comparison · hands-on

Pane vs Ghostex

TL;DR

Ghostex and Pane are both free, open-source desktop apps that run each agent's real CLI, on Windows, inside WSL, macOS and Linux. Ghostex draws a chat view over each agent's terminal, keeps sessions alive in its own daemon after you quit, and adds a browser, VS Code, a Kanban, remote hosts, cloud boxes and an Android app. Pane gives every task its own worktree by default, shows the agent's own terminal, and keeps the surface small: a Changes panel, git shortcuts, a built-in browser and an orchestrator. Pick Ghostex for the most features and persistent sessions; pick Pane for worktree isolation, a smaller app and Intel Mac builds.

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

which one should you pick?

pick ghostex if

  • → you want a polished chat view over Claude Code, Codex and Cursor, with the terminal one key away
  • → you want agents to keep running after you quit the app
  • → you want a browser, VS Code, Kanban and scheduled runs in the same window
  • → you want an Android app today

pick pane if

  • → you want a worktree per task by default, so agents never share a checkout
  • → you want a smaller app with one settings window
  • → you're on an Intel Mac
  • → you want git actions that tell you when they fail

at a glance

yespartly, or with a catchno

pane11 yes · 2 partly · 0 noghostex9 yes · 4 partly · 0 no
basics
what it isdesktop app: real terminals for agents, side by sidenative app over a daemon: persistent terminals with a chat view
made byDcouplea solo developer
licenseAGPL-3.0, freeMIT, free
release pacemost daysa release or two most days
platforms
Windowsyes (x64 and ARM64)yes (x64 and ARM64), unsigned
repos inside WSLyes: agents, terminals and git run in the distroyes, WSL mode
macOSyes, Apple Silicon and IntelApple Silicon only
Linuxyes (x64 and ARM64)yes (x64 and ARM64)
agents
agentsany CLIany CLI; chat view for about 20
how agents runthe agent's own terminal UIreal terminal with a chat view on top
everyday work
worktree per taskyes, on by defaultavailable; one shared checkout by default
review and commitChanges panel, commit, push, mergecommit dialog with AI messages, multiple commits, PRs
agents after you quitsessions resume when you reopenkeep running in its daemon
built-in viewsbrowserbrowser, VS Code, Kanban, Linear and Jira
remote and teams
other machinesRemote Pane host over SSH, Tailscale or HTTPSSSH hosts and cloud boxes
phoneiOS and Android app coming soon; browser app via Remote Pane todayAndroid app; iOS on TestFlight
safety and setup
settings surfaceone settings window451 settings
account needednono

basics

what it is

pane

desktop app: real terminals for agents, side by side

ghostex

native app over a daemon: persistent terminals with a chat view

made by

pane

Dcouple

ghostex

a solo developer

license

pane

AGPL-3.0, free

ghostex

MIT, free

release pace

pane

most days

ghostex

a release or two most days

platforms

Windows

pane

yes (x64 and ARM64)

ghostex

yes (x64 and ARM64), unsigned

repos inside WSL

pane

yes: agents, terminals and git run in the distro

ghostex

yes, WSL mode

macOS

pane

yes, Apple Silicon and Intel

ghostex

Apple Silicon only

Linux

pane

yes (x64 and ARM64)

ghostex

yes (x64 and ARM64)

agents

agents

pane

any CLI

ghostex

any CLI; chat view for about 20

how agents run

pane

the agent's own terminal UI

ghostex

real terminal with a chat view on top

everyday work

worktree per task

pane

yes, on by default

ghostex

available; one shared checkout by default

review and commit

pane

Changes panel, commit, push, merge

ghostex

commit dialog with AI messages, multiple commits, PRs

agents after you quit

pane

sessions resume when you reopen

ghostex

keep running in its daemon

built-in views

pane

browser

ghostex

browser, VS Code, Kanban, Linear and Jira

remote and teams

other machines

pane

Remote Pane host over SSH, Tailscale or HTTPS

ghostex

SSH hosts and cloud boxes

phone

pane

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

ghostex

Android app; iOS on TestFlight

safety and setup

settings surface

pane

one settings window

ghostex

451 settings

account needed

pane

no

ghostex

no

Facts checked on October 3 and 4, 2026: Ghostex v10.11.1 (tested 10.9.1) and Pane v2.4.157. Rechecked against Ghostex's site, docs and releases on November 5, 2026: Ghostex v10.47.0.

what it's like to use

We gave both apps the same small job in a test repo: add a --version flag to a CLI, then review the change. Here's what you see. Green notes work well, blue ones are nice touches, amber ones are confusing, and red ones are missing or broken.

1.agents at work

Pane

Pane: the agent's real terminalPane runs the agent's own terminal UI, exactly as it looks anywhere else, with several panes going at once.Pane 2.4.155, three panes running Claude Code

Ghostex

Ghostex: a chat view over each sessionSessions are listed under the project, and each opens as a chat drawn from the agent's real terminal. By default they share one checkout.Ghostex 10.9.1 on Windows 11, three sessions, October 4, 2026

2.reviewing the change

Pane

Pane: Changes panel and diff tabsPane lists every touched file with its line counts. Click one and its diff opens as a tab next to the agent.Pane 2.4.155, after the agent finished

Ghostex

Ghostex: a full commit dialogA file tree with line counts, a syntax-highlighted diff, an optional AI message and several ways to commit.Ghostex 10.9.1, the commit dialog after the agent finished

the real difference: shared checkout or worktree per task

Ghostex sessions share a checkout unless you set up worktrees. Every Pane is its own worktree.

In our run, Ghostex's parallel sessions all worked in the same project folder, so their changes mixed, and we couldn't find Add Worktree from any menu. Worktrees exist in Ghostex, but they aren't the default path.

In Pane, creating a pane creates a worktree and branch, copies in your .env and agent config, and gives the pane its own port block. Several agents on one repo never touch each other's files, and each pane's Changes panel shows only its own work.

features and pace

Ghostex does a lot, with 451 settings. Pane does less, with one settings window.

Ghostex bundles a lot: a chat view with side questions and rewind, persistent sessions in its daemon, a browser, VS Code, a Kanban, Linear and Jira, scheduled automations, SSH hosts, cloud boxes and an Android app. It's almost entirely one developer's work, shipping a release or two most days, with 451 settings and regressions between versions; two of our commits failed with no message.

Pane focuses on agents, worktrees, review and git, with a built-in browser and Sessions, an orchestrator that starts and steers agents in other panes. It has one settings window and releases often, but its core stays put.

when you quit

Ghostex keeps agents running. Pane brings them back when you reopen.

Ghostex's daemon keeps each agent alive when you quit the window, so long jobs carry on. Pane restores layout, tabs, scrollback and agent sessions when you reopen it, so you pick up where you left off.

our verdict

Ghostex is one of the most feature-packed free agent apps, and its persistent sessions are excellent. If you want each task isolated in its own worktree, a smaller app, and builds for every platform including Intel Macs, Pane is the better fit.

how we checked

On October 4, 2026 we ran Ghostex 10.9.1 on Windows 11 in native and WSL modes (Ubuntu 24.04) with Claude Code and Codex in parallel, reviewed and committed a change, and ran Pane 2.4.155 on the same PC.

Facts about each product come from its own docs, changelog, issue tracker and source code, checked on October 3 and 4, 2026. We rechecked Ghostex's releases and README on November 5, 2026 (v10.47.0).

What we ran
  • → Pane 2.4.155 on Windows 11, native and WSL2 (Ubuntu 24.04) repos
  • → Ghostex 10.9.1 on the same PC in native and WSL modes
  • → The same small task in both
Who wrote this
We make Pane, so we have a stake in this. We tried to be fair: Ghostex'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

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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. .