comparison

Pane vs Agentastic

TL;DR

Agentastic is a free, native Mac app that works like an editor built for agents: 55 built-in agent definitions plus custom CLIs, worktrees, Docker, SSH and cloud VM sandboxes, an editor, a browser, code review, scheduled and manager-style agents, and an iPhone beta. Pane is a free, open-source desktop app that runs any CLI agent in its own terminal and worktree, with a Changes panel, git buttons, a built-in browser and an orchestrator, on Windows, WSL, Linux and Mac. Pick Agentastic if you're on a Mac and want an all-in-one native editor with sandboxes; pick Pane if your team uses other platforms, you want open source, or you'd rather keep your own editor.

or
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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which one should you pick?

pick agentastic if

  • → you're on a Mac and want editor, terminal, browser, diff and review in one native window
  • → you want Docker, SSH and cloud VM sandboxes for free
  • → you want an iPhone app to check on agents
  • → closed source doesn't bother you

pick pane if

  • → you use Windows or Linux, keep code inside WSL, or work in a mixed-OS team
  • → you want open source and a public issue tracker
  • → you'd rather keep your own editor and add a focused agent tool
  • → you want clear licensing today

at a glance

yespartly, or with a catchno

pane12 yes · 1 partly · 0 noagentastic7 yes · 1 partly · 5 no
basics
what it isdesktop app: real terminals for agents, side by sidenative Mac editor built for agents
licenseAGPL-3.0, open sourceclosed source; licensing unclear
pricefreefree today
platforms
Windowsyes (x64 and ARM64)no
repos inside WSLyes: agents, terminals and git run in the distrono
macOSyes, Apple Silicon and Intelyes, macOS 14+, Apple Silicon and Intel
Linuxyes (AppImage, .deb)no
agents
agentsany CLI55 built in plus custom CLIs
how agents runthe agent's own terminal UIterminal, or a chat view for about 30 agents
agents that run agentsSessions and the runpane CLImanager agents with charters
everyday work
isolation per taska worktree and branchworktrees, plus Docker, SSH and cloud VM modes
code editoropen in your own editorbuilt in
reviewChanges panel, commit, push, mergediff and code review
remote and teams
phoneiOS and Android app coming soon; browser app via Remote Pane todayiPhone beta on TestFlight
safety and setup
public issue trackeryes, on GitHubno
account needednono (yes for the phone relay)

basics

what it is

pane

desktop app: real terminals for agents, side by side

agentastic

native Mac editor built for agents

license

pane

AGPL-3.0, open source

agentastic

closed source; licensing unclear

price

pane

free

agentastic

free today

platforms

Windows

pane

yes (x64 and ARM64)

agentastic

no

repos inside WSL

pane

yes: agents, terminals and git run in the distro

agentastic

no

macOS

pane

yes, Apple Silicon and Intel

agentastic

yes, macOS 14+, Apple Silicon and Intel

Linux

pane

yes (AppImage, .deb)

agentastic

no

agents

agents

pane

any CLI

agentastic

55 built in plus custom CLIs

how agents run

pane

the agent's own terminal UI

agentastic

terminal, or a chat view for about 30 agents

agents that run agents

pane

Sessions and the runpane CLI

agentastic

manager agents with charters

everyday work

isolation per task

pane

a worktree and branch

agentastic

worktrees, plus Docker, SSH and cloud VM modes

code editor

pane

open in your own editor

agentastic

built in

review

pane

Changes panel, commit, push, merge

agentastic

diff and code review

remote and teams

phone

pane

iOS and Android app coming soon; browser app via Remote Pane today

agentastic

iPhone beta on TestFlight

safety and setup

public issue tracker

pane

yes, on GitHub

agentastic

no

account needed

pane

no

agentastic

no (yes for the phone relay)

Facts checked on October 3 and 4, 2026: Agentastic v0.13 and Pane v2.4.157. Rechecked against Agentastic's site, docs and releases on November 5, 2026: Agentastic v0.16.2.

the real difference: Mac-only editor or cross-platform manager

Agentastic is a native Mac editor. Pane is an agent manager for every OS.

Agentastic runs only on macOS 14 or newer and wants to be your editor too: files, code, terminal, browser, diff and review in one native Swift window, with worktrees or containers per agent. The app has no Windows or Linux build and no stated plans, so a mixed-OS team can't share it. Its own agent CLI also runs on Linux and WSL, but the app is Mac-only.

Pane runs on Windows x64 and ARM64, inside WSL, on Intel and Apple Silicon Macs, and on Linux. It doesn't try to be an editor: each pane has the agent's own terminal, extra terminals, diffs and a browser, and you open the worktree in VS Code, Cursor or your own editor with one click.

isolation

Agentastic offers containers and VMs. Pane uses worktrees and per-pane ports.

Agentastic can run an agent in a worktree, a Docker or Apple container, on an SSH host or on a Modal, Fly or Vercel VM, billed to your own accounts. Pane isolates with git worktrees on your machine, with .env and config copied in and a block of ports per pane, and can run its host on another machine with Remote Pane.

licence and openness

Agentastic is closed with unclear licensing. Pane is AGPL-3.0.

Agentastic is free with "no limits" today, but it's closed source with no public repo or issue tracker; its license page shows MIT text without naming a product, while its terms grant a revocable licence and forbid reverse engineering. How it will sustain itself isn't public. Pane is AGPL-3.0, free, with its source and issues on GitHub.

our verdict

Agentastic packs a lot into a fast native Mac app for free. If you need it on Windows, WSL or Linux, want open source with clear licensing, or prefer to keep your own editor, Pane is the better fit.

how we checked

Agentastic is Mac-only, so on October 3 and 4, 2026 we checked its site, docs, release notes, legal repository and Homebrew tap without running it. Pane 2.4.155 ran on Windows 11 with WSL2 (Ubuntu 24.04).

Facts about each product come from its own docs, release notes and, where public, source code, checked on the same dates.

What we ran
  • → Pane 2.4.155 on Windows 11, native and WSL2 (Ubuntu 24.04) repos
  • → Agentastic checked from its site, docs, release notes and legal repository (Mac-only)
Who wrote this
We make Pane, so we have a stake in this. We tried to be fair: Agentastic'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

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See also: desktop agent managers · agent manager tools
or
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
Paste that in PowerShell.Linux

By Parsa Khazaeepoul, co-founder of Pane. .