A cmux alternative for Windows, Linux and macOS
cmux, from Manaflow, is a native macOS terminal built on libghostty, the engine behind Ghostty, and made for running coding agents. It adds vertical tabs, split panes, notification rings that light up when an agent needs you, a browser that agents can script, and a CLI and socket API to drive it all. The app is free and open source under GPL-3.0-or-later; paid plans add Cloud VMs, and an iOS app is in beta. AgentVera also runs agent CLIs in real terminals, on macOS, Windows and Linux, and adds worktrees, flows, acceptance checks and team tools. Below is how they differ and where cmux is the better fit.
cmux and AgentVera side by side
| Feature | cmux | AgentVera |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | macOS only for now (native Swift and AppKit app); an iOS app is in beta on TestFlight. Cloud VMs on paid plans are Linux machines. | macOS, Windows and Linux desktop app. |
| Supported agents | Any agent that runs in a terminal, for example Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Gemini CLI, Kiro, Aider, Goose, Amp, Cline and Cursor Agent. | 18 CLI coding agents, including Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Copilot, Cursor Agent, opencode, Amp and Aider, plus plain terminals. Each uses its own CLI install and login. |
| Open source / license | Open source, GPL-3.0-or-later for the app; its server software (web app, workers and relay) is under the Business Source License 1.1. | Closed source. |
| Pricing model | Free; Plus $15 a month (one saved Cloud VM); Pro $50 a month or $480 a year; Max $200 a month; Team $60 per user a month; Enterprise custom. | Free plan with unlimited agents; Pro and Team plans are paid. |
| Git worktrees | The sidebar shows each workspace’s git branch and offers a Project Worktrees view; we did not find worktree creation described on its pages. | Yes. Create a worktree per task from the Git panel and start an agent in it; night-shift tasks get their own worktree. You are warned when two agents edit the same file. |
| Kanban | not confirmed | Team kanban shared across your organization; hand a card to Claude, Codex or another agent and the reply lands on the card (Pro and Team). |
| Flows and pipelines between agents | Claude Code agent teams and oh-my-opencode subagents open as their own panes; scripts can create workspaces, start agents and send input through the CLI and socket API. | Flows pass one agent’s output to the next; a team view of open agents led by a manager; a parallel team that ends in one PR; staged task line; night shift (Pro and Team). |
| Acceptance checks | not confirmed | Verify extracts acceptance criteria from your request and a separate read-only verifier checks each one after the agent’s turn; automatic code review. |
| Database manager / SSH | The cmux ssh command opens a workspace on a remote machine, and attaching to remote tmux sessions is in beta; no database manager. | Database manager for PostgreSQL, MySQL/MariaDB and SQLite (Pro and Team); SSH/SFTP panel; agent SSH and database access with your rules. |
| Token savings | not confirmed | Context profiles, automatic /compact, bundled RTK output compression, automatic per-task model routing and a project map (code graph) for agents. |
| Team features | Team plan pools Cloud VMs per seat with central billing; Enterprise adds SSO and SAML, shared team rules and audit logs. | Organizations, team kanban, client boards, AgentVera Runner on your own server, automatic account switching. |
A dash means we could not confirm the feature on cmux’s own pages. It may exist or arrive later; check their site.
When to pick cmux
- You work on a Mac and want a native, Ghostty-based terminal rather than a separate agent app.
- You want notification rings, vertical tabs and a browser that agents can script, all driven from a CLI and socket API.
- You want agents to keep running on Cloud VMs in isolated sandboxes, or to follow them from an iPhone.
- You want an open-source (GPL-3.0) terminal you can read and build yourself.
When to pick AgentVera
- You or your team use Windows or Linux as well as macOS; AgentVera ships builds for all three.
- You want a worktree per task created from the Git panel, and a warning when two agents edit the same file.
- You want agents to hand work to each other: flows, a team view led by a manager, a parallel team that ends in one PR, night shift.
- You want acceptance checks (Verify), a team kanban, automatic account switching, a database manager and an SSH/SFTP panel in the same app.
Moving from cmux to AgentVera
- Download AgentVera and open the folder you use in a cmux workspace as a project.
- Add the agents you ran in cmux panes. AgentVera starts the CLIs you already installed, so your logins and subscriptions carry over.
- Put each task in its own worktree from the Git panel instead of a separate workspace or split.
- Replace socket scripts that started agents with flows or the team view, and turn on notifications or Telegram for agents that need you.
Questions
Is cmux free?
Yes. The cmux app is free and open source under GPL-3.0-or-later. Paid plans from $15 a month add Cloud VMs; Pro at $50 a month adds up to five VMs and the iOS app. AgentVera has a free plan with unlimited agents; Pro and Team are paid.
Does cmux run on Windows or Linux?
Not yet. The cmux README says macOS only, for now; its Cloud VMs run Linux. AgentVera ships desktop builds for macOS, Windows and Linux.
Is cmux a fork of Ghostty?
No. cmux says it is not a fork: it is its own Swift and AppKit app that uses libghostty for rendering. AgentVera is a separate desktop app with its own terminals.
Is AgentVera open source like cmux?
No. AgentVera is a closed-source desktop app with a free plan. The cmux app is open source under GPL-3.0-or-later.
Can I use cmux and AgentVera on the same repository?
Yes. Both run the same agent CLIs on plain git branches, so you can try AgentVera without changing your cmux setup.
Sources
Facts about cmux come from its own pages, checked on the date below. Products change quickly; check them for the current state.
- cmux.com
- cmux.com/agents
- cmux.com/pricing
- cmux docs: SSH and remote
- cmux docs: changelog
- github.com/manaflow-ai/cmux
Last checked:
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Try AgentVera next to cmux
The free plan has unlimited agents. Open the same repository, add the CLIs you already use and compare for yourself.