Agentfly vs Idlen
Idlen and Agentfly share one idea - that a developer should be paid a share of the advertising revenue they generate - and differ in almost every decision after it. Idlen is an extension you add to the editor you already use. Agentfly is the editor. That difference decides which one suits you, and it does not always decide in our favour.
The honest framing of the difference
An extension is a smaller ask and a smaller product. It cannot change how git history is browsed, what the terminal does, or how a compiler error is presented, because it does not own those surfaces. What it can do is add an earnings stream to a setup you already like - which, if you already like your setup, is exactly the right size of change.
Agentfly is the larger ask. It is worth making only if you also want the editor: the AI on your own key, the git workflow in the box, the plain-English errors. If the earnings are the only part you want, the extension is the more sensible purchase of your attention.
Where the difference is more than scope
Two places. The first is the earnings record. A balance shown in a panel is a number a vendor can change; an append-only ledger is one they cannot, because a correction has to be written as a visible reversal that references the original entry. When the entire proposition is 'we will pay you fairly', the difference between those two is the whole argument.
The second is the advertiser side. Agentfly runs a self-serve auction with a published floor and a visible clearing history, so what you are paid is derived from a price you can look up rather than a rate you are told. A revenue share is only meaningful when the revenue it is a share of is visible.
Agentfly compared with Idlen
| Idlen | Agentfly | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | An extension for VS Code, Cursor, Devin Desktop and other VS Code builds. | A complete desktop editor for Windows and Linux, with macOS on the way. |
| Keeping your setup | Yes - it runs inside the editor you already have. | No. Moving editors is a real cost and it belongs on this side of the table. |
| Editor features | Whatever your host editor has. | Monaco, terminals, git with blame and history, search, preview server, collaboration. |
| AI | Whatever your host editor has. | Four providers built in, on your own API key. |
| Earnings record | A balance in the extension. | An append-only ledger, readable in the editor and on the web, with reversals rather than edits. |
| Ad targeting data | Reads package.json for relevance. | 45 generic tags. File contents, paths and project names never leave the machine. |
| Advertiser side | Not publicly self-serve. | A self-serve auction with published floor prices and a public clearing history. |
Common questions
- What is the difference between Agentfly and Idlen?
- Idlen is an extension that adds ad-supported earnings to VS Code and other VS Code builds, so you keep your existing editor. Agentfly is a complete editor with its own AI, git, terminals, and an append-only earnings ledger. Idlen is the smaller change; Agentfly is the larger one that also replaces the editor.
- Can I use Agentfly and Idlen at the same time?
- They are separate products in separate editors, so nothing stops you running Idlen in VS Code and Agentfly elsewhere. Each pays for impressions served in its own editor.
- Which pays more, Agentfly or Idlen?
- It depends on live advertiser demand for your stack in each marketplace, so neither can honestly claim a fixed advantage. What Agentfly publishes is the mechanism: a second-price auction with a stated floor, a 50% share of the clearing price, and every credit on a ledger you can audit.
Try it
Agentfly installs with one command on Windows and Linux, and updates itself from then on.