alternatives
Herdr alternatives
TL;DR
Herdr is one of the best terminal tools for running coding agents: tiny, fast, and agents keep running when you disconnect. People look elsewhere when they want a desktop window, a diff view and git built in, which Herdr leaves to plugins and your own commands. Pane keeps the same real terminal agents and adds worktrees by default, diffs, git buttons, notifications and an orchestrator, on Windows, WSL, macOS and Linux. Claude Squad and cmux are other terminal-first options.
the alternatives
Each 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 Herdr's real terminal agents with worktrees, diffs and git built in.
A desktop app on Windows (x64 and ARM64), WSL, macOS and Linux, with notifications and an orchestrator. Free and open source.
WindowsWSLmacOSLinux
Best for the smallest tmux-based option.
A 5 MB tmux TUI with a worktree per agent. Maintained part-time; no native Windows.
WindowsWSLmacOSLinux
3.cmux
Best for a native Mac terminal for watching agents.
Ghostty-based, with rings that show which agent needs you. Mac-only, no worktrees.
WindowsWSLmacOSLinux
4.Emdash
Best for a desktop app with issue intake.
35 agents in worktrees, a diff and commit panel, tasks from 12 trackers. No WSL.
WindowsWSLmacOSLinux
which one should you pick?
stay with herdr if
- → you live in the terminal and work over SSH
- → you want agents that survive any disconnect
- → you want the lightest tool, about 40 MB
pick pane if
- → you want a desktop window with notifications
- → you want worktrees, diffs and git built in
- → you want a native Windows app that handles WSL repos
- → you want an orchestrator chat
pane vs herdr at a glance
yespartly, or with a catchno
| pane6 yes · 1 partly · 0 no | herdr4 yes · 2 partly · 1 no | |
|---|---|---|
| platforms | ||
| Windows | yes, native (x64 and ARM64) | yes since August 2026 (x64, unsigned) |
| repos inside WSL | yes, from the Windows app | run its Linux build inside WSL |
| macOS and Linux | yes | yes |
| basics | ||
| what it is | desktop app | terminal multiplexer (TUI) |
| license | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| everyday work | ||
| agents survive closing | while Pane runs; Remote Pane keeps them on a host | yes |
| worktree per task | yes, by default | yes, from a dialog |
| review and git | Changes panel, diff tabs, git buttons | no; run git yourself |
platforms
Windows
pane
herdr
yes since August 2026 (x64, unsigned)repos inside WSL
pane
herdr
run its Linux build inside WSLmacOS and Linux
pane
herdr
yesbasics
what it is
pane
herdr
terminal multiplexer (TUI)license
pane
herdr
Apache-2.0everyday work
agents survive closing
pane
herdr
yesworktree per task
pane
herdr
yes, from a dialogreview and git
pane
herdr
no; run git yourselfFacts checked on October 3 and 4, 2026: Herdr v0.9.3 and Pane v2.4.157.
why people look past herdr
Review and git, a window, and Windows polish.
Herdr deliberately keeps its core small: no diff viewer, no commit, push or pull request tools, no task board. It's a terminal UI, so people who want a window and mouse-first review look elsewhere. Its native Windows build is new and unsigned, and it moves fast with frequent breaking changes. It doesn't accept unsolicited pull requests.
moving from herdr to pane
Same terminal agents; worktrees, review and git come built in.
Herdr's agents run in their real terminals, and so do Pane's. Open your repository in Pane and create a pane per feature; each gets its own worktree and branch by default. The Changes panel and git buttons replace running git in a split pane, and notifications tell you when an agent finishes or needs you.
our verdict
Herdr is excellent at what it does. If you want worktrees, review and git built in, or a native Windows app that handles WSL repos, Pane is the most direct alternative.
how we checked
On October 3 and 4, 2026 we ran Herdr's Linux build in WSL2 and its native Windows build, plus Pane, Emdash, T3 Code and Claude Squad on the same Windows 11 PC, with the same task in each.
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: Herdr'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. .