cmux vs Conductor
Conductor is a Mac app, with early-access Conductor Cloud, for running coding agents in isolated workspaces, with task setup, diffs, and review flow around agent work. cmux is a native terminal and browser workspace for supervising any CLI agent, shell, browser, dev server, or script you already use.
Agent task workspace vs terminal control plane
Use Conductor when you want a packaged agent task workflow with isolated copies and review surfaces. Use cmux when you want a free, open source native terminal that can run Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Gemini CLI, Aider, scripts, SSH, browsers, and dev servers in one programmable workspace.
| Dimension | cmux | Conductor |
|---|---|---|
| Primary surface | Native terminal, browser, workspaces, splits | Mac app for parallel coding-agent tasks |
| Desktop stack | Native Swift/AppKit macOS app built on libghostty | Mac app; official docs do not specify the full desktop stack, while public founder posts describe Tauri with a Rust backend and native Mac renderer |
| Agent model | Any CLI agent or shell tool | Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, and OpenCode harnesses |
| Source model | Free and open source GPL app | Free proprietary product with third-party open-source components |
| Organization | Vertical workspaces, pane rings, unread state, branch and port metadata | Isolated task workspaces and review flow |
| Programmability | CLI, Unix socket API, browser automation, hooks | Product workflow around agent tasks |
| Best fit | Developers who want a terminal primitive for many tools | Developers who want a packaged agent task manager |
cmux is broader than one agent workflow
Conductor is compelling when the job is running several isolated coding-agent tasks. cmux covers the terminal supervision layer for that style of work, then also runs Gemini CLI, Aider, Amp, ordinary shells, SSH, browsers, local services, and other CLI tools without changing the terminal primitive.
Native terminal performance matters all day
cmux is Swift/AppKit with libghostty rendering. The UI stays lightweight while agents, test runners, language servers, and dev servers consume CPU and memory.
Attention is keyboard-addressable
cmux turns agent completion and questions into unread state inside the app. Notification rings, Cmd+Shift+U for latest unread, and Cmd+Control+U for cycling unread work make the review queue navigable without scanning every workspace.
Programmability stays open-ended
The cmux CLI and socket API can create workspaces, split panes, send input, read terminal screens, capture screenshots, and drive browser panes. That lets teams build their own conductor-like flows on top of the terminal.
A Git-worktree-first model is not every workflow
Conductor's documented workspace model is Git-backed: each workspace maps to a branch and Git worktree. Some teams have backend and frontend repos in different places, some workflows are not Git-first, and some local checks need to run directly from an existing checkout. cmux exposes terminal, browser, workspace, and socket primitives so developers and agents can compose those workflows themselves.
FAQ
Is cmux a Conductor replacement?
It can replace the terminal supervision layer. Conductor still fits teams that want a packaged agent task workflow with built-in worktree and review flow.
Can cmux run multiple Claude Code agents?
Yes. Run each Claude Code session in its own workspace or branch/worktree setup, then use unread rings and keyboard navigation to review them.
Why choose cmux instead of a dedicated agent task manager?
Choose cmux when your workflow includes arbitrary terminals, browsers, scripts, multi-repo setup, or no-git flows, and you want a programmable native terminal rather than one fixed task model.