NovaKit CLI vs Droid CLI: Comparing AI Coding Agents for the Terminal
A comprehensive comparison between NovaKit CLI and Factory AI's Droid CLI. Discover how these AI terminal agents stack up in benchmarks and real-world use.
NovaKit CLI vs Droid CLI: Comparing AI Coding Agents for the Terminal
The AI coding agent landscape has a new benchmark leader: Droid CLI from Factory AI achieved the #1 position on Terminal-Bench with a 58.75% score, outperforming even the labs' own agents. How does this enterprise-focused powerhouse compare to NovaKit CLI's code intelligence approach? This comprehensive comparison will help you choose the right tool for your workflow.
Overview
NovaKit CLI
NovaKit CLI is a TypeScript-based AI coding agent built with React/Ink, offering a sophisticated terminal user interface with deep code intelligence capabilities. It emphasizes semantic code search, comprehensive LSP integration, and flexible multi-provider architecture.
Key Highlights:
- TypeScript + React/Ink architecture
- Vector-indexed semantic code search (LanceDB)
- Full LSP integration (goto definition, references, hover)
- Three operating modes (Agent/Review/Plan)
- 8+ built-in AI provider presets
- Comprehensive memory and checkpoint systems
Droid CLI
Droid CLI is Factory AI's enterprise-grade software development agent, ranking #1 on Terminal-Bench. Built for scale, it integrates across IDE, Web, CLI, Slack, and project management tools, offering specialized subagents and massively parallel execution.
Key Highlights:
- #1 on Terminal-Bench (58.75% score)
- Multi-interface (CLI, IDE, Web, Slack, Linear)
- Specialized subagents (Code Droid, Knowledge Droid)
- Tiered autonomy levels for CI/CD
- 40+ pre-configured MCP servers in registry
- Free trial with premium model access
Terminal-Bench Performance
Factory AI's Droid sets the state-of-the-art on Terminal-Bench, an open benchmark measuring AI agents' ability to complete complex end-to-end tasks in terminal environments.
| Agent | Model | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Droid | Opus 4.1 | 58.8% |
| Droid | GPT-5 (medium) | 52.5% |
| Droid | Sonnet 4 | 50.5% |
| Claude Code | Opus | 43.2% |
| Codex CLI | GPT-5 | 42.8% |
Key Insight: Droid with Sonnet (50.5%) outperforms Claude Code with the more expensive Opus model (43.2%), demonstrating that agent architecture matters more than model selection.
Technical Architecture
| Aspect | NovaKit CLI | Droid CLI |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Language | TypeScript | Not disclosed |
| UI Framework | React/Ink | Custom TUI |
| Runtime | Node.js 18+ | Native binary |
| Database | LanceDB (vectors), JSON | Cloud-synced |
| Installation | npm, Homebrew, binary | curl, Homebrew, Cask |
| Platform | macOS, Linux | macOS, Linux, Windows |
| License | Proprietary | Proprietary (SaaS) |
| Pricing Model | Free (BYOK) | Free trial + subscription |
Analysis: Droid CLI operates as a SaaS product with cloud infrastructure, while NovaKit is a standalone tool where users provide their own API keys. This fundamental difference affects pricing, privacy, and enterprise deployment options.
AI Model Support
| Feature | NovaKit CLI | Droid CLI |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Opus 4.5 | Yes | Yes |
| Claude Sonnet 4 | Yes | Yes |
| GPT-5.1 Codex | Via OpenAI | Yes |
| Gemini 3 Pro | Via OpenRouter | Yes |
| Haiku | Yes | Yes |
| Model Switching | Yes (/switch-model) | Yes (/model) |
| BYOK (Own Keys) | Required | Optional |
| Reasoning Effort | Provider-dependent | Configurable (off/low/medium/high) |
| Factory Models | No | Yes (droid-core) |
Analysis: Both support major models. Droid CLI offers configurable reasoning effort levels and proprietary "droid-core" optimization. NovaKit requires users to bring their own API keys, while Droid includes model access in its subscription.
Pricing and Access
NovaKit CLI
- Cost: Free CLI
- API Access: Users provide own keys (pay-per-use)
- Enterprise: Self-managed costs
Droid CLI
| Tier | Details |
|---|---|
| Free Trial | 1 month, premium model access |
| Professional | Subscription-based |
| Enterprise | Custom pricing with security features |
Analysis: Droid CLI's free trial includes premium models (Claude Opus, GPT-5), lowering the barrier to entry. NovaKit's BYOK model provides cost transparency but requires existing API relationships.
Terminal User Interface
| Feature | NovaKit CLI | Droid CLI |
|---|---|---|
| Framework | React/Ink | Custom TUI |
| Markdown Rendering | Marked + Shiki | Built-in |
| Syntax Highlighting | Shiki (VSCode themes) | Built-in |
| Mode Indicators | Color-coded status bar | Shift+Tab toggle |
| Diff View | Standard | GitHub (side-by-side) or Unified |
| Sound Notifications | No | Yes (customizable) |
| Todo Display | Integrated | Pinned or inline |
| Keyboard Shortcuts | / commands | ? for help |
| Multi-line Input | Yes | Shift+Enter |
Analysis: Droid CLI offers more polish with configurable diff views, sound notifications, and flexible todo positioning. NovaKit focuses on rich markdown with VSCode-quality syntax highlighting.
Operating Modes
NovaKit CLI Modes
- Agent Mode - Full tool access with write, edit, and bash execution
- Review Mode - Collects changes for batch approval before applying
- Plan Mode - Read-only exploration and planning only
Droid CLI Modes
Autonomy Levels:
| Level | Capabilities | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Default | Read-only reconnaissance | Safe exploration |
--auto low | Safe edits (files, formatters) | Code modifications |
--auto medium | Development work (tests, builds) | Active development |
--auto high | CI/CD operations (git push, deploys) | Automation pipelines |
Specification Mode: Enables automatic planning before implementation for complex tasks.
Analysis: NovaKit's Review Mode uniquely batches changes for approval. Droid CLI's tiered autonomy is designed for CI/CD integration, allowing granular control over what operations the agent can perform autonomously.
Code Intelligence
| Feature | NovaKit CLI | Droid CLI |
|---|---|---|
| Semantic Search | Yes (LanceDB + embeddings) | No |
| Vector Indexing | Xenova/transformers | No |
| LSP - Goto Definition | Yes | No |
| LSP - Find References | Yes | No |
| LSP - Hover Info | Yes | No |
| LSP - Diagnostics | Yes | No |
| Context Files | NOVAKIT.md | Factory context |
| Environment Bootstrap | Manual | Automatic (languages, repos, vars) |
| Codebase Analysis | Via indexing | Automatic (frameworks, entry points) |
Analysis: NovaKit significantly leads in code intelligence with semantic search and full LSP integration. Droid CLI compensates with automatic environment awareness—bootstrapping sessions with system information (available languages, repos, variables, processes) for better troubleshooting.
MCP (Model Context Protocol) Support
| Feature | NovaKit CLI | Droid CLI |
|---|---|---|
| MCP Support | Yes | Yes |
| Transport: Stdio | Yes | Yes |
| Transport: HTTP | No | Yes |
| Pre-configured Registry | No | 40+ servers |
| Configuration | ~/.novakit/mcp.json | ~/.factory/mcp.json |
| Project-level Config | .novakit/ | .factory/mcp.json |
| Interactive Manager | /mcp-status | /mcp (full UI) |
| OAuth Support | No | Yes (browser flow) |
| Token Storage | Manual | System keyring |
Popular Droid MCP Integrations:
- Linear, Sentry, Notion, Supabase
- Stripe, Vercel, Figma
- Airtable, ClickUp, HubSpot
Analysis: Droid CLI's MCP ecosystem is significantly more mature with 40+ pre-configured servers, OAuth authentication, and secure token storage. NovaKit supports MCP but requires manual configuration.
Custom Agents/Droids
NovaKit CLI Custom Agents
- Configuration:
~/.novakit/agents.json - Format: JSON with instructions
- Model Selection: Per-agent
- Tool Restrictions: Not available
Droid CLI Custom Droids (Subagents)
| Field | Purpose |
|---|---|
name | Identifier (lowercase, -, _) |
description | UI display (≤500 chars) |
model | inherit or specific model ID |
reasoningEffort | low/medium/high |
tools | Category or specific tool IDs |
Tool Categories:
| Category | Tools | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
read-only | Read, LS, Grep, Glob | Safe analysis |
edit | Create, Edit, ApplyPatch | Code modifications |
execute | Execute | Shell commands |
web | WebSearch, FetchUrl | Internet research |
mcp | Dynamic | MCP server tools |
Claude Code Import: Droid CLI can import existing Claude Code agents from ~/.claude/agents/.
Analysis: Droid CLI's subagent system is more sophisticated with tool categories, reasoning effort control, and Claude Code agent import. This enables creating specialized droids with precise capability boundaries.
Session and State Management
| Feature | NovaKit CLI | Droid CLI |
|---|---|---|
| Session Persistence | JSON files (local) | Cloud-synced |
| Session Commands | list, resume, rename, compact, export, delete | /sessions |
| Checkpoints | Yes (file snapshots) | Not documented |
| Undo/Redo | Ctrl+Z/Y | Via session history |
| Auto-Compaction | Yes (threshold-based) | Yes |
| Session Export | JSON, Markdown | Not documented |
| Cloud Sync | No | Yes (cloudSessionSync) |
| Cross-device Access | No | Yes (web, IDE, CLI) |
Analysis: Droid CLI's cloud synchronization enables seamless context across devices and interfaces. NovaKit provides more explicit local session management with export options.
Built-in Tools
NovaKit CLI Tools
File Operations:
- read, write, edit, apply_patch, glob, list_directory
Code Analysis:
- grep, vector_search, vision (image analysis)
System:
- bash, web_search, web_fetch
Persistence:
- save_memory, read_memory
Code Intelligence:
- lsp_goto_definition, lsp_find_references, lsp_hover, lsp_diagnostics
Advanced:
- multi_tool_use.parallel
Droid CLI Tools
File Operations:
- Read, LS, Glob, Grep, Create, Edit, ApplyPatch
System:
- Execute (shell commands with tiered autonomy)
Web:
- WebSearch, FetchUrl
Planning:
- TodoWrite (automatic for all droids)
Speed Optimizations:
- ripgrep for grep operations
- Short default timeouts for faster iteration
- LLM-aware tool runtime optimization
Analysis: NovaKit offers unique LSP tools and vector search. Droid CLI emphasizes speed with ripgrep-powered grep and optimized timeouts. Both provide comprehensive file and web operations.
Slash Commands
| Command | NovaKit CLI | Droid CLI |
|---|---|---|
| Code Review | /diff | /review |
| Model Switch | /switch-model | /model |
| Settings | /config-global | /settings |
| MCP Management | /mcp-status | /mcp |
| Session List | /session-list | /sessions |
| Help | /help | /help |
| Commit | /commit | N/A |
| Undo/Redo | /undo, /redo | N/A |
| Checkpoint | /checkpoint | N/A |
| Custom Droids | N/A | /droids |
| Skills | N/A | /skills |
| Account | N/A | /account |
| Billing | N/A | /billing |
Analysis: NovaKit includes git-focused commands (/commit, /diff). Droid CLI adds account management and custom droid configuration directly in the TUI.
Configuration and Customization
| Feature | NovaKit CLI | Droid CLI |
|---|---|---|
| Config Format | JSON | JSON |
| Global Config | ~/.novakit/ | ~/.factory/ |
| Project Config | .novakit/ | .factory/ |
| Custom Commands | ~/.novakit/commands.json | ~/.factory/commands/ |
| Custom Agents | ~/.novakit/agents.json | ~/.factory/droids/ |
| MCP Config | ~/.novakit/mcp.json | ~/.factory/mcp.json |
| Command Allowlist | No | Yes |
| Command Denylist | disabledTools | Yes |
| Ignore File | .novakitignore | Standard patterns |
Droid CLI Configuration Files:
~/.factory/
├── config.json # Model configuration, BYOK
├── settings.json # CLI settings, allow/deny lists
├── mcp.json # MCP integrations
├── droids/ # Custom subagents
└── commands/ # Custom slash commands
Analysis: Droid CLI offers more granular control with command allowlists/denylists for security. Both support custom agents and MCP configuration.
Multi-Interface Access
| Interface | NovaKit CLI | Droid CLI |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal CLI | Yes | Yes |
| VS Code | JSON-RPC server | Native extension |
| JetBrains | JSON-RPC server | Native extension |
| Vim | No | Extension support |
| Web Browser | No | Yes |
| Slack | No | Yes |
| Linear | No | Yes |
| Jira | No | Yes (context import) |
| Notion | No | Yes (context import) |
Analysis: Droid CLI's multi-interface approach is a major differentiator. The same agent context follows you across terminal, IDE, browser, and communication tools. NovaKit focuses on terminal with IDE integration via JSON-RPC.
CI/CD Integration
NovaKit CLI
- Manual integration via bash commands
- No native CI/CD support
Droid CLI
droid exec (Headless Mode):
# Single-shot execution
droid exec "Fix the failing tests"
# With autonomy level
droid exec --auto medium "Run tests and fix failures"
# From file
droid exec -f migration-plan.md
# JSON output for pipelines
droid exec -o json "Analyze security vulnerabilities"
Features:
- Massively parallel execution (hundreds of agents)
- Self-healing builds
- Automated code review
- Structured JSON output for automation
- Exit codes (0: success, 1: error, 2: invalid args)
Analysis: Droid CLI is built for CI/CD from the ground up with headless mode, structured output, and tiered autonomy. NovaKit lacks native CI/CD integration.
Enterprise Features
| Feature | NovaKit CLI | Droid CLI |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-tool Context | Limited | Full (IDE, Slack, Jira, etc.) |
| Security Audits | No | Automatic vulnerability flagging |
| Compliance Integration | No | Via MCP |
| Pattern Learning | No | Organizational conventions |
| Ticket Integration | No | Jira, Linear, Notion |
| Team Sharing | No | Project-level configs |
| Audit Logging | No | Full traceability |
| IP Protection | User-managed | Enterprise-grade |
Analysis: Droid CLI is designed for enterprise with security audits, compliance tooling, and full ticket-to-code traceability. NovaKit targets individual developers with BYOK flexibility.
Platform Support
| Platform | NovaKit CLI | Droid CLI |
|---|---|---|
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Via npm | Native (PowerShell) |
| Cloud Shell | No | Not documented |
Installation Methods
| Method | NovaKit CLI | Droid CLI |
|---|---|---|
| npm | Yes (@novakit/cli) | No |
| Homebrew | Yes (tap) | Yes (cask) |
| curl installer | No | Yes |
| Binary Download | Yes | Yes |
| npx (no install) | Yes | No |
Droid CLI Installation:
# macOS/Linux
curl -fsSL https://app.factory.ai/cli | sh
# Homebrew
brew install --cask droid
# Windows
irm https://app.factory.ai/cli/windows | iex
Unique Features
NovaKit CLI Exclusive
- Semantic Code Search - LanceDB-powered vector search finds contextually relevant code
- Full LSP Integration - Goto definition, find references, hover, diagnostics as tools
- Review Mode - Batch file changes for approval before applying
- Persistent Memory - Save and recall memories across sessions
- Snippets System - Store and reuse code snippets
- Checkpoints - Snapshot and restore file states
- Multi-Provider BYOK - Use any provider with your own keys
- GitHub Copilot OAuth - Native OAuth device flow authentication
Droid CLI Exclusive
- #1 Terminal-Bench - State-of-the-art 58.75% benchmark score
- Multi-Interface - Same context across CLI, IDE, Web, Slack, Linear
- Tiered Autonomy - Granular CI/CD automation control
- 40+ MCP Registry - Pre-configured integrations with OAuth
- Custom Droids - Sophisticated subagents with tool categories
- Headless Mode -
droid execfor CI/CD pipelines - Massively Parallel - Hundreds of agents simultaneously
- Enterprise Security - Audits, compliance, IP protection
- Ticket Integration - Jira, Linear, Notion context import
- Cloud Sync - Sessions across devices
- Claude Code Import - Migrate existing agents
- Sound Notifications - Audio feedback options
Use Case Recommendations
Choose NovaKit CLI If You:
- Need semantic code search for large, complex codebases
- Want full LSP integration (goto definition, find references)
- Require Review Mode for careful, batch-approved changes
- Prefer BYOK model with cost transparency
- Use multiple AI providers (Claude, GPT, Gemini)
- Want persistent memory across coding sessions
- Need checkpoint-based file state management
- Work primarily in terminal without cloud sync needs
Choose Droid CLI If You:
- Need the highest benchmark performance (#1 Terminal-Bench)
- Want multi-interface access (CLI, IDE, Web, Slack)
- Require CI/CD integration with headless mode
- Need enterprise security and compliance features
- Want pre-configured MCP integrations (40+ servers)
- Require ticket system integration (Jira, Linear, Notion)
- Need massively parallel execution for migrations
- Prefer subscription model with included model access
- Want cloud-synced sessions across devices
Head-to-Head Comparison
| Category | Winner | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Benchmark Performance | Droid | #1 on Terminal-Bench (58.75%) |
| Code Intelligence | NovaKit | Semantic search + full LSP |
| CI/CD Integration | Droid | Headless mode, tiered autonomy |
| Multi-Interface | Droid | CLI, IDE, Web, Slack, Linear |
| MCP Ecosystem | Droid | 40+ pre-configured servers |
| Enterprise Features | Droid | Security, compliance, audits |
| Custom Agents | Droid | Tool categories, Claude import |
| Cost Transparency | NovaKit | BYOK model |
| Session Management | Droid | Cloud sync across devices |
| Safety Features | NovaKit | Review Mode for batch approval |
| Provider Flexibility | NovaKit | 8+ built-in presets |
Migration Considerations
From Droid CLI to NovaKit
- Export session contexts before switching
- Convert ~/.factory/ configs to novakit format
- Set up API keys for providers
- Build vector index for semantic search
- Recreate custom droids as novakit agents
- Note: Multi-interface access unavailable
- Note: CI/CD headless mode unavailable
From NovaKit to Droid CLI
- Export sessions to Markdown
- Create Factory account (free trial available)
- Import Claude Code agents via /droids → I
- Configure MCP servers via /mcp
- Note: Semantic search unavailable
- Note: Full LSP features unavailable
- Note: BYOK optional (models included)
Conclusion
NovaKit CLI and Droid CLI represent two distinct philosophies in AI coding agents:
NovaKit CLI excels in code intelligence, offering semantic search and full LSP integration that make it exceptionally powerful for understanding and navigating complex codebases. Its BYOK model provides cost transparency, and unique features like Review Mode add safety layers for careful development.
Droid CLI excels in enterprise integration and automation. Ranking #1 on Terminal-Bench, it delivers state-of-the-art performance while offering unprecedented multi-interface access. The tiered autonomy system, headless mode, and 40+ MCP integrations make it the clear choice for CI/CD pipelines and enterprise workflows.
For individual developers prioritizing deep code understanding and provider flexibility, NovaKit CLI's semantic search and LSP integration provide clear advantages. For teams and enterprises needing benchmark-leading performance, multi-interface access, and CI/CD automation, Droid CLI offers unmatched capabilities.
Both tools represent the cutting edge of AI coding agents, each optimized for different priorities in the modern development workflow.
Experience the power of semantic code search and intelligent context. Get started with NovaKit CLI today and elevate your terminal development workflow.