alternatives
Tempest alternatives
TL;DR
Tempest (tempestai.dev) is a free, Apache-2.0 desktop app whose lead developer is Prharsha G. It runs Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI and 13 more agents side by side. Every session gets a git worktree, meaning its own folder and branch, so two agents never edit the same files. Diff, commit, push and PR are built in. The headline feature is Atlas, a local code index that every session shares.
Why look elsewhere? It's v0.1, with no release since October 6, and its own pages disagree about which systems it supports. WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux, where plenty of Windows developers keep their code) isn't in the docs at all. And the token savings, 55% to 88% in its README, come only from its own benchmark.
Pane is the pick if your code lives in WSL, or you want one agent to coordinate the rest. Orca has the longest feature list. Superset is a polished Mac app with tasks and automations, and Emdash starts agents from 12 issue trackers.
the alternatives
Like Tempest, each of these runs agents in parallel. The chips cover Windows, WSL, Mac and Linux. Green is native support, amber comes with a catch, red is none.
1.Pane
Best for WSL repos, and an agent that runs the other agents.
Pane opens repos inside WSL from the same Windows app and runs any CLI agent in a real terminal there. Its runpane CLI lets one agent create Panes, send prompts and read other agents' screens. Every Pane gets its own worktree, with diff, commit, push and merge on shortcuts. AGPL-3.0, free, no account.
WindowsWSLmacOSLinux
2.Orca
Best for the widest feature set, with the WSL support Tempest's docs skip.
A free MIT app for Mac, Windows and Linux that opens WSL repos and runs Claude Code, Codex and about 35 other agents in worktrees. Its built-in browser lets you click an element to send it to the agent. It also has scheduled automations and phone apps for iOS and Android.
WindowsWSLmacOSLinux
3.Superset
Best for a polished Mac app, if Linear and GitHub tasks are why you use Tempest.
Runs agent CLIs in real terminals inside worktrees, with diff, commit and PR built in. The desktop app is free. Pro is $20 a user a month and adds automations, Linear and the phone app. You have to sign in. Source-available under the Elastic License 2.0. Linux is experimental, and there's no Windows build.
WindowsWSLmacOSLinux
4.Emdash
Best for agents started from your issue tracker, or on an SSH host.
Free and Apache-2.0, with 35 documented agent CLIs. It pulls tickets from 12 trackers, including Linear, Jira and GitHub, into the agent's first prompt, and runs projects on remote machines over SSH. Native on Windows x64, macOS and Linux. WSL repos aren't supported.
WindowsWSLmacOSLinux
which one should you pick?
stay with Tempest if
- → you want to try a shared code index that every agent queries, and you're fine judging the savings yourself
- → you work from GitHub issues and Linear tickets and want to launch an agent from each one
- → you want each session sandboxed by the OS, plus per-session database copies through Docker
- → you want a native Android companion app for driving sessions on the same Wi-Fi
pick pane if
- → your repos live inside WSL
- → you want one agent to create Panes and prompt the others, through the runpane CLI or MCP
- → you'd like a phone view through Remote Pane, a host you run yourself and open in a browser
pane vs Tempest at a glance
yespartly, or with a catchno
| pane9 yes · 0 partly · 0 no | Tempest8 yes · 0 partly · 0 no | |
|---|---|---|
| basics | ||
| what it is | a desktop app | a desktop app |
| platforms | ||
| Windows | yes, native (x64 and ARM64) | yes, x64 (.msi and .exe) |
| repos inside WSL | yes, in the same app | not documented |
| macOS | yes | yes, Apple Silicon and Intel |
| Linux | yes (AppImage, .deb) | yes (AppImage, .deb, x64 and ARM64) |
| agents | ||
| agents | any CLI | 16 built in, plus custom agents |
| everyday work | ||
| worktree per task | yes, by default | yes, by default |
| review and git | Changes panel, diff tabs, commit, push, merge | diff, stage, commit, push, open a PR |
| safety and setup | ||
| license | AGPL-3.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| account needed | no | no |
basics
what it is
pane
Tempest
a desktop appplatforms
Windows
pane
Tempest
yes, x64 (.msi and .exe)repos inside WSL
pane
Tempest
not documentedmacOS
pane
Tempest
yes, Apple Silicon and IntelLinux
pane
Tempest
yes (AppImage, .deb, x64 and ARM64)agents
agents
pane
Tempest
16 built in, plus custom agentseveryday work
worktree per task
pane
Tempest
yes, by defaultreview and git
pane
Tempest
diff, stage, commit, push, open a PRsafety and setup
license
pane
Tempest
Apache-2.0account needed
pane
Tempest
noTempest facts checked on November 5, 2026 (Tempest v0.1.25); Pane facts from Pane v2.4.214 and its docs.
why people look for a Tempest alternative
It's v0.1, its pages disagree, and WSL isn't covered.
Tempest's repo dates from June 2026, and v0.1.25 on October 6 is the latest release. Three of its own pages tell different stories. The download page lists Windows, macOS and Linux. The homepage FAQ calls Linux build-from-source. The About page says macOS and Linux binaries "are on the roadmap." The release files include all three, so go by those. WSL repos aren't mentioned.
Then there's the token claim. The repo says up to 86% fewer tokens, the docs say a median 76%, and the README table runs from 55% to 88% across seven open-source repos. All of it is Tempest's own benchmark. Nobody outside the project has measured it yet.
moving from Tempest to pane
Keep your agent CLIs. Each session becomes a Pane.
Pane starts the same CLIs Tempest does, with their existing logins. Add your repo, including one inside WSL, and create a Pane for each task. Pane makes the worktree and branch and copies your .env and agent config folders into it. Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode have presets everywhere, Cursor has one on macOS, Linux and WSL, and Gemini CLI, Amp, Goose or any other agent runs as a saved custom command. If Atlas's savings are why you chose Tempest, compare your own numbers: Pane's Usage & Limits page tracks tokens and cost for Claude and Codex. When an agent finishes, the Changes tab shows its diff, and commit, push and merge each have a shortcut.
our verdict
Tempest packs worktrees, review and PRs into a young app, and Atlas is a genuinely new idea worth watching. Choose Pane for WSL repos or an agent that steers the others. Orca has the most features in one window. Superset suits Mac users who live in Linear and GitHub tasks. Emdash pulls tickets from 12 trackers and runs agents on SSH hosts.
how we checked
We didn't install Tempest or test its token numbers. We read its README, docs site, homepage, releases and issues on November 5, 2026, then rechecked its About and download pages the same day.
Orca, Superset and Emdash are described from our own profiles of each tool, written on October 3, 2026 and re-verified the next day.
- What we ran
- → Desk research: Tempest's README, docs site, homepage, About and download pages, GitHub releases and issue tracker, checked November 5, 2026. We didn't install or run Tempest.
- Who wrote this
- We make Pane, so we have a stake in this. We checked every claim about Tempest 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. .