alternatives · windows

cmux alternatives for Windows

TL;DR

cmux is a fast native Mac terminal for supervising coding agents, and its app doesn't run on Windows; Windows support is one of its most-requested open issues. If you want cmux's terminal-first feel, Herdr is the closest Windows alternative. If you want each agent in its own worktree with diffs and git as well, which cmux leaves out on purpose, pick Pane. Herdr runs natively on Windows too, and both handle WSL repos when run from WSL.

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 on Windows. The chips show where each one runs: green is native, amber has a catch, red is no.

  1. 1.Pane

    Best for worktrees, diffs and git around real terminal agents.

    Native on Windows, plus every other OS. Each agent in its real terminal and its own worktree, with status dots, notifications and an orchestrator.

    WindowsWSLmacOSLinux

  2. 2.Herdr

    Best for the closest terminal-first feel to cmux.

    An agent-aware multiplexer inside your terminal, with state for about 25 agents and agents that survive disconnects. No diff or git tools.

    WindowsWSLmacOSLinux

  3. 3.Emdash

    Best for a desktop app with issue intake.

    35 agents in worktrees with a diff and commit panel, tasks from 12 trackers.

    WindowsWSLmacOSLinux

  4. 4.T3 Code

    Best for a polished chat view and phone apps.

    MIT-licensed and polished, with iOS and Android apps. Young at version 0.0.x.

    WindowsWSLmacOSLinux

which one should you pick?

use cmux if

  • → you can work on a Mac
  • → you want a native Ghostty-based terminal and its scriptable browser

pick pane if

  • → you're on Windows
  • → you want a worktree per feature without scripting it
  • → you want to review diffs and commit from the app
  • → you want an orchestrator that hands out work

pane vs cmux at a glance

yespartly, or with a catchno

pane9 yes · 0 partly · 0 nocmux4 yes · 0 partly · 5 no
platforms
Windowsyes, native (x64 and ARM64)no
repos inside WSLyesno
macOSyesyes, native
Linuxyes (AppImage, .deb)no app; a nightly browser build and a TUI
agents
agentsany CLIany CLI
what needs youstatus dots and notificationsrings, badges, jump to latest
everyday work
worktree per taskyes, by defaultno, by design
review and gitChanges panel, diff tabs, git buttonsno
basics
licenseAGPL-3.0GPL-3.0 app; BSL server

platforms

Windows

pane

yes, native (x64 and ARM64)

cmux

no

repos inside WSL

pane

yes

cmux

no

macOS

pane

yes

cmux

yes, native

Linux

pane

yes (AppImage, .deb)

cmux

no app; a nightly browser build and a TUI

agents

agents

pane

any CLI

cmux

any CLI

what needs you

pane

status dots and notifications

cmux

rings, badges, jump to latest

everyday work

worktree per task

pane

yes, by default

cmux

no, by design

review and git

pane

Changes panel, diff tabs, git buttons

cmux

no

basics

license

pane

AGPL-3.0

cmux

GPL-3.0 app; BSL server

Facts checked on October 3 and 4, 2026: cmux 0.64.25 and Pane v2.4.157.

why there's no cmux for windows

cmux is a native Swift app for macOS.

cmux is built in Swift and AppKit on top of Ghostty's engine, so it's Mac-only; its README says macOS only, for now, and Windows is one of its most-reacted open issues. Its makers offer a separate cross-platform TUI and a nightly Linux browser, but not the app. cmux also leaves out worktrees and git on purpose, so even on a Mac you add isolation yourself.

moving from cmux to pane

Keep the attention-first habits, gain worktrees and git.

Open your repository in Pane and create a pane per feature; each one gets its own worktree and branch, so agents no longer share a checkout. Status dots and notifications tell you which agent needs you, and the Changes panel and git buttons replace the scripts you'd write around cmux.

our verdict

On Windows, Herdr is the closest to cmux's terminal-first style, and Pane is the pick if you also want worktrees, diffs and git built in.

how we checked

cmux's app is Mac-only, so its facts come from its docs, release DMG, source and a run of its separate TUI. We ran Pane, Herdr, Emdash and T3 Code on one Windows 11 PC with WSL2 on October 3 and 4, 2026.

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

What we ran
  • → Pane 2.4.155 on Windows 11, native and WSL2 (Ubuntu 24.04) repos
  • → Each alternative checked against its own docs, releases and issue tracker on October 3 and 4, 2026, and run hands-on where it runs on Windows or WSL
Who wrote this
We make Pane, so we have a stake in this. We tried to be fair: cmux'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

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See also: tmux 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. .