MAO vs Emdash: which should you use to run coding agents in parallel?
Emdash is a free, open-source desktop app that runs each agent task in its own Git worktree, with issue trackers, pull requests and CI checks built in. MAO is a paid native canvas where agents run as real terminals you can wire together. Choose Emdash for a free task-and-PR flow; choose MAO for visible, connected agents.
- Emdash is free and open source under Apache-2.0
- Both give each agent its own Git worktree
- MAO lets agents hand tasks to each other over canvas wires
Emdash is a free, open-source desktop app from General Action for running coding agents in parallel, where each task gets its own Git worktree and you review the diff, open a pull request and watch CI from the same window. MAO is a desktop-native canvas where Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI and other agents run as real terminal nodes that you can connect so they hand work to each other. Choose Emdash if you want a free, open-source task-to-pull-request flow fed by your issue tracker; choose MAO if you want to see every agent at once and wire them into a team.
What is Emdash?
Emdash is an open-source "agentic development environment": a desktop app that runs one coding agent per task, each in its own Git worktree.
According to its README and docs, you click Add Task, pick an installed agent CLI, and Emdash creates a worktree on a new branch for that task. When the agent is done you review the diff, iterate, and open a pull request inside Emdash. The agent opens either in Emdash's Chat UI or in a terminal, depending on the interface you pick.
The rest of what its official pages describe:
- Agents. Emdash detects installed agent CLIs automatically. Its Providers page lists 35, including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenCode, Amp, Grok, Antigravity, GitHub Copilot, Devin and Qwen Code. You bring your own API key or subscription for each.
- Issues and shipping. It passes issues from Linear, Jira, GitHub, GitLab, Notion, Asana and other trackers to an agent, and shows diffs, commits, pull requests and GitHub Actions checks.
- More than parallel runs. Scheduled automations, an in-app browser for previewing local and remote dev servers, a library of prompts, skills and MCP servers, and a file editor.
- Remote machines. Over SSH, a Workspace Server on the remote machine runs the repositories, worktrees, agents and terminals; tmux can keep sessions alive across reconnects.
- Licence and price. Apache-2.0, and its site says it is free to use. It runs on macOS, Windows and Linux.
Its site also takes sign-ups for Emdash 2.0, which it describes as a cloud-first coding environment for teams.
How do MAO and Emdash differ?
Both give each agent its own Git worktree. They differ in how you see the agents, whether agents can hand work to each other, and in licence and price.
When does Emdash fit better?
When you want a free, open-source tool that takes an issue to a merged pull request.
- You want open source or no cost. Emdash is Apache-2.0 and free. MAO is a paid licence after a 7-day trial.
- Your work starts in an issue tracker. Emdash sends issues from Linear, Jira, GitHub, GitLab, Asana and others straight to an agent. MAO's docs describe no issue-tracker integration.
- You ship through pull requests and CI. Emdash opens pull requests and shows GitHub Actions checks for each task. MAO's Git views cover diffs, staging and history, but its docs do not describe creating pull requests.
- You use an agent MAO has no preset for. Emdash lists 35 agent CLIs, such as Cursor, Amp, GitHub Copilot and Devin. MAO can still start any of them as a custom command, but without a built-in preset.
- You work on Linux ARM64. Emdash ships Linux ARM64 builds; MAO's Linux build is x86_64.
- You want remote machines without paying. Emdash's SSH remote development is part of the free app; MAO's remote workspaces need a licence.
When does MAO fit better?
When you want to see and direct several agents at once, and have them pass work between them.
- Agents that hand off to each other. In MAO you draw a connection between two agents, and one can send the other a task with
mao askand get the result back by task ID. Emdash's docs do not describe agents messaging each other. - Everything on one canvas. Agents, notes, project files, browser and device portals sit side by side on a pannable, zoomable canvas, so you can follow several agents without switching tasks.
- Agents that test what they built. A connected agent can click, type, read and screenshot a Chromium browser portal or an Android device on the canvas. Emdash's in-app browser is documented for previews, not for agent control.
- Roles and accounts per agent. Each terminal node can have its own provider account, model and reusable Markdown role.
- A native app. MAO is a desktop-native app written in Rust that renders its canvas on the GPU with GPUI.
- Windows with WSL. MAO opens a workspace inside a WSL distribution with no SSH setup.
How do I compare them on a real task?
Run the same two-part task in both and see which one you can follow and finish faster.
- Pick a task with two parts that touch different files, such as an API change and its tests.
- In Emdash, choose Add Task twice and give each task one part and one agent. In MAO, create two layers and put one agent on each.
- Make one part depend on the other. In MAO, wire the agents and let one ask the other for its result; in Emdash, note how you carry the result across yourself.
- Review each diff and bring the work back: a pull request or merge from Emdash, Land… into Ground from MAO.
- If you work on a server, repeat both over SSH.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Both run several coding agents in parallel, each in its own Git worktree. Emdash is a free, open-source task and pull-request tool; MAO is a paid native canvas where agents are real terminals you can connect so they hand tasks to each other.
Yes. Emdash is licensed under Apache-2.0, its code is on GitHub at generalaction/emdash, and its site says it is free to use.
Yes. Both are on Emdash's Providers page, along with Cursor, OpenCode, Amp, Grok, Antigravity and others. Emdash detects installed agent CLIs automatically, and each agent still needs its own API key or subscription.
Yes. Emdash connects to a remote machine over SSH and runs its Workspace Server there, which hosts the repositories, worktrees, agents and terminals. MAO also opens workspaces on a Linux server over SSH, with a licence.
Yes. Emdash creates a Git worktree and branch for each task by default, and a MAO layer is a Git worktree on its own branch with its own canvas. In MAO you land a layer into Ground after a check for conflicts and uncommitted changes.
Sources
- Emdash website: free and open source, macOS, Windows and Linux, issue integrations, in-app browser, automations, remote SSH, setup and teardown scripts, library, the FAQ on price and API keys, and the Emdash 2.0 waitlist.
- Emdash README: a Git worktree and branch per task, the install builds for macOS, Windows, Linux x64 and Linux ARM64, the issue trackers, pull requests and CI checks, SSH/SFTP remote projects, and the privacy note.
- Emdash licence: Apache License 2.0, copyright General Action, Inc.
- Emdash docs overview and Tasks: Add Task, one worktree and agent per task, Chat UI or terminal, and the option to work in an existing workspace or the repository root.
- Emdash Providers: the 35 supported agent CLIs and automatic detection.
- Emdash Project Settings: lifecycle scripts, preserve patterns and the worktree directory.
- Emdash In-App Browser: previews of local and remote dev servers and browser profiles.
- Emdash Remote Development, SSH connections and Tmux Sessions: the Workspace Server, Linux x64 or ARM64 hosts with glibc, and tmux persistence.
- Run a shell or agent and Configure agent launch presets: MAO's terminal nodes, provider presets and custom commands.
- Create a worktree layer and Land a layer into Ground: MAO's layers as Git worktrees, and landing them.
- Connect agents, notes, and portals and Send a task and collect its result: wires between agents,
mao ask,mao sendand task IDs. - Let an agent drive an authorized browser, Control an Android device portal and View an iOS Simulator portal: MAO's portals.
- Remote workspaces: SSH, WSL and the licence requirement.
- MAO for agents (llms.txt): supported agents, platforms, price and the free trial.
Checked on 2026-10-28.
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