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Comparison · checked October 9, 2026

Conductor alternatives for running coding agents in parallel

By Klein Tahiraj

Disclosure up front: I build teebe, which is on this list. teebe is not a Conductor replacement: it does not run agents. I put it here because some people looking for an alternative actually want something smaller, and I say plainly below who should pick something else. Every fact about another tool comes from that tool's own site, docs or repository, linked in the sources.

What Conductor is and why people look for alternatives

Conductor is a Mac app for running coding agents in parallel. Its docs say it runs Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and OpenCode, that each workspace is a separate checkout made with git worktrees on its own branch, and that a diff viewer shows each workspace's changes. There is a free plan, and paid plans start at $50/mo.

It's a good product. The reasons people look elsewhere are usually practical: they're on Windows or Linux, they want open source, they'd rather stay in a terminal, or they don't want an app to run their agents at all and only need to see what those agents are doing.

Comparison table

All facts checked on October 9, 2026 against each tool's own site, docs or repository. See sources.

Alternatives that run your agents

These do the same job as Conductor: you give them a task, they start the agent, and they keep each task in its own worktree.

Nimbalyst

Nimbalyst calls itself "the visual workspace for Codex and Claude Code". It's free for individuals, its desktop and iOS apps are MIT licensed, and it has desktop apps for macOS, Windows and Linux plus an iOS app. Any session can opt into its own git worktree with one click, and AI edits show up as diffs you inspect and approve. If you used Crystal: the Crystal repository says it was deprecated in February 2026 and replaced by Nimbalyst.

Emdash

Emdash is an open-source (Apache-2.0) desktop app for running coding agents in parallel, on macOS, Windows and Linux. Its README lists Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenCode, Amp, Devin, Qwen Code, Droid and GitHub Copilot. Each task runs in its own git worktree, and you review diffs, open pull requests, check CI and merge from the same window.

Orca

Orca describes itself as an environment for working with a fleet of parallel agents: terminals, diffs, a browser and a CLI in one app. It's free and MIT licensed, runs on macOS, Windows and Linux, and works with Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode and other agent CLIs. Every task gets its own git worktree, and you can leave comments on diff lines and send them back to the agent.

Pane

Pane is a keyboard-first desktop app for running agents in parallel. You bring Claude Code, Codex, Aider, Goose or any terminal agent; Pane gives each task its own git worktree. It runs on Windows, WSL, macOS and Linux, and its pricing page says it is free with no paid plan. The site says AGPL-3.0.

Parallel Code

Parallel Code is a free, MIT-licensed Electron app for macOS and Linux. Each task gets its own branch and worktree, it works with any CLI agent (Claude Code, Codex CLI, Gemini CLI and others), and it has a built-in diff viewer with inline review comments.

Claude Squad

Claude Squad is the pick if you never want to leave the terminal. It's a TUI that manages Claude Code, Codex, Gemini, Aider and other agents, using tmux for one session per agent and git worktrees so each works on its own branch. A diff tab shows what each session changed. Free and AGPL-3.0.

AgentsRoom

AgentsRoom is a desktop command center for running and monitoring agent CLIs across projects, on macOS, Windows and Linux. Worktree isolation is an option per agent, and it shows a side-by-side diff of what each agent touched. The free plan covers 2 projects and 6 agents in parallel; Pro is €7.99/mo.

Claude Code Desktop, Cursor, and the plain CLI

If you only use Claude Code and already pay for a Claude plan, Claude Code Desktop (the Code tab of the Claude app) may be enough: each session can get its own worktree with one option, and it has a diff viewer. If you live in Cursor, its Agents Window runs several agents on one repo in separate worktrees. And the Claude Code CLI itself has a --worktree flag that starts a session in .claude/worktrees/<name>, no extra app needed. More on that in Claude Code worktrees, explained.

One I left out: Vibe Kanban's README says the project is sunsetting, so I would not start on it today.

Alternatives that do not run agents: where teebe fits

Some people reach for Conductor only because they want to see what parallel agents are doing. If your agents already run fine in a terminal, with claude --worktree or Codex, you might not need a new place to run them. You need a view.

That's what teebe is: the watcher next to the terminal. It's a native Mac app that shows every worktree of every repo you add in one window, with one mark each: an animated orb while Claude Code or Codex is working in it, a dot for uncommitted changes, a ring for unmerged commits, a check when it's merged and safe to delete. Files badge live as agents edit them, and Space peeks the diff inline. It can create worktrees and remove merged ones (squash merges count) after a confirmation. There's a walkthrough in see what Claude Code changed, live.

What teebe is not

If you want an app that owns the agent lifecycle, teebe is the wrong tool and one of the apps above is the right one.

Which one to pick

If you're choosing a worktree tool more broadly, git clients included, see every git worktree GUI for Mac, compared, and for Claude Code front ends specifically, Claude Code GUIs for Mac.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best free alternative to Conductor?

Conductor itself has a free plan. If you want a free open-source tool that runs agents in parallel worktrees, Nimbalyst (MIT), Orca (MIT), Emdash (Apache-2.0), Parallel Code (MIT), Pane (AGPL-3.0) and Claude Squad (AGPL-3.0) are all free according to their own sites and repositories.

Is there a Conductor alternative for Windows or Linux?

Yes. Conductor's site describes it as a Mac app. Nimbalyst, Emdash, Orca, Pane and AgentsRoom list macOS, Windows and Linux. Parallel Code lists macOS and Linux. Claude Squad is a terminal app built on tmux.

Claude Squad vs Conductor: what is the difference?

Both run several coding agents in separate git worktrees. Conductor is a Mac desktop app with a free plan and paid tiers. Claude Squad is a free, AGPL-3.0 terminal app that uses tmux for one session per agent and shows each session's diff in a tab.

What happened to Crystal?

The Crystal repository says it was deprecated in February 2026 and replaced by Nimbalyst.

Does teebe run Claude Code or Codex like Conductor?

No. teebe does not start, chat with or orchestrate agents. You run Claude Code or Codex in your own terminal, and teebe shows every worktree of the repos you add, marks the ones where an agent is working, and shows the files they change live with inline diffs. It is free, open source (GPL-3.0) and macOS only.

Sources

Each source was opened and checked on October 9, 2026. Prices and features change; if something here is stale, the link is the place to re-check.

• Conductor: conductor.build, pricing, docs, workspaces and branches, diff viewer
• Nimbalyst: nimbalyst.com, GitHub repository
• Crystal: stravu/crystal README
• Emdash: generalaction/emdash README
• Orca: onorca.dev, stablyai/orca
• Pane: runpane.com, pricing
• Parallel Code: parallelcode.app, johannesjo/parallel-code README
• Claude Squad: smtg-ai/claude-squad README
• AgentsRoom: agentsroom.dev, pricing, worktree isolation post
• Claude Code Desktop: Claude Code docs, desktop
• Claude Code CLI: CLI reference
• Cursor: worktrees docs, pricing, download
• Vibe Kanban: BloopAI/vibe-kanban README
• teebe: README, changelog (v0.8.1)

Free · open source · macOS 14+. Back to teebe.io →