PatchArc vs Lore
Two ways to hand off an AI coding session: Lore shares the raw transcript with a fork prompt; PatchArc shares a sealed, verifiable review. Pricing, privacy, and which to pick.
updated 2026-08-22 · competitor pricing and claims checked 2026-08-22 · PatchArc facts as of 0.2.0
Lore and PatchArc both exist because "here is the PR" is not enough of a handoff when an agent did half the work. Lore hands over the session; PatchArc hands over the record. They are closer in purpose than in shape.
At a glance
| Lore | PatchArc (0.2.0) | |
|---|---|---|
| Artifact | The full session transcript, shared via /lore:share; /lore:fork generates a handoff prompt | A signed .parc capsule with a six-section review; shared via ArcLink |
| Visibility | Private, workspace, public | Public or capability links work today; private and team accepted by the API, viewer planned |
| Verification | None described | Ed25519 signature, per-file SHA-256, offline patcharc verify, server-side re-verification |
| Redaction | No redaction claim found on public pages | Engine ships; not applied at seal yet |
| Storage | Lore cloud stores the content of sessions you share; Enterprise can bring your own storage | Local under .patcharc/; cloud stores only what you upload |
| Pricing (checked 2026-08-22) | Free; Team $20/seat/month ("zero data retention on AI usage"); Enterprise custom | Community free; Pro $12/month; Team $24/seat/month (early access, billing off) |
| Agents | Claude Code (site focus) | Any tool that commits |
What a handoff contains
With Lore, the next person opens a transcript: every prompt, every answer, every tool call, in order. The fork prompt summarises state so a new session can continue. This is the most complete handoff possible, and the most expensive to read.
With PatchArc, the next person opens a review: the goal, what changed (commits and files), which scopes were affected, what was verified, the phases, and the decisions and risks the author recorded. The capsule also carries each commit's patch. It is the summary a senior engineer would write if they had time, computed deterministically so it is the same every time.
Trust
Lore's public pages do not describe signing or verification; the transcript is trusted because Lore served it. PatchArc's capsule is signed on the author's machine and re-verified by the cloud before a link is published; anyone holding the file can check it offline. For handoffs inside a team this rarely matters. For handoffs to a reviewer, an auditor, or a client, it does.
Privacy
Lore stores the content of sessions you choose to share and offers zero data retention on AI usage for Team plus bring-your-own-storage for Enterprise. PatchArc never uploads anything until patcharc share, and then only the capsule: commit metadata and patches, the review, the scope index. Note PatchArc's 0.2.0 caveat: its redaction engine is not applied automatically, so read a capsule before sharing it publicly, and share defaults to public.
Pricing
Lore Team is $20 per seat per month; PatchArc Team is $24 per seat per month as an early-access term with billing not yet switched on, and the team features of that tier (organisations, shared search) are not live. For an individual, both have a free tier; PatchArc's free tier has no limit on local use.
What Lore does better
- The transcript itself, shared in one command, with workspace-level visibility that works today.
- A fork prompt that lets the next session pick up mid-thought.
What PatchArc does better
- A structured review instead of a transcript, readable in two minutes.
- Signed, offline-verifiable artifact; server-side re-verification before publishing.
- Works with any tool that commits, not only one agent.
- Local-first: nothing leaves the machine until you share.
When to choose which
Choose Lore for continuity between sessions of the same agent, when the reader is a teammate who wants the whole conversation.
Choose PatchArc when the reader is a reviewer who needs the record to be trustworthy and short, or when the work spanned multiple tools.
Use both when you want the transcript for continuity and the capsule for review; reference the Lore link in a patcharc note.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better for onboarding a new engineer to a change?
The review. A new engineer needs the goal, the decisions, and the open risks before the transcript. PatchArc gives that first; Lore gives the full conversation when they want to go deeper.
Which keeps transcripts in my own storage?
Lore Enterprise offers bring-your-own storage for transcripts. PatchArc keeps everything local by default and uploads only on share.
Does either redact secrets?
Lore's public pages do not mention redaction. PatchArc ships a redaction engine but does not apply it at seal in 0.2.0. In both cases, keep secrets out of the session and read before you share.
Can PatchArc share a Claude Code transcript?
No. It shares a review computed from commits and your notes. For the transcript, use Lore, Entire, or Claude Code's own share links.