alternatives
KanVibe alternatives
TL;DR
KanVibe (github.com/rookedsysc/kanvibe) is a free, AGPL-3.0, keyboard-first Kanban desktop app for coding agents. Creating a card makes a git worktree and a tmux or zellij session, and hooks for Claude Code, Gemini CLI, Codex and OpenCode move the card from TODO through PROGRESS to REVIEW on their own. You move it to DONE. It isn't Vibe Kanban, a separate, larger project that inspired it.
People look elsewhere because it ships for Apple Silicon Macs only (no Windows, Linux or Intel build), it expects tmux, and moving a card to DONE deletes its branch, worktree and session. It's also small: 150 stars and about 140 release downloads in total, as of November 5, 2026.
Pane gives every agent its own terminal and git worktree (a separate copy of your repo on its own branch) with no tmux to install. Archiving a task checks for uncommitted and unpushed work before the worktree goes. It's free and open source, on macOS 12 and up (Intel too), Windows, WSL (Linux inside Windows) and Linux.
the alternatives
These four keep KanVibe's worktree-per-task habit on more operating systems, and all of them are free and open source. The chips show where each one runs: green is native, amber has a catch, red is no.
1.Pane
Best for a worktree and real terminal per task, on every OS, no tmux needed.
Panes sit in a sidebar instead of on a board. Status dots show which agent is working, blocked or done, and a notification fires when one finishes or needs you. Each pane has a real terminal and worktree, and a Session chat can create and steer more. Free, AGPL-3.0, no account.
WindowsWSLmacOSLinux
2.Kandev
Best for a board that splits work into plan, build and review steps.
Kandev is the closest to KanVibe's board. Each card moves through plan, build, review and PR, with a different agent per step and a human gate wherever you want one. You host it yourself, and agents can also run over SSH, in Docker or on Kubernetes. AGPL-3.0, no account.
WindowsWSLmacOSLinux
Best for a board that follows each agent's PR through CI and review.
AO's live Kanban updates as agents work, much as KanVibe's hooks move cards, and it follows each pull request through CI and review. Failures go back to the agent that wrote the code. Apache-2.0, with iOS and Android apps. Agents can't run inside WSL.
WindowsWSLmacOSLinux
4.herdr
Best for a light, terminal-first setup that keeps agents running.
herdr is for people who like tmux and zellij. It splits your terminal into panes, marks each agent working, blocked or idle, and keeps agents running after you detach. You create worktrees from its sidebar. Apache-2.0, native on Windows, macOS and Linux. For WSL, run its Linux build there. It has no diff or commit tools.
WindowsWSLmacOSLinux
which one should you pick?
stay with kanvibe if
- → you're on an Apple Silicon Mac and already live in tmux or zellij
- → you want cards that move themselves from agent hooks, so you see who's working, waiting or done
- → you like Vim-style board controls and a keyboard-first app
- → you want worktrees cleaned up the moment a task is done
pick pane if
- → you work on Windows, Linux or an Intel Mac, or keep repos in WSL
- → you don't want to install or learn tmux
- → you want a finished task checked for unpushed work before its worktree goes
- → you want a lead-agent chat that creates and steers other agents
pane vs kanvibe at a glance
yespartly, or with a catchno
| pane10 yes · 0 partly · 0 no | kanvibe5 yes · 2 partly · 3 no | |
|---|---|---|
| basics | ||
| what it is | a desktop app | a macOS Kanban app |
| platforms | ||
| Windows | yes, native (x64 and ARM64) | no |
| repos inside WSL | yes, in the same app | no |
| macOS | yes, macOS 12 and up | Apple Silicon only |
| Linux | yes (AppImage, .deb) | no |
| agents | ||
| agents | any CLI | 4 with hooks, others as a custom command |
| how agents run | the agent's own terminal UI | the agent's own terminal UI, in tmux or zellij |
| everyday work | ||
| worktree per task | yes | yes, deleted at DONE |
| safety and setup | ||
| license | AGPL-3.0, open source | AGPL-3.0, open source |
| price | free | free |
| account needed | no | no |
basics
what it is
pane
kanvibe
a macOS Kanban appplatforms
Windows
pane
kanvibe
norepos inside WSL
pane
kanvibe
nomacOS
pane
kanvibe
Apple Silicon onlyLinux
pane
kanvibe
noagents
agents
pane
kanvibe
4 with hooks, others as a custom commandhow agents run
pane
kanvibe
the agent's own terminal UI, in tmux or zellijeveryday work
worktree per task
pane
kanvibe
yes, deleted at DONEsafety and setup
license
pane
kanvibe
AGPL-3.0, open sourceprice
pane
kanvibe
freeaccount needed
pane
kanvibe
noKanVibe facts checked on November 5, 2026 (1.5.0), from its README, docs, releases and build config. Pane facts checked against Pane v2.4.214.
why people look for a kanvibe alternative
Apple Silicon Macs only, tmux expected, and a DONE column that deletes the branch.
Every release from 1.0.0 to 1.5.0 ships one Mac DMG, and the 1.5.0 binary is arm64 only. Its build config has a Mac target and nothing else, though the README still lists Linux shortcuts. The docs say "KanVibe is distributed as a macOS desktop app".
The README lists tmux as a requirement. With the plain terminal session type instead, "running work disappears when the app quits or a remote connection drops". Moving a card to DONE deletes the branch, worktree and session. Codex hooks only load for trusted paths, so you trust each new worktree first. An open issue reports its SSH connection pooling breaking the user's own ssh to the same host.
moving from kanvibe to pane
Your agents and branches carry over. Each KanVibe card becomes a pane, Pane's word for one task.
Claude Code, Gemini CLI, Codex and OpenCode all run in Pane, in plain terminals with no tmux or zellij session around them. Claude Code and Codex start from a preset (Cursor too, outside native Windows), and the others run as custom commands. Every pane gets a fresh worktree and branch, with your .env files and agent folders copied in.
To pick up a card you haven't finished, start a pane on its branch, or bring its worktree over with runpane panes adopt. KanVibe added hook files to each project's .claude/, .gemini/, .codex/ and .opencode/ folders. Pane copies .claude, .gemini and .codex into new worktrees by default, so delete those hooks first if you don't want them.
our verdict
KanVibe is a neat, keyboard-first board for tmux users on Apple Silicon Macs, with cards that track agents on their own. Pane is the most direct alternative if you're on another OS, don't want tmux, or want unpushed work caught before a task's worktree is removed. Kandev fits if you want plan, build and review steps, Agent Orchestrator if you want CI fed back to agents, and herdr if you'd rather stay in the terminal.
how we checked
On November 5, 2026 we read KanVibe's README, docs site, all 21 releases, its build config and issues, and its two Show HN posts. We checked the binary architecture in its 1.5.0 disk image without running the app.
For Kandev, Agent Orchestrator and herdr, we relied on our October 2026 research files.
- What we ran
- → Desk research on November 5, 2026: KanVibe's README, docs site, releases, build config and issues, its Show HN posts, and the binary architecture inside its 1.5.0 disk image. The app was never installed or launched.
- Who wrote this
- We make Pane, so we have a stake in this. We checked every claim about KanVibe against its own site, docs, releases and issues on the dates above.
- 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
By Parsa Khazaeepoul, co-founder of Pane. .