# When the work is a graph, use a canvas.

Herdr is a compelling home for persistent coding-agent terminals. MAO is the native visual workspace for the teams who need to see, direct, and connect that work across local and remote projects.

## Choose MAO when

**The difficult part is coordination, not persistence.**

### A canvas, not a terminal multiplexer

Herdr is optimized for a persistent, terminal-first runtime. MAO is for seeing the whole operation at once: agents, notes, files, devices, portals, and the connections between them.

### Native spatial performance

MAO is a desktop-native Rust app rendered with GPUI. The canvas is built for panning, zooming, arranging, and inspecting dense work without treating the visual layer as an afterthought.

### Remote projects in context

Keep the repository, terminals, agents, Git work, notes, and layout on the remote machine where the compute lives—then direct it all through the same native canvas.

### Unlimited workspaces

Keep a workspace for every repository, client, experiment, and remote machine. MAO does not make project context a metered resource.

### Visible coordination

Give every agent a role and a place. Connections make hand-offs explicit, while status and terminal output make it clear what needs attention.

### Your actual tools

Run Claude Code, Codex, Grok, OpenCode, and shell sessions as real terminals. MAO complements the CLIs and accounts you already use.

## A useful distinction

**Herdr keeps terminals running. MAO keeps the work legible.**

If your primary need is a background agent runtime that survives disconnection, Herdr is a strong fit. If you need to assign roles, connect agents, inspect their context, and understand a multi-agent build at a glance, start the same real terminals on a MAO canvas.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the difference between MAO and Herdr?

Herdr is optimized as a persistent, terminal-first runtime for coding agents. MAO is a desktop-native canvas for seeing and directing that work: agents, notes, files, devices, portals and the connections between them, across local and remote projects.

### When is Herdr a better fit than MAO?

Herdr is a strong fit when your main need is a background agent runtime that survives disconnection. MAO fits when you need to assign roles, connect agents, inspect their context and understand a multi-agent build at a glance.

### Is MAO a terminal multiplexer?

No. MAO runs real terminal sessions, but places them on a canvas with notes, files, portals and devices and the connections between them, so you can see the whole operation at once.

### Does MAO work with projects on a remote machine?

Yes. A MAO workspace can live on a Linux server over SSH: the repository, terminals, agents, Git work, notes and layout stay on that machine, and you direct them from the native canvas on your desktop.

## Built in public

**Ask for the feature you need next.**

MAO is built close to the people using it. Send a request directly to Miguel, or bring it to the MAO Discord channel so the community can help shape what comes next.

[Email Miguel](mailto:hello@miguer.com?subject=MAO%20feature%20request) · [Join the Discord](https://discord.gg/TCK664zm92)

Source: https://trymao.dev/mao-vs-herd