cmux

Open source alternative to Conductor and Warp

28.7K stars
Active this week
Last commit today

Last verified Nov 5, 2026

Run multiple AI coding agents in parallel from a native macOS terminal with notification rings, vertical tabs, and a built-in browser.

Visit website GitHub28.7K

Read the full breakdownWho it is for, how it works, trade-offs, the quick start and the FAQ

who it's for

Who cmux is for#

Developers running parallel Claude Code or Codex sessions

If you run two or more Claude Code or Codex sessions simultaneously across different tasks or git worktrees, the notification rings and sidebar metadata tell you which one needs attention without manual pane-scanning. Session restore with agent resume means your sessions come back after a restart.

Skip if:

You run a single agent session at a time and your current terminal handles it. The notification system is most valuable at two or more concurrent sessions; with one, Ghostty or iTerm2 covers the same ground.

AI engineers testing web changes from the terminal

The in-app browser sits next to a Claude Code or OpenCode session. When an agent makes changes to a web app, you can verify the result in the browser pane without switching applications. The browser API lets agents interact with the dev server directly: snapshot the DOM, click through UI flows, read network responses.

Skip if:

Your agent workflow is entirely server-side or CLI-to-CLI with no frontend verification step. If there is no web UI to check, the browser pane adds nothing.

Developers working across local and remote machines

cmux ssh user@remote creates a full cmux workspace for a remote machine, and browser panes route through the remote network so localhost URLs from agents on that host work correctly. You can run Claude Code on a powerful cloud box and drive it from your Mac.

Skip if:

Your workflow is local-only and you have no need for SSH workspaces. The SSH integration is valuable mainly for remote-first or cloud development setups.

Teams using Claude Code's teammate mode

The cmux claude-teams command runs Claude Code's teammate mode and spawns each teammate as a native split pane with sidebar metadata and notification rings. No tmux setup required. Each agent in the team is visible and independently controllable from the main cmux workspace.

Skip if:

You are not using Claude Code's teammate mode. For other multi-agent frameworks, cmux works as a standard terminal with splits but the claude-teams integration is Claude Code-specific.

the problem

The problem it solves#

When you run multiple AI coding agents in parallel, the main bottleneck is knowing which one needs your input. Claude Code's native macOS notification says only 'Claude is waiting for your input' with no context about the task or session. With several panes open in Ghostty, iTerm2, or any standard terminal, finding the right one means checking each pane by eye.

The problem scales quickly. Two agents is manageable. Five agents across different worktrees, tasks, and SSH sessions creates a constant loop of switching and scanning. The more sessions you run, the more time you spend monitoring them rather than acting on their output.

how cmux solves it

How it solves it#

Notification rings and unread badges

When a process needs attention, cmux draws a blue ring around the pane, adds an unread badge in the sidebar, shows a notification popover, and fires a macOS desktop notification. Notifications fire via standard OSC 9/99/777 escape sequences, so any agent that supports OSC output or hooks (Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Pi, Amp) works automatically. Cmd+Shift+U jumps to the most recent unread.

Vertical tabs with per-workspace metadata

The sidebar shows a tab per workspace with the current git branch, linked PR number and status, working directory, listening ports, and the latest notification text. This makes it possible to track many sessions at a glance without switching between them. Each workspace supports horizontal and vertical splits within it.

In-app browser with a scriptable API

Open a real browser pane next to your terminal with Cmd+Shift+L. The browser API (ported from Vercel's agent-browser) lets agents navigate pages, snapshot the DOM, click elements, fill forms, evaluate JavaScript, and read network activity over the same Unix socket used by the CLI. Claude Code can verify its own web changes from within cmux.

CLI and socket API for automation

Every action in cmux is scriptable: create workspaces, split panes, send keystrokes, open URLs in the browser, and read screen contents from the command line or any language that can write to a Unix socket. Project-specific commands can be defined in cmux.json and launched from the command palette.

Session restore with agent resume

cmux saves and restores windows, workspaces, panes, working directories, scrollback, and browser URL when you relaunch or restart your computer. Agent session resume requires running cmux hooks setup after installing the agent CLI. Supported agents include Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Grok, Amp, Gemini, Rovo Dev, and others.

SSH workspaces with remote browser routing

The cmux ssh user@remote command creates a full cmux workspace for a remote machine. Browser panes route through the remote network, so localhost URLs from an agent running on the remote host open correctly in the in-app browser. Dragging an image into a remote session uploads it via scp.

strengths · trade-offs

Strengths and trade-offs#

Strengths

GPL-3.0 macOS app and CLI with no license feesThe macOS app, iOS companion, and CLI are GPL-3.0-or-later, so installation, use, and modification are free for any purpose. Unlike Warp's subscription model, there is no paid tier required to use the core terminal. cmux Pro is an optional paid tier for early access to Cloud VMs and AI features in development.
Native Swift/AppKit, not Electroncmux is built with Swift and AppKit and uses libghostty for rendering, the same library behind Ghostty. It reads your existing ~/.config/ghostty/config for themes, fonts, colors, and cursor settings, so your terminal preferences carry over without reconfiguration. Fast startup and low memory compared to Electron-based terminals.
Works with every CLI agent, no lock-incmux is a terminal, so any agent that runs in a terminal works without additional configuration: Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Gemini CLI, Kiro, Aider, Goose, Amp, Cline, Cursor Agent, and others. It supports Claude Code's teammate mode (cmux claude-teams) and oh-my-opencode multi-model setups, turning each subagent into its own visible pane.
Active development with 28,700+ GitHub starsThe repo crossed 28,700 stars and 2,626 forks since launch in January 2026, with active commits through November 2026. It is built in public with feature-request and bug tracking on GitHub and community on Discord. The multilingual README (21 languages) reflects strong international adoption.

Trade-offs

-macOS only for nowcmux runs only on macOS. The team lists Windows and Linux as future platforms with a waitlist. Developers on Linux or Windows cannot use the macOS app today; they can follow the GitHub repo and join the waitlist for their platform.
-3,649 open GitHub issuesThe GitHub tracker shows 3,649 open issues (pull requests excluded, read from the GitHub search API). For a project launched in January 2026, that volume reflects active community use and fast feature development but also an open backlog of bugs and requests. Some edge cases and UI rough spots are known open issues.
-Server infrastructure has a BUSL-1.1 licenseThe macOS app, iOS app, and CLI are GPL-3.0-or-later and free for any use. The server-side components (web services, relay workers, presence services) are BUSL-1.1 and require a commercial license from Manaflow to self-host those components. Users who install only the macOS app and CLI are not affected by this restriction.

versus alternatives

cmux vs alternatives#

cmux vs Conductor

Conductor was an AI coding orchestrator that managed agent workflows through its own interface and workflow layer. Conductor reaches end of life on 2026-11-20. It is not a viable long-term choice for new setups.

cmux takes a different approach from what Conductor offered: it is a terminal app, not an orchestrator. Where Conductor managed the agent workflow for you, cmux gives you visible panes, notification rings, and workspaces and leaves workflow decisions to you. Teams moving away from Conductor can run their existing Claude Code, Codex, or OpenCode commands directly in cmux workspaces without adopting a new agent management layer.

cmux vs Warp

Warp and cmux share a user: developers who run CLI-based tools and want a terminal with more intelligence than iTerm2 or Ghostty alone. The key differences are licensing, design philosophy, and AI integration.

Feature	cmux	Warp
License	GPL-3.0 (app/CLI)	Proprietary
Pricing	Free (Pro tier optional)	Subscription
Rendering	libghostty, native Swift	Rust/GPU
AI features	Bring-your-own agent	Warp AI built-in
In-app browser	Yes, scriptable API	No
Notification rings	Yes	No
Platforms	macOS (iOS beta)	macOS, Linux, Windows

Warp is the better choice if you want AI features built directly into the terminal: command completions, AI-generated commands, and a Warp-hosted AI workflow. Warp also supports Linux and Windows, which cmux does not yet.

cmux is the better choice if you are running multiple separate AI coding agents and need visibility across all of them. The notification system, the sidebar with per-workspace metadata, and the in-app browser with its scriptable API are purpose-built for multi-agent workflows. The macOS app and CLI are free and open source, with no subscription required.

install · quick start

Quick start#

bash

Install cmux on macOS using Homebrew.
```bash
brew tap manaflow-ai/cmux
brew install --cask cmux
```

tech stack · detected from GitHub

What it's built on#

Languages: C++GoJavaJavaScriptPythonRustSwiftTypeScriptZig
Frameworks: Next.jsReact
Databases: PostgreSQL
Infrastructure: AWS
Tooling: esbuild

frequently asked

FAQ#

Is cmux free to use?

Yes. The macOS app and CLI are GPL-3.0-or-later and free to download, use, and modify. cmux Pro is an optional paid tier for early access to Cloud VMs, the iOS app, and AI features in development; the core terminal is free. Source code is on GitHub at github.com/manaflow-ai/cmux.

What AI coding agents work with cmux?

All of them. cmux is a terminal, so any agent that runs in a terminal works without configuration: Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Gemini CLI, Kiro, Aider, Goose, Amp, Cline, Cursor Agent, and others. Session resume hooks are available for Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Grok, Amp, and others via cmux hooks setup.

Is the server infrastructure open source too?

Partially. The macOS app, iOS app, CLI, and cmux-tui are GPL-3.0-or-later and fully open source. The server-side infrastructure (web services, relay workers, presence services) is licensed under BUSL-1.1, which requires a commercial license from Manaflow to self-host those components. Users who install only the desktop app and CLI are not affected.

How does cmux relate to Ghostty?

cmux is not a fork of Ghostty. It uses libghostty as a library for terminal rendering, the same way an app might use WebKit for web views. Ghostty is a standalone terminal; cmux is a separate app built on top of the libghostty rendering engine, adding workspaces, a sidebar, notification rings, an in-app browser, and a CLI and socket API. Your existing ~/.config/ghostty/config carries over directly.

Does cmux support tmux or zellij?

Yes. cmux can attach to remote tmux sessions over SSH. For local sessions, cmux local-tmux opts in to a tmux owner layer for live detach and reattach across restarts; zellij users can use cmux local-zellij instead. Both are opt-in. cmux's own session restore handles most layout and scrollback needs without tmux or zellij.

Looking for more

Other ways to replace Conductor and Warp#

paperclip

Featuredfor Conductor

Self-hosted AI agent management with org charts and budgets

111,113Visit

Orca

#1 in the Conductor guide

Drop-in Conductor replacement with 27 or more agents on macOS, Windows, and Linux under MIT

115,397

T3 Code

#2 in the Conductor guide

MIT-licensed control plane for 6 or more agents with mobile and web clients and a large community

46,806

Paseo

#3 in the Conductor guide

Daemon-based architecture for agents running on a VM or Docker host with full mobile parity

23,074

All 47 Conductor alternatives 12 open source Conductor alternatives, ranked

by category

Open source tools in these categories#

579

12,915 GitHub stars
Licence AGPL-3.0
#Email

rakazo

Alternative toGrok Bot

AI teammates you own: your keys, your model, your machine.

7,028 GitHub stars
Licence Apache-2.0
#AI Agents

SnitchFeed

Live monitoring on LinkedIn, X, Reddit & more. Agentic social listening for startups.

Marketing & Growth

Advertise your product

The projects we add and every new guide. Free, unsubscribe any time.

Find open source alternatives to paid software

cmux vs Conductor

cmux vs Warp

Feature	cmux	Warp
License	GPL-3.0 (app/CLI)	Proprietary
Pricing	Free (Pro tier optional)	Subscription
Rendering	libghostty, native Swift	Rust/GPU
AI features	Bring-your-own agent	Warp AI built-in
In-app browser	Yes, scriptable API	No
Notification rings	Yes	No
Platforms	macOS (iOS beta)	macOS, Linux, Windows

Who cmux is for#

Developers running parallel Claude Code or Codex sessions

Skip if:

AI engineers testing web changes from the terminal

Skip if:

Developers working across local and remote machines

Skip if:

Teams using Claude Code's teammate mode

Skip if:

The problem it solves#

How it solves it#

Notification rings and unread badges

Vertical tabs with per-workspace metadata

In-app browser with a scriptable API

CLI and socket API for automation

Session restore with agent resume

SSH workspaces with remote browser routing

Strengths and trade-offs#

Strengths

Trade-offs

cmux vs alternatives#

cmux vs Conductor

cmux vs Warp

Quick start#

What it's built on#

FAQ#

Other ways to replace Conductor and Warp#

Open source tools in these categories#

Developer Tools

AI & Machine Learning

Find open source alternatives to paid software

Who cmux is for#

Developers running parallel Claude Code or Codex sessions

Skip if:

AI engineers testing web changes from the terminal

Skip if:

Developers working across local and remote machines

Skip if:

Teams using Claude Code's teammate mode

Skip if:

The problem it solves#

How it solves it#

Notification rings and unread badges

Vertical tabs with per-workspace metadata

In-app browser with a scriptable API

CLI and socket API for automation

Session restore with agent resume

SSH workspaces with remote browser routing

Strengths and trade-offs#

Strengths

Trade-offs

cmux vs alternatives#

cmux vs Conductor

cmux vs Warp

Quick start#

What it's built on#

FAQ#

Other ways to replace Conductor and Warp#

Open source tools in these categories#

Developer Tools

AI & Machine Learning

Find open source alternatives to paid software