Rebates vs IdleDev.
Both pay you for sponsored lines in your AI coding tools, and both keep your code on your machine. IdleDev supports more agents today; Rebates pays out now and restores your settings byte-for-byte if you leave.
The comparison, honestly.
Where IdleDev is genuinely ahead — like agent breadth — we say so. Every Rebates row is a claim we stand behind; every IdleDev row is what their site states.
| Feature | Rebates | IdleDev |
|---|---|---|
| Where the line shows | Sponsored footer in Claude Code + Codex | Sidebar ad while your agent pauses |
| Supported tools | Claude Code, Codex (Cursor + Gemini CLI coming) | Claude Code, Codex, Gemini, OpenCode, Aider, Hermes, OpenClaw |
| How you earn | 90% revenue share on impressions, capped at $1/day | 65% revenue share, plus clicks (5× impression rate) |
| Payouts | Live — settled daily, withdrawable after a 14-day hold | Ledger accrues; cash-out "goes live soon" |
| Reads your code? | No — default flow never reads code, files, or transcripts | No — sends a device token + hour-of-day only |
| Install | One-command installer (asks consent, backs up settings) | npm i -g idledev-cli (Node 18+) |
| Turn it off | `rebate off` restores settings byte-for-byte | npm uninstall -g idledev-cli |
Compared against idledev.xyz as of July 2026. Both products are new and change often — check their site for the latest.
The difference is getting paid, today.
IdleDev is a solid, privacy-minded tool with wide agent support. Where Rebates pulls ahead is the money actually landing and your setup staying reversible.
Payouts are live
Impressions settle daily and cash out from your wallet after a 14-day review hold — not "coming soon".
Reversible by design
A byte-for-byte settings backup and `rebate off` mean you can always get back to where you started.
90% of the revenue
Every visible impression pays you 90% of what it earned, with no clicks to chase — capped at $1 a day during the beta.
Questions before switching.
Is IdleDev legit?
Yes. IdleDev is a real product that pays developers a 65% revenue share for sidebar ads shown while an AI agent pauses. IdleDev is also privacy-forward by its own description, stating that it sends only a device token and the hour of day rather than any code. The one caveat worth knowing before installing is timing rather than trust: as of July 2026 the IdleDev cash-out is not live yet, described on idledev.xyz as going live soon. Earnings therefore accrue on a ledger that cannot yet be withdrawn. For a developer happy to bank credit against a future payout, that is a reasonable trade. For a developer who wants money now, it is the deciding fact.
Rebates vs IdleDev — which pays out today?
Rebates pays out today. Impressions settle daily against reported ad revenue, credit 90% of it to the Rebates wallet, and become withdrawable once the balance clears a 14-day review hold. The IdleDev ledger accrues, but the IdleDev cash-out was still described as coming soon on idledev.xyz as of July 2026. This is the single sharpest difference between the two products, and it is a difference of maturity rather than intent — a cash-out that ships later is still a cash-out. Anyone comparing terminal-ad tools should check this specific claim on each product site before installing, because "earnings" and "withdrawable earnings" are not the same thing.
Which supports more coding tools?
IdleDev, today. IdleDev lists Claude Code, Codex, Gemini, OpenCode, Aider, Hermes, and OpenClaw. Rebates supports Claude Code and Codex now, with Cursor and Gemini CLI coming. That is a genuine IdleDev advantage and worth stating plainly. Agent breadth matters more than headline payout rates for a developer who moves between tools during a working day, because an unsupported agent earns nothing at all regardless of its revenue share. A developer working entirely inside Claude Code and Codex will not notice the difference. A developer who also runs Aider or OpenCode will.
Do either of them read my code?
Neither, by their own published descriptions. IdleDev states that it sends only a device token and the hour of day. Rebates never reads code, files, or transcripts in the default flow, and the only optional context-sharing in Rebates is opt-in and redacted on the developer machine before anything leaves it. This is the rare comparison row where both products answer well, which is worth saying rather than manufacturing a difference. The useful test for any terminal-ad tool is whether it publishes a code-privacy statement at all. Both IdleDev and Rebates do. Not every tool in this category does.
Earn from your terminal — and actually cash out.
Install in one command, preview with rebate plan, and get paid to your wallet.
curl -fsSL https://rebates.ai/install | bash