# MAO vs Paradev (formerly Superset): which should you use to run coding agents in parallel?

Paradev, formerly Superset, is a source-available desktop app for macOS, with an experimental Linux build, that runs any CLI coding agent in its own Git worktree and has a free tier. MAO is a canvas for macOS, Windows and Linux where wired agents hand each other tasks and drive browsers and phones. Choose by platform, licence and price model.

Paradev, formerly Superset, is a desktop app for macOS, with an experimental Linux AppImage, that runs Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode or any other CLI coding agent in a terminal, gives each task its own Git worktree and branch, and adds review, pull requests, an in-app browser and automations around them. Its source is public under the Elastic License 2.0, and it has a free tier with paid seats. MAO is a desktop canvas for macOS, Windows and Linux where each agent is a real terminal node, and agents you wire together hand each other tasks and drive a browser, an Android device or an iOS Simulator. Choose Paradev if you work on a Mac and want a free, source-available tool with event-driven automations and cloud workspaces; choose MAO if you need Windows, want agents and their connections laid out on a canvas, or want phone testing and remote workspaces in a one-time purchase.

## What is Paradev (formerly Superset)?

**Paradev is the new name of Superset: a desktop workspace that runs coding agents in parallel, each task in its own Git worktree.**

The rename is recent. `superset.sh` now answers with a permanent (308) redirect to `paradev.com`, whose home page carries the banner "Superset is now Paradev", and the GitHub repository moved to `ParadevAI/Paradev`. Some names stay: the CLI command is still `superset`. Paradev's site also notes it is unrelated to Apache Superset, the business-intelligence tool.

Paradev's docs describe it as a desktop app with a full interface, not a terminal app. Agents run in terminals, backed by a background daemon so running processes survive app restarts, and next to them sit a Changes pane, a pull request pane with checks and review threads, a file editor and an in-app browser. It has built-in support for over twenty agents, from Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode to Cursor Agent, Copilot, Gemini and Amp, and runs any other CLI agent as a custom agent. It never proxies model calls: agents use your own subscriptions and API keys.

Each project workspace is a Git worktree on its own branch, with its own terminals and ports. Paradev's FAQ is direct about the limit: a worktree is not a sandbox, so agents still share the machine's processes, network and files outside the worktree, and worktrees do not prevent merge conflicts.

## How do MAO and Paradev differ?

**Both run CLI agents in terminals and give each task a Git worktree; they differ on platforms, licence, price model and how agents and devices are laid out.**

| Criterion | Paradev | MAO |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Platforms | macOS (Apple silicon and Intel); an experimental Linux x64 AppImage; Windows not yet available. The CLI runs on Linux x64 and arm64. An iPhone and iPad app (Pro). | macOS (Apple silicon and Intel), Windows (x86_64), Linux (x86_64, Wayland and X11) |
| Agents supported | Built-in support for over twenty CLI agents, including Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Grok, Cursor Agent, Copilot, Gemini, Amp and Antigravity, plus any CLI agent as a custom agent | Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Grok, OpenCode, Antigravity, shells and custom commands |
| How an agent runs | The agent's own CLI in a terminal pane of its workspace. A Chat UI over the Agent Client Protocol for Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode and Pi is coming soon. | A real terminal node on the canvas running the agent's own CLI and login, with an optional chat mode |
| Isolation per agent | One Git worktree and branch per workspace; cloud workspaces use separate clones. Not a sandbox. | Optional layers: each layer is a Git worktree on its own branch with its own canvas, landed into Ground after a check |
| Agents handing work to each other | **Continue with another agent** starts another agent with a terminal's recent context. A `superset:orchestrate` skill lets Claude Code or Codex create workspaces and workers through the CLI and read and send to their terminals. | Wires between agents; `mao ask`, `mao send` and `mao result` deliver tasks with IDs and return results |
| Built-in browser or device testing | An in-app browser pane with DevTools and Design Mode that agents drive with `superset browser` commands or a Chrome DevTools Protocol endpoint. A `computer` skill operates native apps through a third-party driver. Phone and simulator testing: not documented. | A Chromium browser portal and an Android emulator or phone that a wired agent drives; an iOS Simulator portal on a Mac |
| Remote machines | Another machine as a host through the Paradev relay, set up over SSH or with `superset start --daemon` (Pro). Cloud workspaces on Team and Ultra (Beta). | A workspace on your own Linux server over SSH, or inside WSL on Windows; remote workspaces need a licence |
| Source | Source-available under the Elastic License 2.0, not OSI open source; code on GitHub | Closed source; sold as a licence |
| Price | Free for 1 user with local workspaces. Pro US$20 per user a month (US$16 billed yearly); Team US$60 (US$54 yearly); Ultra US$200; Enterprise custom. | One-time purchase, US$20 in most countries and lower in parts of Asia and South America; 7-day free trial with 1 workspace and 1 project |

## When does Paradev fit better?

**When you work on a Mac, want the source, and want agents started by events or kept running in the cloud.**

- **It has a free tier.** Free covers one user with local workspaces, the desktop app and the CLI, with no time limit. MAO's trial lasts 7 days and covers one workspace and one project.
- **The source is public.** Paradev's code is on GitHub under the Elastic License 2.0, so you can read it and self-host within that licence's terms. MAO is closed source.
- **Automations start agents on events.** On Pro, agent sessions start on a schedule or when a GitHub pull request, a Slack message, a Linear or Sentry issue or a webhook arrives, with a run history and retry.
- **More agents are built in.** Its supported-agents table lists over twenty agents, including Cursor Agent, Copilot, Amp and Devin, with status, resume and usage tracking where each agent allows.
- **Review and merge stay in the app.** The pull request pane shows checks and review threads and merges, and Design Mode sends a clicked page element, its styles and a screenshot to an agent.
- **Cloud and mobile.** Team and Ultra add cloud workspaces that run without your computer, and the iPhone and iPad app (Pro) lets you answer agents and review diffs away from your desk.
- **A CLI, SDK and MCP server.** Scripts and other agents can create workspaces, launch agents and read their terminals.

## When does MAO fit better?

**When you need Windows, want the whole team of agents on one canvas, or want phone testing and remote work in a one-time purchase.**

- **Windows and a supported Linux build.** MAO runs on Windows, Linux (Wayland and X11) and macOS. Paradev's Linux AppImage is experimental and Windows is not yet available.
- **A canvas you can see.** Agents, notes, files, browsers and devices sit side by side, and the wires between them show who works with whom.
- **Wires decide what an agent can reach.** An agent finds only the peers, notes and portals it is connected to, and a task sent with `mao ask` comes back to the sender by task ID.
- **Phones and simulators.** A wired agent taps, types and reads logcat on an Android emulator or phone, or drives an iOS Simulator on a Mac. Paradev's docs do not describe device testing.
- **Your own server, no subscription.** Remote workspaces over SSH, and WSL workspaces on Windows, come with the one-time MAO licence; Paradev's remote access is a Pro feature.

## How do I compare them on a real task?

**Give both the same task with two independent parts and watch how the work moves.**

1. Pick a change with two parts that touch different files, such as an API endpoint and its tests.
2. In Paradev, create one workspace per part, start an agent in each, then review the changes and open a pull request from the app.
3. In MAO, create one layer per part, start an agent on each, wire them so one reviews the other's work, then land each layer into Ground.
4. Compare how you followed both agents, how work and feedback moved between them, and what was left for you to do by hand.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Paradev the same as Superset?

Yes. Superset was renamed Paradev: `superset.sh` now redirects to `paradev.com`, whose banner says "Superset is now Paradev", and the GitHub repository moved to `ParadevAI/Paradev`. The CLI command is still `superset`, and the product is unrelated to Apache Superset.

### Is MAO an alternative to Paradev?

Yes, for running several coding agents in parallel on one repository, each in a terminal on its own Git worktree and branch. Paradev organises them as workspaces in a sidebar on macOS; MAO lays them out on a canvas on macOS, Windows and Linux, where wired agents hand each other tasks.

### Is Paradev open source?

Its source is public on GitHub under the Elastic License 2.0, which allows reading and self-hosting within its terms but is not an OSI-approved open source licence. Paradev's own site calls it source-available.

### Does Paradev run on Windows?

Not yet. Paradev's install guide lists macOS on Apple silicon and Intel, an experimental Linux x64 AppImage, and says Windows is not yet available. MAO runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.

### How much do Paradev and MAO cost?

Paradev is free for one user with local workspaces; Pro is US$20 per user a month (US$16 billed yearly), Team US$60 and Ultra US$200, and you pay model providers separately. MAO is a one-time purchase of US$20 in most countries, lower in parts of Asia and South America, after a 7-day free trial.

## Sources

- [superset.sh](https://superset.sh): answers with a 308 permanent redirect to paradev.com.
- [Paradev home page](https://paradev.com/): the "Superset is now Paradev" banner, "formerly Superset", and the note that it is unrelated to Apache Superset.
- [Paradev llms.txt](https://paradev.com/llms.txt): source-available under the Elastic License 2.0, platforms, the plan summary, and no proxying of model calls.
- [Paradev on GitHub](https://github.com/ParadevAI/Paradev): the README's downloads and supported agents, and the [LICENSE](https://github.com/ParadevAI/Paradev/blob/main/LICENSE.md) (Elastic License 2.0).
- [Paradev docs: Install](https://docs.paradev.com/install) and [FAQ](https://docs.paradev.com/faq): macOS, the experimental Linux AppImage, no Windows yet, the CLI on Linux, the iPhone and iPad app, worktrees that are not sandboxes, and terminals that survive restarts.
- [Paradev docs: Supported Agents](https://docs.paradev.com/supported-agents) and [Chat UI](https://docs.paradev.com/chat): the built-in agents, custom agents, and the upcoming chat over the Agent Client Protocol.
- [Paradev docs: Workspaces](https://docs.paradev.com/workspaces): a Git worktree, branch, terminals and ports per workspace, and separate clones for cloud workspaces.
- [Paradev docs: Agent Sessions & Forking](https://docs.paradev.com/agent-sessions) and [Agent Orchestration](https://docs.paradev.com/orchestration): **Continue with another agent**, fork, and the `superset:orchestrate` skill.
- [Paradev docs: In-App Browser](https://docs.paradev.com/browser) and [Computer Control](https://docs.paradev.com/computer): the browser pane, Design Mode, `superset browser`, the CDP endpoint, and the `computer` skill.
- [Paradev docs: Remote Access](https://docs.paradev.com/remote-access): hosts through the Paradev relay, set up over SSH or with `superset start --daemon`.
- [Paradev docs: Automations](https://docs.paradev.com/automations): agent sessions on a schedule or an event.
- [Paradev pricing](https://paradev.com/pricing): Free, Pro, Team, Ultra and Enterprise.
- [MAO product facts](https://trymao.dev/llms.txt): platforms, supported agents, price and free trial.
- [Run a shell or agent](https://trymao.dev/docs/terminals-agents/terminal-and-agent-nodes) and [Switch an agent node to chat mode](https://trymao.dev/docs/chat-mode-threads/framed-chat): terminal nodes and chat mode.
- [Create a worktree layer](https://trymao.dev/docs/layers-git-worktrees/create-layer) and [Land a layer into Ground](https://trymao.dev/docs/layers-git-worktrees/land-layer): layers as Git worktrees and landing them.
- [Connect agents, notes, and portals](https://trymao.dev/docs/connections-orchestration-mao-cli/node-connections) and [Send a task and collect its result](https://trymao.dev/docs/connections-orchestration-mao-cli/task-delivery): wires that grant access, and `mao ask`, `mao send` and `mao result`.
- [Browser and device portals](https://trymao.dev/portals) and [Remote workspaces](https://trymao.dev/remote-workspaces): browser, Android and iOS Simulator portals, SSH and WSL workspaces.

Checked on 2026-10-28.

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