# Best tools to run coding agents in parallel in 2026

No single tool is best for everyone. Pick by platform first, then licence and price, then whether you want agents as terminals or chats and whether they should hand work to each other. Plain Git worktrees cost nothing; MAO is a native canvas for macOS, Windows and Linux where wired agents send each other tasks.

There is no single best tool for running coding agents such as Claude Code, Codex and Gemini CLI in parallel; the right one depends on four choices. First your platform, since Conductor and cmux are macOS only. Then licence and price: Emdash, Orca, Claude Squad, Nimbalyst, cmux and Orchestrator.inc are open source, and plain Git worktrees cost nothing. Then whether an agent should run as its own CLI in a terminal or as a chat, and whether agents should hand work to each other. MAO is a native canvas for macOS, Windows and Linux where each agent is a real terminal and agents you wire send each other tasks and results.

## What should a tool for parallel coding agents do?

**Keep the agents out of each other's files, let you see all of them, and get their work back into one branch.**

- **Isolation.** Two agents editing one checkout overwrite each other. Most tools give each agent its own Git worktree on its own branch.
- **Visibility.** You need to see which agent is working, which is waiting for you and which is done, without switching through tabs.
- **Review and merge.** Each agent's diff has to be reviewed and merged back, ideally with a check before it lands.
- **Hand-offs.** Some work needs one agent to pass a task to another, such as a planner to an implementer or an implementer to a reviewer.
- **Testing.** An agent that can open the app in a browser, or on a phone, can check its own change.

## Which tools run coding agents in parallel?

**Nine tools plus the do-it-yourself way, on the same criteria, from each tool's own docs.**

| Tool | How an agent runs | Platforms | Isolation per agent | Agents working together | Source | Price |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Git worktrees, by hand | Any CLI agent in your own terminal | Anywhere Git runs | One worktree and branch per agent, made with `git worktree add` | You copy context between them | Git is open source, GPL-2.0 | Free |
| MAO | Real terminal node on a canvas, with an optional chat mode | macOS, Windows, Linux | Optional layers, each a Git worktree on its own branch | Wires; `mao ask`, `mao send` and `mao result` deliver tasks and return results | Closed source | US$20 one-time; 7-day free trial |
| Conductor | Chat session per tab (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenCode) | macOS | Git worktree and branch per workspace | Not documented | Closed source | Free; Pro US$50 a month |
| Paradev (formerly Superset) | Any CLI agent in a terminal pane | macOS; Linux experimental | Git worktree and branch per workspace | "Continue with another agent"; an orchestrate skill lets Claude Code or Codex start workers | Source-available, Elastic License 2.0 | Free; Pro US$20 per user a month |
| Emdash | Chat UI or terminal per task | macOS, Windows, Linux | Git worktree and branch per task | Not documented | Open source, Apache-2.0 | Free |
| Orca | CLI agent in a terminal tab, with an experimental chat | macOS, Windows, Linux | Git worktree per task | Experimental orchestration through the Orca CLI | Open source, MIT | Free |
| Claude Squad | Agent CLI in its own tmux session | macOS, Linux, Windows builds; needs tmux | tmux session and Git worktree per session | Not documented | Open source, AGPL-3.0 | Free |
| Nimbalyst (formerly Crystal) | Chat-style agent window (Claude Code, Codex) | macOS, Windows, Linux | Optional Git worktree per session | Agent Teams: a session starts teammate agents and waits for them | Open source, MIT | Free for individuals |
| cmux | Any CLI agent in a Ghostty-rendered terminal | macOS | Not documented for local agents | No task hand-off; one terminal can type into another | Open source, GPL-3.0-or-later | Free; Pro US$50 a month |
| Orchestrator.inc (formerly Agent Orchestrator) | Agent's own terminal UI or a structured chat | macOS, Windows, Linux | Git worktree and branch per session | An orchestrator agent plans and starts workers; `ao send` messages a session | Open source, Apache-2.0 | Free locally; cloud plans from US$20 a month |

## Which one should I pick?

**Match the tool to the constraint you can't change.**

- **You want to pay nothing and keep full control:** Git worktrees by hand, or Claude Squad if you live in tmux.
- **You want open source with a desktop app:** Emdash, Orca, Nimbalyst or Orchestrator.inc, all on macOS, Windows and Linux.
- **Your work starts from issues and ends in pull requests:** Emdash, Orca and Orchestrator.inc build that flow in; see each comparison for the trackers they support.
- **You are on a Mac and want a terminal you shape yourself:** cmux.
- **You prefer agents as chats:** Conductor or Nimbalyst.
- **You want agents to hand each other tasks, and to see every agent at once:** MAO, where agents are terminals on one canvas and a wire decides who can send a task to whom. It also runs on Windows and Linux, opens workspaces on a remote Linux server over SSH, and has browser and Android or iOS Simulator portals that agents can drive.

## Can I run agents in parallel without any tool?

**Yes. Open one terminal per agent and give each its own Git worktree.**

1. Create a Git worktree and a new branch for each agent.
2. Start an agent in each folder, in its own terminal: `claude` in one, `codex` in the other.
3. When an agent is done, review its branch and merge it, then remove the worktree.

```
git worktree add -b agent-a ../app-agent-a
git worktree add -b agent-b ../app-agent-b

cd ../app-agent-a && claude    # agent 1
cd ../app-agent-b && codex     # agent 2

git merge agent-a
git worktree remove ../app-agent-a
```

What you give up is visibility and hand-offs: you switch between terminals to see who is waiting, and you copy context from one agent to another yourself. The [git worktrees guide](https://trymao.dev/git-worktrees-for-ai-coding-agents) has the details and the pitfalls, and [subagents vs parallel sessions](https://trymao.dev/claude-code-subagents-vs-parallel-sessions) covers Claude Code's own way of splitting work.

## How does each tool work?

**One paragraph per tool; each links to a full comparison with sources.**

### MAO

A native desktop canvas, written in Rust and rendered on the GPU, where Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Grok, OpenCode, Antigravity and shells run as real terminal nodes, each on its own login. Agents you connect with a wire send each other tasks through the `mao` CLI, an **Orchestrator** agent can recruit and direct the others, and each layer is a Git worktree you land from the canvas after a check. [Docs](https://trymao.dev/docs).

### Conductor

A macOS app where each workspace is a Git worktree and agents run as chat sessions; it takes work from diff review and checks to a pull request. Paid plans add cloud workspaces in Linux sandboxes. [MAO vs Conductor](https://trymao.dev/mao-vs-conductor).

### Paradev (formerly Superset)

A desktop workspace that runs any CLI agent in a terminal pane, one Git worktree per workspace, with a pull request pane, an in-app browser agents can drive, automations, and remote hosts on paid plans. [MAO vs Paradev](https://trymao.dev/mao-vs-paradev).

### Emdash

A free, open-source desktop app that runs one agent per task in its own worktree, takes tasks from issue trackers, opens pull requests and shows CI checks, and works on remote Linux hosts over SSH. [MAO vs Emdash](https://trymao.dev/mao-vs-emdash).

### Orca

A free, open-source desktop IDE that gives each task a worktree, an agent terminal and a Chromium browser the agent can drive, with SSH worktrees and an experimental orchestration mode. [MAO vs Orca](https://trymao.dev/mao-vs-orca).

### Claude Squad

A free, open-source terminal app (`cs`) that runs each agent in its own tmux session and worktree and lets you review, commit and push each session from one list. [MAO vs Claude Squad](https://trymao.dev/mao-vs-claude-squad).

### Nimbalyst (formerly Crystal)

A free, open-source visual workspace where Claude Code and Codex sessions run in chat windows next to editors for Markdown, diagrams and code, with optional worktrees and Agent Teams. Crystal was deprecated in February 2026 in favour of it. [MAO vs Nimbalyst](https://trymao.dev/mao-vs-nimbalyst).

### cmux

A free, open-source macOS terminal built on libghostty that groups agents into workspaces in a sidebar, rings when one needs you, and has a browser pane and CLI that agents can script. [MAO vs cmux](https://trymao.dev/mao-vs-cmux).

### Orchestrator.inc (formerly Agent Orchestrator)

An open-source desktop app where an orchestrator agent plans the work and starts workers in their own worktrees, and CI failures and review comments go back to the worker that owns the branch. [MAO vs Orchestrator.inc](https://trymao.dev/mao-vs-orchestrator-inc).

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the best tool to run multiple coding agents at once?

It depends on your platform, whether you need open source, and how you want agents to work together. For a free start, use Git worktrees by hand; for agents that hand each other tasks on one visible canvas, MAO; the table above compares the rest.

### Which tools for parallel coding agents run on Windows?

MAO, Emdash, Orca, Nimbalyst and Orchestrator.inc have Windows builds, and Claude Squad ships Windows release builds but needs tmux. Conductor and cmux are macOS only, and Paradev's docs say Windows is not yet available.

### Which of these tools are free?

Emdash, Orca, Claude Squad and plain Git worktrees are free, and Nimbalyst is free for individuals. Conductor, Paradev, cmux and Orchestrator.inc have free tiers with paid plans. MAO is a one-time purchase, US$20 in most countries, with a 7-day free trial.

### Do I need a tool, or are Git worktrees enough?

Worktrees alone are enough to keep agents out of each other's files. A tool adds a view of every agent at once, review and merge from one place, and in some tools a way for agents to pass work to each other.

### Can these tools run Claude Code, Codex and Gemini CLI together?

Most run any CLI agent, so yes: MAO, Paradev, Orca, Claude Squad, cmux and Orchestrator.inc all run Gemini CLI alongside Claude Code and Codex. Conductor's chat sessions support Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and OpenCode, and Gemini only in its experimental Big Terminal Mode.

## Sources

- [Git: git-worktree](https://git-scm.com/docs/git-worktree): creating, listing and removing worktrees. [Git is free and open source](https://git-scm.com/about/free-and-open-source) under GPL-2.0.
- [Conductor docs](https://www.conductor.build/docs) and [pricing](https://www.conductor.build/pricing): macOS only, harnesses, workspaces as worktrees, plans.
- [Paradev llms.txt](https://paradev.com/llms.txt), [docs](https://docs.paradev.com) and [pricing](https://paradev.com/pricing): the rename from Superset, platforms, licence, worktrees, orchestration, plans.
- [Emdash](https://emdash.com/), [its providers](https://emdash.com/docs/providers) and [GitHub repository](https://github.com/generalaction/emdash): platforms, agents, worktrees per task, Apache-2.0, free.
- [Orca docs](https://www.onorca.dev/docs/install) and [GitHub repository](https://github.com/stablyai/orca): platforms, agents, worktrees, browser, orchestration, MIT.
- [Claude Squad README](https://github.com/smtg-ai/claude-squad) and [releases](https://github.com/smtg-ai/claude-squad/releases/latest): tmux and worktrees per session, agents, builds, AGPL-3.0.
- [Nimbalyst repository](https://github.com/Nimbalyst/nimbalyst), [Crystal README](https://github.com/stravu/crystal) and [pricing](https://nimbalyst.com/pricing/): the Crystal deprecation, platforms, agents, optional worktrees, MIT, price.
- [cmux repository](https://github.com/manaflow-ai/cmux) and [pricing](https://cmux.com/pricing): macOS only, libghostty, browser, licence, plans.
- [Orchestrator.inc](https://orchestrator.inc/) and [pricing](https://orchestrator.inc/pricing/): the rename from Agent Orchestrator, orchestrator and workers, Apache-2.0, plans.
- [MAO product facts](https://trymao.dev/llms.txt), [layers](https://trymao.dev/docs/layers-git-worktrees/create-layer) and [the comparison pages](https://trymao.dev/compare): MAO's platforms, agents, hand-offs, layers and price.

Checked on 2026-10-28.

Source: https://trymao.dev/best-tools-run-coding-agents-in-parallel