alternatives · linux
Conductor alternatives for Linux
TL;DR
Conductor doesn't run on Linux, and there's only a waitlist that says it might someday. Five agent managers run on Linux today. Pane, Emdash, T3 Code and Paseo are desktop apps that run several agents in parallel worktrees; Herdr is a terminal multiplexer for people who live in tmux or zellij. Pane is the closest to Conductor's workflow, with diffs and git built in, and it's free, open source and needs no account.
the alternatives
Every tool here runs several coding agents at once. The chips show where each one runs: green is native, amber has a catch, red is no.
1.Pane
Best for the closest Conductor-style workflow on Linux.
AppImage and .deb, no tmux or other dependencies. Each agent runs in its real terminal in its own worktree, with diffs, git buttons and an orchestrator chat.
WindowsWSLmacOSLinux
2.Emdash
Best for issue-tracker intake and automations.
AppImage, .deb and .rpm, 35 supported agents and tasks from 12 trackers. Heavy at idle; the AppImage needs extra libraries on some systems.
WindowsWSLmacOSLinux
3.T3 Code
Best for a polished chat view and phone apps.
AppImage, .deb and AUR packages. Fast-moving at version 0.0.x, with several open AppImage bugs when we checked.
WindowsWSLmacOSLinux
4.Paseo
Best for headless servers you reach from a phone.
AppImage, .deb, .rpm and Nix, plus a Docker image and an npm CLI daemon for servers. 40+ agents.
WindowsWSLmacOSLinux
5.Herdr
Best for terminal people who want agents that never stop.
A single 30 MB binary that runs inside your terminal; agents keep running when you disconnect. No diff or git tools.
WindowsWSLmacOSLinux
which one should you pick?
stay with conductor if
- → you can work on a Mac instead
- → your team uses its paid cloud workspaces or multiplayer
pick pane if
- → you want a desktop app with worktrees, diffs and git, like Conductor
- → you want any CLI agent, in its real terminal
- → you want open source with no account
- → you also work on Windows or in WSL
pane vs conductor at a glance
yespartly, or with a catchno
| pane10 yes · 0 partly · 1 no | conductor4 yes · 2 partly · 5 no | |
|---|---|---|
| platforms | ||
| Windows | yes, native (x64 and ARM64) | no |
| repos inside WSL | yes: agents, terminals and git run in the distro | no |
| macOS | yes | yes |
| Linux | yes (AppImage, .deb) | no |
| agents | ||
| agents | any CLI; Claude Code, Codex, Cursor built in | Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenCode |
| how agents run | the agent's own terminal UI | through their SDKs, in Conductor's chat view |
| everyday work | ||
| worktree per task | yes | yes |
| review and git | Changes panel, diff tabs, git buttons | editable diff, PR page, automerge, stacked PRs |
| cloud and teams | no; Remote Pane runs on machines you own | cloud workspaces and multiplayer on paid plans |
| safety and setup | ||
| license | AGPL-3.0, open source | proprietary |
| price | free | free locally; Pro $50/month, Teams $60/user/month |
| account needed | no | yes, in practice |
platforms
Windows
pane
conductor
norepos inside WSL
pane
conductor
nomacOS
pane
conductor
yesLinux
pane
conductor
noagents
agents
pane
conductor
Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenCodehow agents run
pane
conductor
through their SDKs, in Conductor's chat vieweveryday work
worktree per task
pane
conductor
yesreview and git
pane
conductor
editable diff, PR page, automerge, stacked PRscloud and teams
pane
conductor
cloud workspaces and multiplayer on paid planssafety and setup
license
pane
conductor
proprietaryprice
pane
conductor
free locally; Pro $50/month, Teams $60/user/monthaccount needed
pane
conductor
yes, in practiceFacts checked on October 3 and 4, 2026: Conductor 0.90.1 and Pane v2.4.157.
why there's no conductor for linux
Conductor is a native Mac app with no Linux build or date.
Conductor's docs say it isn't available for Linux or Windows yet, and its waitlist only says support might come at some point. There's no AppImage, .deb, .rpm, Flatpak or Nix package. The only Linux in Conductor is inside its paid cloud workspaces, which you still drive from a Mac or iPhone, or through its API.
desktop app or terminal tool
On Linux you can pick a desktop app like Conductor or stay in the terminal.
Pane, Emdash, T3 Code and Paseo are desktop apps: you get a window with your agents, their changes and git. Herdr, and tmux tools like Claude Squad, live inside your terminal and work well over SSH, but leave review and commits to you. If you came from Conductor, a desktop app will feel familiar; Pane is the one that keeps each agent's real terminal while adding worktrees and git around it.
moving from conductor to pane
The workflow carries over: one task, one worktree, one agent, then review and merge.
Conductor organizes work as workspaces backed by git worktrees, and Pane does the same with panes. Open your repository in Pane and create a pane per feature; Pane makes the worktree and branch. Start Claude Code, Codex or Cursor with a click, or any other agent as a custom command. Review in the Changes panel, then commit, push and merge with shortcuts. Your agents keep their own settings and logins, so your Claude or ChatGPT plan works as before.
What you won't find in Pane is Conductor's chat view, its pull request page with deployments, or its paid cloud and team features. What you gain is every platform, any agent in its real terminal, open source, no account, and an orchestrator chat that drives your panes.
our verdict
There's no Conductor for Linux. Pane is the closest replacement: the same worktree-per-task workflow with review and git, open source and with no account. Emdash, T3 Code and Paseo are good desktop options too, and Herdr is the pick if you'd rather stay in the terminal.
how we checked
On October 3 and 4, 2026 we ran Pane, Emdash, T3 Code, Paseo and Herdr on one Windows 11 PC with WSL2 (Ubuntu 24.04), using their Linux builds inside WSL where that's how they run best, and checked each one's Linux packages and open Linux issues. Conductor is Mac-only, so its facts come from its docs, changelog and pricing.
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: Conductor'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
By Parsa Khazaeepoul, co-founder of Pane. .