perchCODE REVIEW COMPARISONS
Perch vs Cubic · reviewed 2026-10-14

cubic alternative for saved rules and usage billing

Perch bills fresh requirement checks rather than developer seats or reviewed-line packs. Select a rule and check the current working file, then keep the same command in the agent’s repair workflow.

perch check reads working files; perch scan reads Git HEAD. Relevant source is sent to TypeSafe’s hosted models. The MIT CLI does not run model inference offline.

Run it locallyCheck uncommitted files
Keep the ruleVersion it with the code
Read each methodWithin the selected parsed scope
Pay for checksNo per-developer subscription

Catch the fix an agent removes later.

A saved requirement makes a recurring mistake checkable. In this Perch capture from September 20, 2026, the same rule flags a missing guard and passes after the guard is restored.

The regression

def refund(order, payment):
    payment.refund(order.total)
    order.status = "refunded"
    return order

1 check, 1 broken. Refunded orders cannot be refunded again.

The guarded method

def refund(order, payment):
    if order.status == "refunded":
        return order
    payment.refund(order.total)
    order.status = "refunded"
    return order

1 check, nothing to report.

Source: public order-service checkout.py at the linked commit. The captured standalone file is refund.py. Perch command output and timestamp. This saved-rule demonstration does not measure Cubic's detection rate.

Perch vs Cubic: what your team runs.

Perch turns project behavior into focused checks that agents can run before committing. Use these differences to choose the review workflow and billing model your team needs.

Published Perch capabilities and Cubic documentation, reviewed 2026-10-14
CapabilityPerchCubic
Billing10¢ per 1,000 fresh rule checks. Cached checks free. No seat fees.Team: $30/developer/month billed yearly. Starter includes 20 PR reviews/month free.Vendor documentation ↗
Before commitperch check reads the files on disk, including uncommitted edits.cubic review checks uncommitted edits or changes against a base branch.Vendor documentation ↗
Custom requirementsEnglish ensure rules in perch.yaml: project, file or method scope. No paid custom-rule tier.cubic.yaml custom agents; Team includes 5 agents.Vendor documentation ↗
CoverageEach parsed non-test application method in the selected scan scope is read, with caller and callee context. No method-count cap.PR and local review with plan-specific reviewed-line allowances.Vendor documentation ↗
Open sourceMIT-licensed CLI. Hosted model analysis is a paid service.Commercial review service.Vendor documentation ↗

cubic alternative for saved rules and usage billing

Five Cubic Team seats have a $150 monthly equivalent billed yearly, before extra reviewed lines. Perch's estimate for 100 mid-sized PRs is $50. Custom behavior rules use the same English ensure syntax locally and in CI, without selecting a higher custom-agent allowance.

Review before committing

Cubic: cubic review checks uncommitted edits or changes against a base branch. Cubic workflow documentation.

Perch reads the current working file with perch check. For a known requirement, select its rule name and method instead of requesting another broad review. A local CLI describes where the command runs; Perch sends relevant source to hosted TypeSafe models for analysis.

How do saved requirements differ?

Cubic: cubic.yaml custom agents; Team includes 5 agents. Cubic rule documentation.

Perch stores English ensure rules in perch.yaml or .perch/rules/. Project, file and method scopes determine what is checked. Run the named check after an edit and after the repair; a rule finding can fail the command and a CI gate. Perch rules · Working-file checks.

What does the review bill depend on?

Compare Cubic's billing unit and Perch's usage estimate

Is the CLI open source and offline?

Cubic: Commercial review service. Cubic product or license source.

Perch’s CLI is MIT-licensed; hosted model inference is a separate paid service included in its published check rate. It does not run the model offline. Unchanged requests can reuse cached answers for free. Fresh judgments can vary, and a passing requirement check does not prove application correctness. Perch MIT license.

When does Cubic fit the workflow?

cubic has a local review command as well as PR review. Its subscription includes reviewed-line allowances, so compare actual reviewed lines and overage settings alongside the seat floor.

Make the agent check its next edit.

Save a behavior rule

perch rules add refund-once \
  --where refund.py --each method \
  --ensure "Refunded orders cannot be refunded again."

The captured rule checks the requirement shown above. Rule syntax and selectors

Use perch scan for repository code at Git HEAD and changed-code CI checks for pull requests. New model judgments can vary. Repeatability comes from cached answers for unchanged requests; a pass does not prove application correctness.

Keep your project requirements checkable.

Choose Perch when you want an MIT CLI, English behavior rules and usage pricing that stays independent of team size. Give your coding agent a saved check it can run after every relevant edit.

Install Perch