Conductor vs cmux
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Conductor and cmux both serve people who run many coding agents on a Mac, from opposite ends. Conductor is chat-first: each task is a workspace on its own git worktree, driven through a chat with Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, or OpenCode and taken through review to a pull request. cmux is a terminal: a free, open-source app built on libghostty, with vertical tabs, notification rings, scriptable browser panes, and a socket API for any CLI agent, and it leaves worktrees to you.
Who should choose each option
Conductor
Choose Conductor if you want to drive Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, or OpenCode from a chat window, with a worktree for every task and review built into the flow.
cmux
Choose cmux if you want a native, scriptable, open-source terminal for any CLI agent and are happy to set up worktrees yourself.
Feature comparison
| Conductor | cmux | |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | macOS app | Native macOS terminal (Swift) |
| Interface | Chat-first | Terminal-first |
| Terminal | Terminals and run scripts beside each chat | GPU-accelerated libghostty |
| Supported agents | Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenCode | Any CLI agent |
| Worktree per agent | Yes | Script it with a custom command |
| Browser | Browser previews of running dev servers | Scriptable browser panes |
| Code review | Review action, diff comments, and a Checks tab | No built-in review |
| Issue intake | Start a workspace from a GitHub or Linear issue; Routines on schedules and GitHub triggers | Build it on the socket API |
| Cloud agents | Conductor Cloud on Pro ($50/mo) | cmux Cloud VMs, from $50/mo |
| Automation | Conductor API for cloud workspaces (beta, Pro) | cmux CLI and Unix socket API |
| Mobile | iPhone app on the App Store (October 2026), for cloud workspaces on Pro | iOS app on TestFlight, with paid plans |
| Source | Not published | Open source (GPL-3.0-or-later) |
| Platforms | macOS | macOS; nightly Linux x64 build |
Pricing
Conductor
Free for local workspaces on your Mac. Pro is $50 a month and adds Conductor Cloud, multiplayer, the Conductor API, and the iPhone app; Teams is $60 per user per month (invite-only).
cmux
The terminal and local agents are free and open source. Cloud VMs and the iOS app come with Pro ($50/mo), Max ($200/mo), or Team ($60/user/mo).
Using them together
They solve different halves of the job: Conductor manages worktrees behind a chat, and cmux is the terminal you run agents in. If you want both in one app, with 55 built-in agent definitions, an editor, and review passes, see Agentastic.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better for Claude Code?
Both run it well. Conductor wraps Claude Code in a chat with a worktree per task. cmux runs the real CLI in a native terminal and shows Claude Code teammates as native panes.
Is cmux related to tmux?
Not directly. cmux is a native Swift terminal built on libghostty, not a tmux wrapper, though it can attach to remote tmux sessions.
Which one is open source?
cmux, under GPL-3.0-or-later (repository). Conductor does not publish its source code.
Do Conductor and cmux have iPhone apps?
Both do, on paid plans. Conductor's iOS app shipped on October 2, 2026 for chatting with agents and merging pull requests, and works with cloud workspaces on Pro. cmux's iOS app is on TestFlight and mirrors your Mac terminals, with its Pro, Max, and Team plans.
Do they run on Windows or Linux?
Conductor is macOS only for now (install guide). The cmux terminal is a macOS app too, with a separate nightly Linux x64 build; neither has a Windows version.
Conductor vs Superset: how do they differ?
Both give each agent its own worktree. Conductor is chat-first, Mac only, and runs four agents; Superset is an Electron app with 22 built-in agents plus any CLI agent, and an experimental Linux build. See Agentastic vs Superset.
What's an alternative to both?
Agentastic: a free native macOS IDE with 55 built-in agent definitions, a worktree per agent, Ghostty terminals, and a built-in editor, browser, and review passes. See Agentastic vs Conductor and Agentastic vs cmux.
Further reading
- Best Conductor alternatives — Mac and cross-platform options compared
- cmux alternatives — terminals and workspaces for coding agents
- A workflow for parallel coding agents — what both tools are trying to solve
- Git worktrees vs containers — the isolation model underneath
See also
Agentastic vs Conductor
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Agentastic vs cmux
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Agentastic vs Superset
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Agentastic vs Orca
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Claude Code vs Codex
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