out of the box
Supports Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, opencode, Grok, Copilot, Hermes
Self-hosted open-source Rust binary, Apache 2.0
No account or telemetry required
Installs via curl, Homebrew, or Nix
Runs on macOS, Linux, Windows (beta)
Scrape any website into markdown, JSON, or raw HTML
Full-site crawling at 100K+ pages/sec
10,000 core API requests per minute default
Web Search API: SERP + scraping + extraction in one call
/ai/search endpoint with relevance gate to skip irrelevant pages
Silk AI model: HTML-to-structured data and captcha solving on GPUs
Browser Cloud: full browser sessions over CDP
AI commands (Act, Extract, Observe) via WebSocket with AI Studio
Multiple output formats: HTML, raw, plain text, markdown, JSON, JSONL, CSV, XML
Stealth browser layer and Unblocker for anti-bot sites
Proxy pool with 215M+ residential and ISP IPs across 199+ countries
Robots.txt compliance on by default, disable per-request
data_connectors parameter: pipe results to S3, GCS, Google Sheets, Azure Blob, Supabase
extraction_schema parameter: AI output conforms to JSON schema
1,000+ ready-made scraper examples across 32 categories
Integrations
Claude Code
Codex
Cursor
opencode
Grok
Copilot
Hermes
Homebrew
Nix
SSH
LangChain
LlamaIndex
CrewAI
FlowiseAI
AutoGen
Agno

What real users say: Herdr vs Spider Cloud

Not marketing copy and not our opinion — a structured sweep of public discussion (reviews, forums, communities and video comments), showing what people praise and what they complain about for each tool.

Herdr

45 mentions across 2 sources · 69% positive

Hacker News, Lemmy

What users praise

  • • Persistent agents survive laptop close, reboot, and network drops.
  • • Reattach from any SSH-capable device, including phone.
  • • Real PTY per agent, not tmux/screen multiplexing fakes.
  • • Visual agent status (working, blocked, idle) at a glance.

What frustrates them

  • • Steep learning curve for tmux/nvim veterans.
  • • Windows support is beta and may be buggy (WSL issues).
  • • Docs confusing about model provider support (e.g., Vercel AI gateway).
  • • Missing customization options (colors/font/sizing) for daily-driver use.

Researched Aug 19, 2026

Spider Cloud

41 mentions across 2 sources · 0% positive — critical

YouTube, Lemmy

What users praise

  • • Competitive pay-as-you-go pricing at $1/GB with no expiry.
  • • Default rate limit of 10,000 requests per minute is generous.
  • • Broad output formats (HTML, markdown, JSON, CSV) cover diverse needs.
  • • Integrated Web Search API bundles SERP and extraction for AI agents.

What frustrates them

  • • No community feedback to confirm reliability or performance.
  • • Self-reported metrics lack independent verification.
  • • Stealth browser success may vary across real sites.
  • • Potential legal risks from scraping; compliance is user's responsibility.

Researched Aug 26, 2026

Who should pick which

  • Developer running multiple AI coding agents
    Pick: Herdr

    Herdr's terminal multiplexer lets you run Claude Code, OpenCode, and Codex side-by-side with persistent sessions accessible from any device via SSH, exactly matching this need.

  • RAG pipeline builder needing fresh web data
    Pick: Spider Cloud

    Spider Cloud's API provides fast, structured web data (markdown, JSON, etc.) with AI extraction, ideal for keeping RAG knowledge bases up-to-date.

  • Self-hosted terminal enthusiast
    Pick: Herdr

    Herdr is a single Rust binary, no Electron, no account, no telemetry – perfect for those who prefer self-hosted, minimal tools.

  • Developer building an AI agent that browses the web
    Pick: Spider Cloud

    Spider Cloud's Browser AI commands (Act, Extract, Observe) via WebSocket allow an AI agent to interact with web pages programmatically.

  • Team collaborating on remote agents via SSH
    Pick: Herdr

    Herdr's persistent server and SSH bridge enable team members to share agent terminal sessions from anywhere, even a phone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Herdr vs Spider Cloud: which should you choose?

Herdr and Spider Cloud serve completely different needs. Herdr is a terminal multiplexer for running multiple AI coding agents side-by-side with persistence over SSH – perfect for power users who live in the terminal. Spider Cloud is a web scraping API that feeds real-time data to AI agents and RAG pipelines. There's no overlap; choose based on whether you manage agents or need to ingest web data.

Can Herdr be used to scrape websites?

No. Herdr is a terminal multiplexer for AI coding agents; it does not include web scraping features.

Does Spider Cloud support running AI coding agents?

No. Spider Cloud is a web crawling/scraping API; it does not manage or execute coding agents.

Is Herdr compatible with Windows?

Windows support is in preview per the documentation.

Does Spider Cloud offer a free tier?

Yes, Spider Cloud has a free tier with limited usage; paid plans start on pay-as-you-go basis.

Can I use Herdr without an internet connection?

Yes, if you run the server locally, no internet required. Remote SSH access needs internet.

Does Spider Cloud provide proxies for anti-bot?

Yes, it includes an unblocker with rotating proxies and automatic retries.

Which tools integrate with Herdr?

Herdr integrates with Claude Code, OpenCode, Codex, Homebrew, Nix flake, SSH, and GitHub.

Which tools integrate with Spider Cloud?

Spider Cloud integrates with LangChain, LlamaIndex, CrewAI, FlowiseAI, AutoGen, Agno, Dify, and cloud storage services.

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Explore each tool further

Herdr
View Herdr reviewHerdr alternatives
Spider Cloud
View Spider Cloud reviewSpider Cloud alternatives

Browse these categories

Best AI Autonomous Coding Agents toolsBest AI Web Scraping & Search APIs toolsBest AI Developer Infrastructure toolsBest AI Browser & Computer-Use Agents tools
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Last reviewed: July 3, 2026