alternatives

Agentastic alternatives

TL;DR

Agentastic is a free, native Mac app that works like an editor built for agents: 55 built-in agent definitions, worktrees, Docker, SSH and cloud sandboxes, a browser, code review and an iPhone beta. People look elsewhere because it only runs on macOS 14 or newer, it's closed source with no public repo or issue tracker, its licensing is unclear (a boilerplate MIT page next to terms that forbid reverse engineering), and how it will make money isn't settled. Pane is the closest open-source alternative: any CLI agent in its real terminal and worktree, with review, git and an orchestrator, on Windows, inside WSL, on Linux and on Mac. Orca is the pick if you want a similar all-in-one feature set that's open source.

or
Download*
Windows SmartScreen warningDirect downloads can show a SmartScreen warning while Pane is unsigned. Pane is fully open source, so you can audit the code and build from source yourself.1. Click More info2. Click Run anyway3. Continue the installerThe PowerShell install downloads the official release directly and avoids most browser download friction.npm global install
Paste that in PowerShell.Linux

the alternatives

Every tool here runs several coding agents at once in their own git worktrees. The chips show where each one runs: green is native, amber has a catch, red is no.

  1. 1.Pane

    Best for the same core workflow on every OS, open source.

    Each agent runs in its own terminal UI and worktree, with a Changes panel, git shortcuts, a built-in browser and an orchestrator chat. Native on Windows (x64 and ARM64), inside WSL, macOS and Linux. Free, AGPL-3.0, no account.

    WindowsWSLmacOSLinux

  2. 2.Orca

    Best for an open-source all-in-one with a browser and phone app.

    MIT, 40 agents in real terminals, design mode, issue trackers, SSH hosts and per-workspace cloud VMs. Heavy at about 1 GB installed.

    WindowsWSLmacOSLinux

  3. 3.Emdash

    Best for issue-tracker intake and remote tasks, open source.

    Apache-2.0, 37 agents, tasks from 13 trackers, SSH remotes and a VM or container per task. No WSL mode.

    WindowsWSLmacOSLinux

  4. 4.Conductor

    Best for the most polished review loop on a Mac.

    A chat view over Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and OpenCode, with deep PR review and cloud workspaces that keep running when the laptop closes. Closed source and needs an account.

    WindowsWSLmacOSLinux

  5. 5.Superset (now Paradev)

    Best for a feature-rich Mac app with a team plan.

    Terminals, worktrees, a browser, a PR inbox and automations. Needs an account. MIT-licensed since November 2026.

    WindowsWSLmacOSLinux

which one should you pick?

stay with agentastic if

  • → you're on a Mac and want editor, terminal, browser, diff and review in one native window
  • → you want free Docker, SSH and cloud VM sandboxes
  • → you want an iPhone app to check on agents
  • → closed source doesn't bother you

pick pane if

  • → you use Windows or Linux, keep code inside WSL, or work in a mixed-OS team
  • → you want open source and a public issue tracker
  • → you'd rather keep your own editor and add a focused agent tool
  • → you want clear licensing today

pane vs agentastic at a glance

yespartly, or with a catchno

pane10 yes · 0 partly · 0 noagentastic5 yes · 0 partly · 5 no
platforms
Windowsyes, native (x64 and ARM64)no
repos inside WSLyes: agents, terminals and git run in the distrono
macOSyes, Apple Silicon and Intelyes, macOS 14+, Apple Silicon and Intel
Linuxyes (AppImage, .deb)no
agents
agentsany CLI55 built in plus custom CLIs
everyday work
worktree per taskyesyes, plus container and VM modes
code editoruse your ownbuilt in
safety and setup
open sourceyes, AGPL-3.0no; licensing unclear
public issue trackeryes, on GitHubno
pricefreefree today
account needednono (yes for the phone relay)

platforms

Windows

pane

yes, native (x64 and ARM64)

agentastic

no

repos inside WSL

pane

yes: agents, terminals and git run in the distro

agentastic

no

macOS

pane

yes, Apple Silicon and Intel

agentastic

yes, macOS 14+, Apple Silicon and Intel

Linux

pane

yes (AppImage, .deb)

agentastic

no

agents

agents

pane

any CLI

agentastic

55 built in plus custom CLIs

everyday work

worktree per task

pane

yes

agentastic

yes, plus container and VM modes

code editor

pane

use your own

agentastic

built in

safety and setup

open source

pane

yes, AGPL-3.0

agentastic

no; licensing unclear

public issue tracker

pane

yes, on GitHub

agentastic

no

price

pane

free

agentastic

free today

account needed

pane

no

agentastic

no (yes for the phone relay)

Facts checked on October 3 and 4, 2026 (Agentastic v0.13 and Pane v2.4.157). Rechecked on November 5, 2026.

why people look for an agentastic alternative

Mac-only, closed and unclear licensing.

Agentastic runs only on macOS 14 or newer, with no Windows or Linux build and no stated plans, so a mixed-OS team can't share it. The app is closed source with no public repo or issue tracker: the only public repositories are a Homebrew tap and legal documents.

Its licence is unclear: the site's license page shows MIT text without naming a product, while its terms grant a revocable licence and forbid reverse engineering, and its llms.txt calls the app proprietary. It's free with "no limits" today, but how it will sustain itself isn't public, and its first enterprise feature, Fab, has no published price. Recent release notes are full of freeze, hang and session-loss fixes, and there's no public issue tracker to report bugs.

moving from agentastic to pane

Your agents and logins carry over. Keep your editor; Pane runs the agents around it.

Agentastic and Pane both run the agent CLIs you've already signed into. Open your repository in Pane and create a pane per task: each gets its own worktree and branch by default. Start Claude Code, Codex or Cursor with a click, or Gemini CLI, Copilot, OpenCode, Amp or any other CLI as a custom command, each in its own terminal UI.

Review in the Changes panel and commit, push and merge with shortcuts, and open the worktree in your own editor whenever you want to edit by hand. Pane has a built-in browser too. For agents on other machines, Remote Pane runs Pane's host on a server over SSH, Tailscale or HTTPS. If you rely on per-task containers or cloud VMs, Orca and Emdash cover that.

our verdict

Agentastic packs a lot into a fast native Mac app for free. If you need it on Windows, WSL or Linux, or want open source with clear licensing, Pane is the most direct alternative. For an open-source all-in-one, Orca; for issue intake and remote tasks, Emdash.

how we checked

Agentastic is Mac-only, so on October 3 and 4, 2026 we checked its site, docs, release notes, legal repository and Homebrew tap without running it. Pane, Orca and Emdash ran on one Windows 11 PC with WSL2 (Ubuntu 24.04); Conductor and Superset facts come from their docs and pricing.

Facts about each product come from its own docs, release notes and, where public, source code, checked on the same dates.

What we ran
  • → Pane 2.4.155 on Windows 11, native and WSL2 (Ubuntu 24.04) repos
  • → Agentastic checked from its site, docs, release notes and legal repository (Mac-only), October 3 and 4, 2026
Who wrote this
We make Pane, so we have a stake in this. We tried to be fair: Agentastic's strengths are listed as plainly as Pane's, every claim was checked against the product itself or its docs and source, and the screenshots are unedited captures from our own runs.
Corrections
If anything here is wrong or out of date, tell us and we'll fix it and update the date at the top. Open an issue on GitHub
Sources

frequently asked questions

more comparisons

Pane vs super.engineeringPane vs ConductorPane vs Orca
See also: desktop agent managers · agent manager tools
or
Download*
Windows SmartScreen warningDirect downloads can show a SmartScreen warning while Pane is unsigned. Pane is fully open source, so you can audit the code and build from source yourself.1. Click More info2. Click Run anyway3. Continue the installerThe PowerShell install downloads the official release directly and avoids most browser download friction.npm global install
Paste that in PowerShell.Linux

By Parsa Khazaeepoul, co-founder of Pane. .