Conductor is one of the best apps for running coding agents in parallel: every task gets its own git worktree, and you review the diff, open the pull request and merge without leaving the app. Its local workspaces are free, and Pro ($50 a month) adds cloud workspaces.
People look for alternatives for a few reasons: Conductor is macOS only ("not available for Windows or Linux yet", with no date), it runs four agents (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and OpenCode), it isn't open source, and its cloud plan costs $50 a month. These are the alternatives worth trying in October 2026, checked against each product's own website on October 20.
A disclosure first: I build Morphy, which is one of them.
The alternatives at a glance
Apps that run agents from different companies:
| Conductor | Orca | Emdash | Superset | Nimbalyst | Morphy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runs on | macOS (Apple silicon and Intel), plus an iPhone app for cloud workspaces; not on Windows or Linux yet | Windows, macOS, Linux, plus iOS and Android companion apps | Windows, macOS, Linux | macOS, Linux (experimental), plus an iPhone and iPad app (Pro); no Windows build yet | Windows 10+, macOS 12+, Linux, iOS companion | Windows 10/11, macOS 11+, Linux (beta) |
| Agents | Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenCode | Claude Code, Codex, Gemini, Cursor, Copilot, OpenCode, Amp, Grok, Antigravity, Pi and any other CLI agent | 25+ coding agent CLIs, including Claude Code and Codex | Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Copilot, Cursor Agent, OpenCode, Amp and any other CLI | Claude Code, Codex; newer support for OpenCode, Copilot, Grok Build, Cursor Agent and Gemini (some in alpha) | Claude Code, Codex, Copilot, Antigravity (Gemini), Grok, OpenCode, OpenRouter, Ollama, and (on Pro) any OpenAI-compatible API |
| Keeps agents apart | A workspace (git worktree on its own branch) per task; cloud sandboxes on Pro | A git worktree per task | Git worktrees, plus remote work over SSH | A git worktree per task | An optional git worktree per session | Optional: a chat can work in its own copy (a git worktree on its own branch); otherwise chats in a project share its folder |
| Price | Free for local workspaces; Pro $50/mo adds cloud workspaces, multiplayer, the API and the iPhone app; Teams $60/user/mo | Free | Free | Free for one user; Pro $20/user/mo ($15 billed yearly) | Free for individuals; Teams $20/user/mo (free during beta) | Free plan (3 agents at a time, 2 projects, 3 cards); Pro $9/mo; you use your own AI plans |
| Open source | No | Yes (MIT) | Yes (Apache-2.0) | Source-available (Elastic License 2.0) | Yes (MIT) | No |
The AI companies' own apps:
| Claude Code desktop | Codex (ChatGPT app) | |
|---|---|---|
| Runs on | macOS, Windows (x64, ARM64), Linux beta (Debian/Ubuntu) | macOS, Windows, Linux (preview) |
| Agents | Claude models only | Built around OpenAI's models; other providers by editing its config (they must offer OpenAI's Responses API); local models are documented for the CLI |
| Keeps agents apart | Optional git worktree per session | Git worktrees for independent chats |
| Price | A paid Claude plan: Pro ($17–20/mo) or higher (companies can connect it through a cloud provider or a gateway; it doesn't take an API key) | Included in ChatGPT plans: Free and Go ($8) get a smaller model in the app only; Plus $20 adds the cloud, CLI and code review; Pro from $100 a month |
| Open source | No | The app no; the Codex CLI and engine yes (Apache-2.0) |
What Conductor still does best
Before you switch: Conductor's polish is real. Every workspace is set up by your own setup script and gets its own range of ports, so two agents can each run a dev server. Its diff viewer takes line comments back to the agent, its Checks tab shows CI and GitHub comments, and you can start a workspace from a GitHub or Linear issue. If you're on a Mac and your work ends in pull requests, it's hard to beat. More in Conductor vs Morphy.
The alternatives, one by one
Free, open-source worktree apps
Orca
An open-source environment for a fleet of parallel agents, every task in its own git worktree.
- Runs on
- Windows, macOS, Linux, plus iOS and Android companion apps
- Agents
- Claude Code, Codex, Gemini, Cursor, Copilot, OpenCode, Amp, Grok, Antigravity, Pi and any other CLI agent
- Keeps agents apart
- A git worktree per task
- Price
- Free
Like Conductor: a worktree for every task and a long list of agents (Claude Code, Codex, Gemini, Cursor, Copilot, OpenCode, Amp and any other command-line agent), plus phone apps.
Unlike Conductor: free, MIT-licensed, and native on Windows, macOS and Linux. It ships new versions almost every day, so check the release notes before relying on a specific feature.
Sources: onorca.dev, GitHub
Emdash
A desktop app (YC W26) for running 25+ coding agents in parallel, locally or over SSH.
- Runs on
- Windows, macOS, Linux
- Agents
- 25+ coding agent CLIs, including Claude Code and Codex
- Keeps agents apart
- Git worktrees, plus remote work over SSH
- Price
- Free
Like Conductor: worktree-based agents with diff review and pull requests, and issues pulled in from Linear, Jira and GitHub.
Unlike Conductor: free and open source on all three operating systems, with 25+ agents, and it can run agents on remote machines over SSH.
Sources: emdash.com, GitHub
Nimbalyst
A visual workspace for Codex and Claude Code with docs, diagrams and mockups; the successor to Crystal.
- Runs on
- Windows 10+, macOS 12+, Linux, iOS companion
- Agents
- Claude Code, Codex; newer support for OpenCode, Copilot, Grok Build, Cursor Agent and Gemini (some in alpha)
- Keeps agents apart
- An optional git worktree per session
- Price
- Free for individuals; Teams $20/user/mo (free during beta)
Like Conductor: Claude Code and Codex sessions in optional worktrees, with diff review.
Unlike Conductor: built for planning visually next to your agents, with editors for docs, diagrams and mockups, and a phone companion. Free for individuals, open source, on every platform.
Sources: nimbalyst.com, GitHub
For Mac and Linux
Superset
An agentic IDE that runs many coding-agent CLIs at once, each task in its own git worktree.
- Runs on
- macOS, Linux (experimental), plus an iPhone and iPad app (Pro); no Windows build yet
- Agents
- Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Copilot, Cursor Agent, OpenCode, Amp and any other CLI
- Keeps agents apart
- A git worktree per task
- Price
- Free for one user; Pro $20/user/mo ($15 billed yearly)
Like Conductor: a worktree per task, on a Mac, for many agent command-line tools at once (it advertises 100+ agents).
Unlike Conductor: it also runs on Linux (experimental), has a CLI and SDK, and Pro ($20 a user a month) adds automations, Linear and Slack, and phone access. No Windows build yet, and its license is source-available, not open source.
Sources: superset.sh, Pricing, README
The AI companies' own apps
Claude Code desktop
The Code tab in Anthropic's Claude app: Claude Code with a sidebar of parallel sessions, diffs, a terminal and a browser.
- Runs on
- macOS, Windows (x64, ARM64), Linux beta (Debian/Ubuntu)
- Agents
- Claude models only
- Keeps agents apart
- Optional git worktree per session
- Price
- A paid Claude plan: Pro ($17–20/mo) or higher (companies can connect it through a cloud provider or a gateway; it doesn't take an API key)
Like Conductor: parallel sessions, each in an optional git worktree, with a visual diff you comment on, pull requests, CI status and auto-merge.
Unlike Conductor: Claude only, at most two sessions side by side, and it needs a paid Claude plan. It runs on Windows and Linux (beta) too, and cloud sessions keep going with your computer off. More in Claude Code desktop vs Morphy.
Sources: Claude Code desktop docs, Linux beta, Claude pricing
Codex (ChatGPT app)
OpenAI's Codex inside the ChatGPT desktop app, with parallel chats locally, in separate worktrees or in the cloud.
- Runs on
- macOS, Windows, Linux (preview)
- Agents
- Built around OpenAI's models; other providers by editing its config (they must offer OpenAI's Responses API); local models are documented for the CLI
- Keeps agents apart
- Git worktrees for independent chats
- Price
- Included in ChatGPT plans: Free and Go ($8) get a smaller model in the app only; Plus $20 adds the cloud, CLI and code review; Pro from $100 a month
Like Conductor: chats in your folder or their own worktree, a review pane with line comments, and pull requests.
Unlike Conductor: OpenAI's models only, included in your ChatGPT plan, native on Windows (Linux in preview), with cloud tasks on Plus and up. More in Codex app vs Morphy.
Sources: ChatGPT app docs, Worktrees, Pricing
Different approaches
Morphy
A canvas where every chat is an agent, with projects, focus views, live cards, voice typing and (on Pro) your phone as a remote.
- Runs on
- Windows 10/11, macOS 11+, Linux (beta)
- Agents
- Claude Code, Codex, Copilot, Antigravity (Gemini), Grok, OpenCode, OpenRouter, Ollama, and (on Pro) any OpenAI-compatible API
- Keeps agents apart
- Optional: a chat can work in its own copy (a git worktree on its own branch); otherwise chats in a project share its folder
- Price
- Free plan (3 agents at a time, 2 projects, 3 cards); Pro $9/mo; you use your own AI plans
Like Conductor: Claude Code and Codex in parallel on your own plans, and any chat can work in its own copy of the project (a git worktree), with its changed files and diff to look over.
Unlike Conductor: a canvas where you see every agent at once instead of one workspace at a time, on Windows, Mac and Linux (beta). Copilot, Gemini, Grok, OpenCode, OpenRouter and local models through Ollama are chats too, and when one plan runs out, another AI can carry the conversation on. There are no line comments or pull requests: review in your editor or on GitHub. More in Conductor vs Morphy.
Sources: Morphy docs, Connect your AI, Freemium and Pro
Claude Squad
A terminal app that runs several agents in tmux sessions, each on its own git worktree and branch.
- Runs on
- macOS, Linux; Windows through WSL only
- Agents
- Claude Code by default; Codex, Gemini, Aider or any CLI via -p
- Keeps agents apart
- A tmux session and a git worktree per agent
- Price
- Free
Like Conductor: each agent in its own worktree and branch.
Unlike Conductor: a terminal app built on tmux, free and open source, for macOS and Linux (Windows only through WSL). Its last release was in August 2026, so it moves slowly.
Sources: GitHub, Windows issue #275
BridgeMind
A paid desktop app (BridgeMind One) with terminal panes for any coding CLI, agents on routines, threads, and voice control.
- Runs on
- macOS 14+, Windows 10/11 (x64), Linux
- Agents
- Any coding CLI on your PATH, in a terminal; Claude Code and Codex (plus Cursor, Grok Build and OpenCode) also as threads
- Keeps agents apart
- An optional git worktree per agent, on its own branch
- Price
- Basic $20/mo, Pro $50/mo, Ultra $100/mo (20% less yearly), plus your own AI plans; no free plan
Like Conductor: an optional git worktree per agent, with git in the app.
Unlike Conductor: a terminal pane for any coding agent, named agents on routines with a task board, and voice control on Pro, on Windows, Mac and Linux. No free plan: $20 to $100 a month. More in BridgeMind vs Morphy.
Sources: bridgemind.ai, Pricing, Changelog
CodeAgentSwarm
A desktop workspace that runs and supervises coding-agent CLIs side by side, with a kanban board they update.
- Runs on
- Windows 10/11, macOS 12+, Linux
- Agents
- Claude Code, Codex, Antigravity, OpenCode, Grok Build, Cursor Agent, Kimi Code and more
- Keeps agents apart
- A process per terminal; optional git worktrees
- Price
- Pro is free during the open beta; after it, a Free tier and a paid Pro (check its site for the price)
Unlike Conductor: a kanban board the agents update themselves, a daily usage budget per provider, and worktrees as an option rather than the default, on every platform.
Sources: codeagentswarm.com
Also worth knowing: Pane and T3 Code, free and open-source apps that run any agent with a worktree per task, and Paseo, which runs as a background service you reach from desktop, web and phone. All three are covered in the Windows guide.
Which should you pick?
- On a Mac and happy with Conductor's agents: stay with Conductor; local workspaces are free.
- You want Conductor, but free and on any platform: Orca or Emdash.
- You use only Claude or only OpenAI: their own desktop apps.
- You want to see many agents at once, on any AI: Morphy.
- You live in the terminal: Claude Squad, or Claude Code's own
claude --worktreein a few tabs (see how to run multiple Claude Code agents).
Questions
Is there a free Conductor alternative? Yes: Orca, Emdash, Nimbalyst, Pane, T3 Code and Claude Squad are free, and Conductor's own local workspaces are free too. Morphy has a free plan for 3 agents at a time.
Is there Conductor for Windows or Linux? Not yet, and Conductor hasn't given a date. See the Windows alternatives; Orca, Emdash and Nimbalyst also run on Linux.
Is there an open-source Conductor alternative? Orca (MIT), Emdash, Nimbalyst (MIT), Pane, T3 Code and Claude Squad are open source.
Which Conductor alternatives work with OpenCode? Orca, Superset, T3 Code, Nimbalyst and Morphy run OpenCode as an agent; so does Conductor itself.
Claude Squad or Conductor? Claude Squad is a free terminal app built on tmux; Conductor is a full Mac app with review and pull requests. Pick by where you like to work.
References
Each app's sources are listed in its entry above. Also:
- Conductor: pricing, installation ("not available for Windows or Linux yet"), changelog
- The best tools to run Claude Code and Codex in parallel, with every tool's details
