Agentastic vs Paseo
Agentastic and Paseo both orchestrate official coding-agent CLIs, give parallel work its own git worktree, let agents drive a browser, and expose automation from the command line. The difference is the shape. Agentastic is a native macOS development environment: Ghostty terminals, a code editor, containers, review passes, and cloud or SSH runs in one app. Paseo is an open-source (Apache 2.0) client-and-daemon system: run the daemon on macOS, Linux, Windows, a server, or Docker, then connect from the desktop app, the web, iOS, Android, or the CLI.
The short version#
Both are credible multi-agent tools, but they optimize for different places to work.
- Choose Agentastic for the deepest native Mac workspace: terminal, editor, browser automation, diffs, review passes, containers, issue intake, and remote runtimes together.
- Choose Paseo when cross-platform hosting, a self-hosted daemon, Android or web clients, or Apache 2.0 source you can fork is the deciding requirement.
- Either way you keep your Claude Code, Codex, Gemini, Cursor, Copilot, or OpenCode accounts; neither product replaces the agent subscription.
Who should choose each option#
Agentastic
Choose Agentastic if you work on a Mac and want a terminal-first, fully native IDE with a built-in editor, a scriptable browser, containers, review passes, and free cloud or SSH workspaces.
Paseo
Choose Paseo if you need Linux or Windows hosts, an Android or web client, a self-hosted daemon, or an Apache 2.0 codebase you can audit and fork.
Feature comparison#
| Feature | Agentastic | Paseo |
|---|---|---|
| Product shape | Native macOS development environment | Self-hosted daemon with desktop, web, mobile, and CLI clients |
| Platforms | macOS 14+ (Apple Silicon and Intel) | Desktop for macOS 13+, Windows, and Linux; web; iOS; Android |
| Primary agent surface | The agent's CLI in a Ghostty terminal, or structured Chat for 30 agents | Agent sessions, terminals, browsers, and diffs as tabs in each workspace |
| Supported agents | 55 built-in definitions plus custom terminal agents | 41 listed, including ACP agents; custom providers through plugins |
| Git worktrees | Created per task by default, with setup and teardown scripts | Optional per workspace, with setup hooks and services in paseo.json |
| Container isolation | Docker or Apple Container per task | Docker image for running the daemon |
| Built-in editor | Yes, with syntax highlighting, LSP, search, and source control | Files and diffs; no full code editor in the docs we reviewed |
| Browser automation | dev browser CLI, console, screenshots, Design Mode, Share Live Preview | Agents drive real browser tabs through MCP tools, with console and network logs |
| Code review | Diff viewer plus Claude, Codex, CodeRabbit, or Greptile review passes | Diff review in the app; GitHub PRs, checks, and reviews |
| Automation | System-wide dev CLI over JSON-RPC; scheduled agents; Manager Agents | CLI, MCP, and a TypeScript SDK; cron schedules; agents that launch other agents |
| Remote and cloud | Any SSH host, plus Modal, Fly.io, and Vercel Sandbox on your accounts | Run the daemon on any machine; connect over its relay, your own tunnel, or directly |
| Team triggers | Slack mentions and DMs; Linear and Sentry issues | Paseo Hub: GitHub, Slack, and Discord triggers (optional; hosted Pro $15 per seat) |
| Mobile | iPhone app in public beta on TestFlight (iOS 18+), end-to-end encrypted to your Mac | iOS and Android apps |
| Voice | Agent CLIs can use the Mac's microphone, for example Claude Code dictation | Local speech-to-text and text-to-speech by default |
| License | Free, closed source | Open source, Apache 2.0 |
Pricing#
Agentastic
Free. Bring your own agent subscriptions; cloud providers connect through your own accounts.
Paseo
Free and open source; bring your own agent subscriptions. The optional Paseo Hub is free to self-host, and the hosted Hub has a free tier (50 agent runs a month) and Pro at $15 per seat per month.
Using them together#
They overlap at the orchestration layer, so most developers choose one as their main workspace. Because both run official provider CLIs against ordinary repositories and branches, trying both does not lock your code or agent configuration into a proprietary format.
Frequently asked questions#
Is Paseo open source?
Yes. Paseo has been licensed under Apache 2.0 since August 27, 2026; before that it used AGPL-3.0 (LICENSE). Agentastic is free but closed source.
Is Agentastic a Paseo fork?
No. They are independent products with different architectures: Agentastic is a native Swift macOS IDE, and Paseo is a daemon with desktop, web, mobile, and CLI clients.
Which is better for working from a phone?
On an iPhone, both work. Agentastic's app, a public beta on TestFlight for iOS 18 or later, pairs with your Mac over an end-to-end encrypted connection to watch agents, answer approvals, review diffs, merge pull requests, and start tasks. Paseo also has Android and web clients, so it is the pick for Android; see Claude Code on iPhone for more options.
Does Paseo run on Windows and Linux?
Yes. Paseo's desktop app runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux, and the daemon can also run headless or in Docker. Agentastic runs only on macOS 14 or later, though it can drive agents on Linux machines over SSH.
Which is better for a native Mac terminal workflow?
Agentastic. Agents run in GPU-accelerated Ghostty terminals inside a native Swift app, with a built-in editor, browser automation, diffs, and review passes alongside them.
Do both have a CLI and automation?
Yes. Paseo offers a CLI, an MCP server, and a TypeScript SDK that talk to local or remote daemons. Agentastic's system-wide dev CLI finds running app instances and can launch agents, list worktrees, tail output, send follow-ups, focus workspaces, and drive the browser or scheduled tasks.
Can I use custom agents?
Yes. Paseo supports ACP agents and custom providers through plugins. Agentastic ships 55 built-in definitions and lets you add any terminal command under Settings → Connections.
Further reading#
other ways to run coding agents across devices
Paseo, Agentastic Companion, and more
running agents over SSH from a Mac front end
the wider roundup this comparison sits inside
See also#
Both run coding agents in parallel git worktrees. Agentastic is native Swift with containers and cloud agents; Orca is open-source Electron for every OS.
Both run coding agents in parallel git worktrees on macOS. Agentastic is native Swift with any CLI agent and free cloud runs; Conductor is chat-first.
Both run CLI coding agents in parallel git worktrees. Agentastic is native Swift and free for cloud, SSH, and Linear; Superset is Electron, with those on Pro.
Nimbalyst is an open-source visual workspace for Claude Code and Codex. Agentastic is a native Mac IDE running 53 CLI agents in worktrees, containers, and VMs.
cmux is a free, open-source Ghostty-based terminal for coding agents. Agentastic is a native Mac IDE with worktrees, an editor, review passes, and cloud agents.