A Maestro alternative with flows, checks and a team kanban
Maestro (maestro-build.com, not to be confused with other products of the same name) is a free desktop app for running coding agents in parallel, made by a single developer. Each task gets a fresh git worktree and branch with its own chat, terminal, editor, diff, preview and checks; you can push, open the pull request and merge without leaving the app, and Maestro Web mirrors your workspaces to your phone. It runs on macOS, Windows and Linux, and its source is public under the Business Source License 1.1, with each version turning into Apache 2.0 four years after release. AgentVera runs agent CLIs in real terminals side by side, and adds flows, acceptance checks and team tools. Below is how they differ and where Maestro is the better fit.
Maestro and AgentVera side by side
| Feature | Maestro | AgentVera |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | macOS (Apple Silicon), Windows 10 or 11 (x64 only; runs natively, not through WSL) and Linux (x86-64 AppImage); Maestro Web runs in a phone browser. | macOS, Windows and Linux desktop app. |
| Supported agents | Claude Code, Codex, Cursor’s agent CLI, OpenCode, Kimi Code and Grok Build, or a plain shell; each uses its own installed CLI and login. | 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 | Source available under the Business Source License 1.1, which its own text says is not an open-source license; each version becomes Apache 2.0 four years after release. | Closed source. |
| Pricing model | Free: the desktop app and Maestro Web, with no paid tier. | Free plan with unlimited agents; Pro and Team plans are paid. |
| Git worktrees | Yes. Every new workspace is a fresh worktree on its own branch, cut from the latest remote; on Windows this needs Git for Windows. | 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 | Several chats per workspace side by side, for example a second agent reviewing the first; we did not find pipelines between agents on its pages. | 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 | A Checks tab shows ahead/behind, PR state, CI and comments from gh, and gates merging on approval, green checks and resolved comments, with an override. | 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 | Remote projects over SSH, where every command, terminal and file operation runs on the host (Linux or macOS); we did not find a 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 | not confirmed | Organizations, team kanban, client boards, AgentVera Runner on your own server, automatic account switching. |
A dash means we could not confirm the feature on Maestro’s own pages. It may exist or arrive later; check their site.
When to pick Maestro
- You want a free app with no paid tier, whose source you can read and build yourself.
- You want the pull request flow inside the app: draft the PR from the diff, watch CI, and merge once checks are green and comments resolved.
- You want to steer agents from your phone through Maestro Web, with a push when an agent finishes or needs you.
- You use Grok Build, or want turns to keep running on an always-on machine over SSH while your laptop is closed.
When to pick AgentVera
- You want 18 CLIs (from Gemini CLI and Copilot to Amp and Aider) in real terminals, side by side in a grid.
- 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) after each turn, automatic code review and a warning when two agents edit the same file.
- You want a team kanban, organizations, automatic account switching, a database manager and an SSH/SFTP panel in the same app.
Moving from Maestro to AgentVera
- Download AgentVera and open the repositories you use in Maestro.
- Add Claude Code, Codex, Cursor Agent, opencode or Kimi Code. AgentVera starts the CLIs you already installed, so your logins and subscriptions carry over.
- Maestro workspaces are ordinary git worktrees: open them from the Git panel, or merge and archive them first.
- To follow agents away from your desk, use the AgentVera mobile app or Telegram; to keep them running on a server, install AgentVera Runner there.
Questions
Is Maestro free?
Yes. The Maestro desktop app and Maestro Web are both free, with no subscription or per-seat price; you pay your agent providers as before. AgentVera has a free plan with unlimited agents; Pro and Team are paid.
Is Maestro open source?
Its source is public, but under the Business Source License 1.1, which is not an open-source license: it does not allow offering Maestro to others as a competing hosted service, and each version becomes Apache 2.0 after four years. AgentVera is closed source.
Does Maestro run on Windows?
Yes, natively on Windows 10 and 11 (x64), without WSL; its page says the installer is not code-signed yet, so SmartScreen warns once. AgentVera also runs natively on Windows, with an x64 installer.
Can I control Maestro from my phone?
Yes, through Maestro Web, a free mobile web app: link the desktop once and choose which projects sync. AgentVera has an iOS and Android app that connects to the AgentVera on your computer, and Telegram notifications.
Can I use Maestro and AgentVera on the same repository?
Yes. Both work on plain git branches and worktrees, so you can try AgentVera without changing your Maestro setup.
Sources
Facts about Maestro come from its own pages, checked on the date below. Products change quickly; check them for the current state.
Last checked:
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Try AgentVera next to Maestro
The free plan has unlimited agents. Open the same repository, add the CLIs you already use and compare for yourself.