Orbit Editor
Orbit Editor is a beta open-source AI code editor for macOS under Apache-2.0. It is a fork of Void Editor, which is itself a fork of VS Code. It runs AI agents on your codebase with any provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, local), keeps checkpoints and a change diff, has a plan mode, and supports Model Context Protocol servers and skills. Messages go straight to the provider.
What does Orbit Editor do?
Orbit Editor is described in its README as "an open-source AI code editor forked from Void Editor and VS Code". It runs AI agents on your codebase, keeps checkpoints and a visualisation of what changed, and lets you bring any model (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, or a local model). The README says messages go directly to the provider without retaining your data.
The feature list names AI agents with subagent support and configurable tool policies, a bring-your-own-model setup, checkpoints with revert and replay, a plan mode for designing an implementation before any code is written, MCP integration for extending agent capabilities through Model Context Protocol servers, and a skills system for reusable scoped workflows.
Key facts
- Licence: Apache License 2.0 on Orbit's additions and modifications, per the README. The VS Code base is MIT. The Void Editor base contains both Apache-2.0 and MIT components.
LICENSE.txt,LICENSE-VS-Code.txtandNOTICEcarry the full details. - Status: beta at the time the README was read, per its own text.
- Platform: macOS only, both Apple Silicon and Intel. The README says Windows and Linux support is "coming soon".
- Install:
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ashish200729/orbiteditor/main/install.sh | bash(which verifies the signed update manifest, the DMG checksum and the app code signature before installing into /Applications), or the.dmgfrom GitHub Releases. - Not notarised by Apple, per the README: a browser download of the DMG is quarantined and needs a right-click Open, or an Open Anyway from System Settings.
- Providers: any of OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, or a local model. Messages go directly to the provider "without retaining your data", per the README.
- Docs pointers in the README:
ORBIT_CODEBASE_GUIDE.md,HOW_TO_CONTRIBUTE.md, plusdocs/plan-mode.mdanddocs/orbit-subagents.md. - Website: orbiteditorai.com.
What does it replace, and where does it fall short?
Orbit Editor replaces Cursor for someone on a Mac who wants an AI-native VS Code fork with agent support, MCP servers and skills, run against any provider, with the source code open under Apache-2.0. It is a candidate on the open-source alternatives to Cursor page.
Where it falls short: macOS only, so a Windows or Linux developer is out until the "coming soon" builds arrive. The app is not notarised by Apple, so a browser download needs an approval step in System Settings before it opens. The README does not name the extension marketplace it uses, or whether Cursor-specific extensions and settings can be imported. Orbit forks Void Editor, whose GitHub repository was marked archived when this page was checked on 2026-09-28.
How does Orbit Editor run?
The recommended install is the verified one-line script: curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ashish200729/orbiteditor/main/install.sh | bash, which verifies the signed update manifest, the DMG checksum and the app code signature before installing to /Applications, per the README. A .dmg download from GitHub Releases or orbiteditorai.com is the alternative; because the app is not notarised by Apple, the DMG is quarantined and needs a right-click Open or System Settings approval.
A build from source follows the VS Code build. There is no hosted paid version. The README lists a Discord for community support and a security policy in SECURITY.md.
Who is Orbit Editor for?
A Mac developer who wants a VS Code experience with AI agents, MCP and skills built in, on any provider and with the source code open. A person on Windows or Linux, or one who wants a shipping stable product, should look at the other projects on the open-source alternatives to Cursor page.
What limits does the README state?
Beta status, per the README's own note. macOS only, with Windows and Linux "coming soon". Not notarised by Apple: a DMG downloaded through a browser is quarantined and needs a manual approval flow ("Apple could not verify Orbit is free of malware" is the exact system message the README quotes). Both the codebase guide (ORBIT_CODEBASE_GUIDE.md) and the contribution guide (HOW_TO_CONTRIBUTE.md) are separate files, so the README itself is brief on architecture.
Questions people ask
Is Orbit Editor open source?
Yes. Orbit's own additions and modifications are Apache 2.0, an OSI approved licence. The VS Code base underneath is MIT, and the Void Editor base contains both Apache-2.0 and MIT components. Three files (LICENSE.txt, LICENSE-VS-Code.txt and NOTICE) carry the full details, per the README.
Which platforms does Orbit Editor run on?
macOS only at the time the README was read: Apple Silicon and Intel, in beta. Windows and Linux support is described as "coming soon" but is not shipped. There is no browser version.
Which models does Orbit Editor work with?
Any provider you connect: the README names OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and local models. The README says messages go directly to the provider "without retaining your data". Provider costs are paid to the provider, at their rates.
How does Orbit Editor compare with Cursor?
Both are AI-native code editors forked from VS Code. Orbit's source is open under Apache-2.0 (with the MIT VS Code base and the Void Editor base underneath), and messages go straight to your provider. Cursor's source code is closed. The open-source alternatives to Cursor page compares Orbit with other options.
What is plan mode?
The README lists plan mode as a feature: "Collaboratively design an implementation approach before any code is written." A separate docs/plan-mode.md file covers it in detail. Subagents have their own document at docs/orbit-subagents.md.
Sources
- Orbit Editor README and LICENSE.txt: github.com/ashish200729/orbiteditor, read 2026-09-28. The README says the code is Apache-2.0 on Orbit's changes, with the VS Code base under MIT and the Void Editor base under both Apache-2.0 and MIT.
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Added September 28, 2026. Every claim above comes from the project's README, LICENSE or model card, read on September 28, 2026, or from the GitHub API on the date shown in the panel. Found an error? Write to reveneau@licheo.com and it is fixed in the next weekly pass. Repository: github.com/ashish200729/orbiteditor.
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