Running one AI coding agent is easy: open a terminal and type claude or codex. Running four of them on the same project without them overwriting each other is a different job. Since early 2025 a whole category of tools has grown around that problem: desktop apps, terminal UIs and kanban boards that start several agents, give each one its own branch and help you review what they produced.
This post compares the tools people actually use for that in 2026. I build AgentVera, so it comes first, but I’ve tried to be fair: where another tool is the better choice, I say so. Prices change often, so for every tool other than AgentVera I simply point you to their site.
What makes a good parallel agent tool?
Before the list, the criteria I used. A tool for parallel coding agents should handle five things:
- Isolation: each agent works in its own git worktree or folder, so two agents never edit the same file.
- Overview: you can see which agent is working, which is waiting for approval and which failed, without clicking through tabs.
- Agent choice: it runs the agents you already use, with their own logins, instead of forcing one vendor.
- Review and merge: it helps you read diffs and get finished branches back into main.
- Platform: it runs on the operating system your team uses.
No tool wins on all five. The table below shows where each one stands.
Comparison table
| Tool | Platforms | Agents | License | Isolation | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AgentVera | macOS, Windows, Linux | 18 CLIs (Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Copilot, Cursor, opencode …) | Not open source | Worktree panel, agent per worktree | Free plan; Pro and Team |
| Conductor | macOS only | Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenCode | Closed source | Worktree per agent | See their site |
| Superset | Electron app, optimized for macOS | Any CLI agent | Source-available (ELv2) | Worktree per task | See their site |
| Nimbalyst | macOS, Windows, Linux | Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode | MIT, free | Worktrees | Free |
| Vibe Kanban | Runs locally | Several CLI agents | Apache-2.0 | Worktree per task card | See their site |
| Claude Squad | Terminal (tmux) | Claude Code and other CLIs | AGPL | tmux session + worktree | Free |
| Emdash | Desktop | Many providers | Open source | Worktree per agent | See their site |
| Claude Code desktop app | Desktop | Claude only | Anthropic | Parallel sessions in worktrees | Claude plan |
| Codex app | macOS, Windows | Codex only | OpenAI | Parallel threads | ChatGPT plan |
| Cursor background agents | Cursor | Cursor’s own agent | Cursor | Remote environments | Usage billed |
| VS Code Agent Sessions | VS Code | Copilot and supported agents | Microsoft | Per session | See their site |
The tools, one by one
1. AgentVera
AgentVera is a desktop app for macOS, Windows and Linux that runs 18 coding agents in real terminals, side by side, per project. Each agent uses its CLI’s own login, so your Claude Pro or Max plan and your ChatGPT plan work as they are; no API key is needed.
What it does well:
- A grid per project. Lay out anywhere from 1×1 to 5×4 panes and drag agents between them. Each pane shows status and live context size. See the workspace.
- Worktrees from a panel. Create a worktree from a new or existing branch and start an agent directly in it. The Git panel shows how far each branch is ahead or behind.
- Mixing agents. Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Copilot, Cursor, opencode, Qwen Code, Kiro, Amp, Aider and others run in the same grid; anything else runs in a Terminal agent.
- Work between agents. Flows pass one agent’s reply to another, and automatic code review checks each finished turn.
- Limits. Automatic account switching moves an agent to the next Claude or Codex account when a limit runs out, and
/compactcan run automatically at a context threshold.
Where others are better: AgentVera is not open source. If you only use Claude Code on a Mac and want the most polished single-vendor experience, Conductor or the Claude Code app may feel simpler. Flows and account switching are on the Pro plan; the grid, worktrees and the 18 agents are free.
2. Conductor
Conductor is a macOS app that runs Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and OpenCode agents, each in its own git worktree. It is closed source and Mac only. Its strength is a focused, well-designed flow: create a workspace, let the agent work, review the diff, open a pull request. If your whole team is on Macs, it is one of the smoothest options. If anyone is on Windows or Linux, it is not an option at all. We compare it in more detail in AgentVera vs Conductor.
3. Superset
Superset is an Electron app optimized for macOS that can run any CLI agent, with a worktree per task. Its source is available under the Elastic License 2.0 (ELv2), which lets you read and run the code but is not an OSI open-source license. It suits people who want a terminal-first tool that doesn’t care which agent they use. See AgentVera vs Superset.
4. Nimbalyst
Nimbalyst is the successor of Crystal, which was deprecated in February 2026. It is free, MIT-licensed and runs on macOS, Windows and Linux, with Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode. It also has a mobile companion app for checking on agents away from your desk. If you want a free, open-source, cross-platform tool, Nimbalyst is the strongest pick. See AgentVera vs Nimbalyst.
5. Vibe Kanban
Vibe Kanban takes a different angle: tasks are cards on a kanban board, and each card runs an agent in its own worktree. It is Apache-2.0 licensed. Its company, Bloop, shut down on 2026-04-10; the project is now community-maintained. The board is a good fit if you think in tickets rather than terminals, but check the repository’s activity before betting a team workflow on it. See AgentVera vs Vibe Kanban.
6. Claude Squad
Claude Squad is a Go terminal UI built on tmux and git worktrees, licensed under AGPL. Each agent gets a tmux session and a worktree, and you switch between them from the keyboard. It is light, free and runs anywhere tmux runs, including over SSH. It has no GUI, so diffs and reviews happen in your own tools. See AgentVera vs Claude Squad.
7. Emdash
Emdash is an open-source agentic development environment that supports many providers, with an agent per worktree. It is a good choice if you want an open-source desktop app and use agents beyond Claude and Codex.
8. Claude Code desktop app
Anthropic’s own Claude Code desktop app runs parallel Claude sessions in separate worktrees. It only runs Claude, but it comes with your Claude plan and needs no extra setup. If Claude is your only agent and you don’t need flows, account chains or other CLIs, start here.
9. Codex app
OpenAI’s Codex app runs on macOS and Windows and handles several Codex threads at once. Like the Claude app, it runs only its own agent and comes with your ChatGPT plan.
10. Cursor background agents
Cursor’s background agents run Cursor’s own agent in remote environments and are billed by usage. They fit teams already living in Cursor; they don’t run Claude Code or Codex CLIs on your machine.
11. VS Code Agent Sessions
VS Code’s Agent Sessions view lists and manages agent sessions inside the editor. If your team already works in VS Code with Copilot, it is the lowest-friction way to keep several sessions in view.
How to choose
Start from your constraints, not from feature lists:
- Which operating systems? If anyone uses Windows or Linux, drop Conductor. Superset is built for macOS first. AgentVera, Nimbalyst and Claude Squad (via tmux or WSL) cover all three.
- Which agents? One vendor only: its official app is the simplest. Claude Code plus Codex: AgentVera, Conductor, Nimbalyst, Superset or Emdash. Many CLIs at once: AgentVera, Superset or Emdash.
- Open source required? Nimbalyst, Vibe Kanban, Claude Squad and Emdash. Superset is source-available, not open source.
- Terminal or GUI? If you live in tmux, Claude Squad is hard to beat. If you want panes, diffs and notifications, pick a desktop app.
- How do agents hand off work? If one agent’s output should feed another, look for flows or pipelines rather than isolated sessions.
- Do you hit limits? If you regularly run out of Claude or Codex limits, account switching and context controls matter more than layout. See Claude Code usage limits.
Practical tips for any tool
Whichever tool you pick, the same rules decide whether parallel work pays off:
- One goal per agent. A measurable task (“move session handling to refresh tokens”) beats an open one (“improve auth”).
- A worktree per agent when they might touch the same files. The basics are in git worktrees for parallel agents.
- Start with two agents. Add a third when the split works.
- Review before merging. Run the tests and read the diffs; parallel agents produce more code than you can trust blindly.
- Watch token use. Every agent re-reads its context each turn. See cutting Claude Code token usage.
For a full walkthrough of splitting work between agents, read parallel coding agents, and for Claude-specific steps, how to run multiple Claude Code agents in parallel.
Wrapping up
There is no single best tool for parallel coding agents. Conductor is excellent if your team is all-Mac and Claude-first. Nimbalyst is the free, open-source, cross-platform pick. Claude Squad is ideal for tmux users. The official Claude Code and Codex apps are the simplest when you use one vendor.
AgentVera is for the case in between: several agents from different vendors, on macOS, Windows or Linux, in one grid, with worktrees, flows and limit handling. You can download it for free and check the plans when you need more.