Does PandaCode run on Windows, Linux or WSL?

It ships Windows and Linux builds, which its own docs call previews, and the Linux build needs X11 or XWayland. WSL isn't supported yet; that's open issue #304. Pane runs natively on Windows and Linux, and runs agents in WSL repos from the same Windows app.

Is PandaCode open source?

The code is public under the PandaCode License: MIT with one added clause that public or commercial forks must credit PandaCode with a link. Pane is AGPL-3.0 with an added Dcouple attribution term, so it has an extra clause too. Orca (MIT), Emdash (Apache-2.0) and Kandev (AGPL-3.0) use the standard texts.

Can I add an agent PandaCode doesn't list?

There's no documented way. Each integration is written against that agent's own protocol. In Pane, any CLI runs as a custom command.

Can I keep my Claude or ChatGPT subscription?

Yes. PandaCode starts your local CLIs, and each one keeps its own login. Pane does the same, so a CLI signed in to your plan stays signed in.

alternatives

PandaCode alternatives

TL;DR

PandaCode is a free Tauri app from AICodeKing, a YouTuber, hosted at github.com/aicodeking/pandacode. One window drives a long roster of coding CLIs, from Claude Code and Codex to Kimi, GLM and Muse Code. You get a Pending to Completed board, architect-and-worker agent teams and a worktree per task. It needs no account and sends no telemetry.

The catch is maturity. Its own docs label the Windows and Linux builds previews, WSL isn't supported, and the repo only appeared on October 18, 2026. If you're on Windows, WSL or Linux and want a native app there, Pane is the closest fit: each agent in its real terminal and its own worktree, with diffs and git. Orca has a similarly long agent list, Emdash starts tasks from your issue tracker, and Kandev keeps a board.

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

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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 native on Windows, WSL and Linux, with each CLI in its own terminal.
Pane opens each agent's real terminal UI in a separate worktree, so a CLI looks and works as it does in your shell. Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode and Cursor are presets (Cursor on macOS, Linux and WSL), and anything else runs as a custom command. Free, AGPL-3.0.
WindowsWSLmacOSLinux
2.Orca
Best for a roster nearly as long as PandaCode's, plus WSL repos.
Orca runs about 40 agents in real terminals and can run them on repos inside WSL. It's MIT, has iOS and Android apps, and weighs about 1 GB installed.
WindowsWSLmacOSLinux
3.Emdash
Best for starting each task from an issue.
Emdash pulls tasks from 12 issue trackers and runs about 35 agents, locally or on SSH remotes. Apache-2.0, with no WSL mode.
WindowsWSLmacOSLinux
4.Kandev
Best for a board where each column hands off to a different agent.
Cards move through plan, build, review and PR, with a different agent per step and an approval gate between them. You self-host it under AGPL-3.0; for WSL repos it needs a separate install inside WSL.
WindowsWSLmacOSLinux

which one should you pick?

stay with PandaCode if

→ you want Kimi, GLM, MiMo, ZCode or Muse Code next to Claude Code in one window
→ you're on a Mac and like a light, free app that needs no account and collects no telemetry
→ you like an architect agent that plans and hands work to workers on different models
→ you build mobile apps and want iOS Simulator and Android emulator panes beside the chat

pick pane if

→ your main machine runs Windows or Linux, or your repos live in WSL
→ you'd rather see each agent's real terminal than a chat view of it
→ your agent isn't on PandaCode's list, so you need a custom command

pane vs PandaCode at a glance

yespartly, or with a catchno

	pane9 yes · 0 partly · 1 no	PandaCode6 yes · 3 partly · 1 no
basics
what it is	a desktop app	a chat-style desktop workspace (Tauri)
platforms
Windows	yes, native (x64 and ARM64)	preview (x64 and ARM64)
repos inside WSL	yes, in the same app	no (open request)
macOS	yes	yes, macOS 12 or later
Linux	yes (AppImage, .deb)	preview AppImage, X11 or XWayland only
agents
agents	any CLI	a long built-in list; no documented way to add one
task board	no; an orchestrator chat steers agents	yes, Pending to Completed, with agent teams
everyday work
worktree per task	yes, by default	yes, from the branch chip
review and git	Changes panel, commit, push, merge	diffs, staging, commits, local merge, PRs via gh
safety and setup
license	AGPL-3.0 plus an attribution term	MIT plus a fork-attribution clause
account needed	no	no

basics

what it is

pane

a desktop app

PandaCode

a chat-style desktop workspace (Tauri)

platforms

Windows

pane

yes, native (x64 and ARM64)

PandaCode

preview (x64 and ARM64)

repos inside WSL

pane

yes, in the same app

PandaCode

no (open request)

macOS

pane

yes

PandaCode

yes, macOS 12 or later

Linux

pane

yes (AppImage, .deb)

PandaCode

preview AppImage, X11 or XWayland only

agents

pane

any CLI

PandaCode

a long built-in list; no documented way to add one

task board

pane

no; an orchestrator chat steers agents

PandaCode

yes, Pending to Completed, with agent teams

everyday work

worktree per task

pane

yes, by default

PandaCode

yes, from the branch chip

review and git

pane

Changes panel, commit, push, merge

PandaCode

diffs, staging, commits, local merge, PRs via gh

safety and setup

license

pane

AGPL-3.0 plus an attribution term

PandaCode

MIT plus a fork-attribution clause

account needed

pane

PandaCode

PandaCode facts checked on November 5, 2026 (PandaCode v0.3.97); Pane facts from Pane v2.4.157, with its agent presets rechecked on v2.4.214.

why people look for a PandaCode alternative

The non-Mac builds are previews, there's no WSL, and the app is weeks old.

PandaCode's platform doc says CI builds the Windows and Linux apps and checks that they launch, but hands-on testing isn't finished. Linux needs X11 or XWayland. WSL isn't supported, and the request for it (#304) is still open.

The repo dates from October 18, 2026. After the v0.3.92 redesign, a user asked for an option to keep the older, lighter look (#323).

Because PandaCode wraps each CLI in its own chat UI, features differ by agent. One open issue says only Codex tasks actually get the task-management tools the docs promise for all of them (#331).

moving from PandaCode to pane

PandaCode launches your installed CLIs, so their logins already work in Pane.

PandaCode doesn't hold your credentials. Each CLI keeps its own sign-in, and Pane starts those same CLIs. A PandaCode task with a worktree from the branch chip maps to a pane, which creates the worktree and branch for you and copies in your .env and agent config. Agents from PandaCode's list without a Pane preset, such as Kimi Code or Pi, run as a custom command.

There's no board to move cards across. For the architect-and-workers pattern, ask Pane's orchestrator chat to plan the work, and it starts and steers an agent in a pane for each part. Diffs, commits, pushes and merges happen in the Changes panel, much like PandaCode's git view, minus its PR button.

our verdict

On a Mac, PandaCode is a generous free app if you hop between many CLIs and like agent teams. On Windows, in WSL or on Linux, where its builds are previews or missing, Pane is the most direct alternative. Orca is the pick for a long agent roster with phone apps, Emdash for issue-driven work, and Kandev for a staged board.

how we checked

We didn't install PandaCode. We read its README, docs, license, GitHub releases and issue tracker on November 5, 2026.

Facts about Orca, Emdash and Kandev come from their own docs, releases and issue trackers, researched on October 3, 2026 and rechecked on October 4.

What we ran

→ Desk research: PandaCode's README, docs, releases and issue tracker, checked November 5, 2026. We didn't install or run it.

Who wrote this

We make Pane, so we have a stake in this. We checked every claim about PandaCode 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

Download*

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By Parsa Khazaeepoul, co-founder of Pane. Last reviewed November 5, 2026.