# MAO compared with other tools for running coding agents in parallel Every tool here runs several coding agents at once; they differ in platform, licence, price and in how agents run and work together. MAO is a native canvas for macOS, Windows and Linux where agents are real terminals that you wire so they hand each other tasks. Each comparison below is sourced from the other tool's own docs. MAO is one of several tools for running coding agents such as Claude Code, Codex and Gemini CLI in parallel. Most of them give each agent its own Git worktree; they differ in the platforms they run on, whether they are open source, what they cost, whether an agent runs as a terminal or a chat, and whether agents can hand work to each other. MAO is a native desktop canvas for macOS, Windows and Linux where every agent is a real terminal node, and agents you connect with a wire send each other tasks and results. ## Which tools does MAO compare with? **One page per tool, each with a table on the same criteria, the cases where the other tool fits better, and its sources.** | Tool | What it is | Platforms | Isolation per agent | Source | Price | Comparison | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | MAO | Native canvas where agents are real terminal nodes, wired to hand each other tasks | macOS, Windows, Linux | A layer is a Git worktree on its own branch | Closed source | US$20 one-time; 7-day free trial | [MAO docs](https://trymao.dev/docs) | | Conductor | Mac app that runs agents as chat sessions, one workspace per task | macOS | Git worktree and branch per workspace | Closed source | Free; Pro US$50 a month | [MAO vs Conductor](https://trymao.dev/mao-vs-conductor) | | Paradev (formerly Superset) | Desktop workspace that runs any CLI agent in terminals | macOS; Linux experimental | Git worktree and branch per workspace | Source-available, Elastic License 2.0 | Free; Pro US$20 per user a month | [MAO vs Paradev](https://trymao.dev/mao-vs-paradev) | | Emdash | Desktop app that takes a task from an issue to a pull request | macOS, Windows, Linux | Git worktree and branch per task | Open source, Apache-2.0 | Free | [MAO vs Emdash](https://trymao.dev/mao-vs-emdash) | | Orca | Desktop IDE with a terminal and browser per task | macOS, Windows, Linux | Git worktree per task | Open source, MIT | Free | [MAO vs Orca](https://trymao.dev/mao-vs-orca) | | Claude Squad | Terminal app that runs each agent in tmux | macOS, Linux, Windows builds; needs tmux | tmux session and Git worktree per session | Open source, AGPL-3.0 | Free | [MAO vs Claude Squad](https://trymao.dev/mao-vs-claude-squad) | | Nimbalyst (formerly Crystal) | Visual workspace with chat sessions and editors | macOS, Windows, Linux | Optional Git worktree per session | Open source, MIT | Free for individuals | [MAO vs Nimbalyst](https://trymao.dev/mao-vs-nimbalyst) | | cmux | Native macOS terminal built on libghostty | macOS | Not documented for local agents | Open source, GPL-3.0-or-later | Free; Pro US$50 a month | [MAO vs cmux](https://trymao.dev/mao-vs-cmux) | | Orchestrator.inc (formerly Agent Orchestrator) | Desktop app where a main agent plans and starts workers | macOS, Windows, Linux | Git worktree and branch per worker | Open source, Apache-2.0 | Free; paid plans from US$20 a month | [MAO vs Orchestrator.inc](https://trymao.dev/mao-vs-orchestrator-inc) | Two more comparisons: [MAO vs Maestri](https://trymao.dev/mao-vs-maestri) ยท [MAO vs Herdr](https://trymao.dev/mao-vs-herd) ## How do I choose between them? **Start from the constraint you can't change, then the way you want to work.** 1. **Your platform.** Conductor and cmux are macOS only, and Paradev's Linux build is experimental. MAO, Emdash, Orca, Nimbalyst and Orchestrator.inc have builds for macOS, Windows and Linux. 2. **Licence and price.** Emdash, Orca, Claude Squad, Nimbalyst and Orchestrator.inc are open source with a free tier or no price at all. MAO is a one-time purchase; Conductor, Paradev and cmux are free with paid monthly plans. 3. **How an agent runs.** In MAO, Paradev, Orca, Claude Squad and cmux an agent is its own CLI in a terminal. Conductor and Nimbalyst show agents as chat sessions, and Emdash offers both. 4. **Whether agents work together.** In MAO, agents you wire send each other tasks and results through the `mao` CLI. Paradev, Orca, Nimbalyst and Orchestrator.inc each document their own way for one agent to start or direct others; see each comparison. 5. **Try two on the same task.** Give each tool the same small change with two agents and see which one lets you follow both and merge the result with the fewest steps. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the best tool for running coding agents in parallel? There isn't one for everyone: the right tool depends on your platform, whether you need open source, and whether you want agents as terminals or chats. The [roundup of tools to run coding agents in parallel](https://trymao.dev/best-tools-run-coding-agents-in-parallel) sorts them by those choices. ### Do these tools all use Git worktrees? Most do: Conductor, Paradev, Emdash, Orca, Claude Squad and Orchestrator.inc give each task or agent its own worktree, Nimbalyst makes it optional, and in MAO each layer is a worktree. cmux documents no per-agent worktree for local agents. ### Which of them are open source? Emdash (Apache-2.0), Orca (MIT), Claude Squad (AGPL-3.0), Nimbalyst (MIT), cmux (GPL-3.0-or-later) and Orchestrator.inc (Apache-2.0). Paradev's code is public under the Elastic License 2.0, which is source-available rather than open source. MAO and Conductor are closed source. ### Is MAO free? No. MAO is a one-time purchase, US$20 in most countries and lower in parts of Asia and South America, with a 7-day free trial that includes one workspace with one project. ### How current are these comparisons? Each page lists the official pages its facts come from and the date they were checked, 2026-10-28 for all of them. These tools change often, so check a tool's own site before you decide. ## Sources - Each comparison page's Sources section lists the official site, docs, pricing page and licence of the tool it covers. - [MAO product facts](https://trymao.dev/llms.txt): platforms, supported agents, price and free trial. - [MAO layers](https://trymao.dev/docs/layers-git-worktrees/create-layer): layers as Git worktrees. Checked on 2026-10-28. Source: https://trymao.dev/compare