Why does this matter?

AI agents are evolving fast. The best agent today might not be the best one next month. If your workflow tool is locked to one agent, you're stuck with it. Agent-agnostic means you can switch agents without switching tools.

How can Pane work with every agent?

Because Pane is a terminal host, not an AI integration. Any agent that runs in a terminal runs in Pane. Pane manages the workspace (worktrees, branches, sessions). The agent manages the AI part.

Does agent-agnostic mean all agents are the same in Pane?

Not exactly. Pane has built-in templates for Claude Code, Codex and Cursor that add status tracking, conversation resume and Pane's MCP tools, plus token tracking for Claude Code and Codex. But you can run any CLI agent with a custom terminal command. OpenCode: Native launch, saved-conversation restore and once-only initial input since Pane v2.4.170. No named Sessions, Pane Chat, handoff, conversation history UI or native MCP/skills integration yet.

Can I run different agents at the same time?

Yes. You can have Claude Code in one pane and Codex in another, working on different tasks simultaneously. Or have both review the same PR from different perspectives in panels inside the same pane.

glossary

what does "agent-agnostic" mean?

TL;DR

An agent-agnostic tool works with any AI coding agent, so you aren't tied to Claude Code, Codex or any one provider. That matters because the best agent keeps changing, and your panes, worktrees and history shouldn't have to. Pane is a terminal host: each agent gets its own terminal and worktree, and Pane never proxies its API calls. If it runs in a terminal, it runs in Pane.

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

Agent-agnostic means the tool works with any AI coding agent. You're not locked into Claude Code, or Codex, or any one provider. If it runs in a terminal, it runs in Pane.

why this matters

The best agent keeps changing. Your workspace shouldn't have to.

AI agents are changing fast. Six months ago, the landscape looked completely different. If you build your workflow around one specific agent, you're betting that agent stays the best option. That's a risky bet.

Agent-agnostic means your workflow tool survives regardless of which agent wins. Switch from Claude Code to Codex? Your panes, worktrees, and session history stay the same. Try a new agent that just launched? Paste in the terminal command and it works.

how pane does it

Pane hosts terminals and worktrees; the agent does the AI part.

Pane is a terminal host. It gives each agent an isolated terminal in an isolated git worktree. That's it. Pane doesn't proxy API calls, doesn't talk to the AI provider. The agent handles all of that on its own.

That's why Pane gives agents two ways to drive it: a CLI any agent can run, and an MCP server for agents that prefer tools. Every agent knows how to run shell commands. Not every agent supports MCP.

agents that work in pane

Four agents have built-in support. Their capabilities differ.

agent	support level	what that means
Claude Code	Built-inTab button and shortcut, status tracking, conversation resume, token and cost tracking, Pane MCP tools	Tab button and shortcut, status tracking, conversation resume, token and cost tracking, Pane MCP tools
Codex	Built-inTab button and shortcut, status tracking, conversation resume, token and cost tracking, Pane MCP tools	Tab button and shortcut, status tracking, conversation resume, token and cost tracking, Pane MCP tools
Cursor	Built-inTab button and shortcut, status tracking, conversation resume, Pane MCP tools. macOS, Linux and WSL repos	Tab button and shortcut, status tracking, conversation resume, Pane MCP tools. macOS, Linux and WSL repos
Gemini CLI	Custom commandRuns as a custom command; its .gemini settings are copied into each new worktree	Runs as a custom command; its .gemini settings are copied into each new worktree
Aider	Works in terminalFull functionality via terminal panel	Full functionality via terminal panel
Goose	Works in terminalFull functionality via terminal panel	Full functionality via terminal panel
OpenCode	Built-inNative launch, saved-conversation restore and once-only initial input since Pane v2.4.170. No named Sessions, Pane Chat, handoff, conversation history UI or native MCP/skills integration yet.	Native launch, saved-conversation restore and once-only initial input since Pane v2.4.170. No named Sessions, Pane Chat, handoff, conversation history UI or native MCP/skills integration yet.
Any CLI agent	Custom commandAdd it as a custom command. Give it a resume template if it can resume a conversation	Add it as a custom command. Give it a resume template if it can resume a conversation

how other tools compare

Some managers run anything, others a fixed list, a few only Claude Code.

Agent support varies a lot across agent managers. Pane, Orca, Superset, Agentastic and Ghostex run any CLI agent or dozens of them, and Emdash supports about 35. Conductor's chat UI covers Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and OpenCode. claude-tmux and recon are built around Claude Code only. Check this before you commit to a tool, because switching managers later costs more than switching agents.

→ Custom Agents - how to add any CLI agent
→ What Is an Agent Manager?
→ What Is Agent Orchestration?

Sources

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

→ Custom agents docs
→ Agent manager tools compared

frequently asked questions

Not exactly. Pane has built-in templates for Claude Code, Codex and Cursor that add status tracking, conversation resume and Pane's MCP tools, plus token tracking for Claude Code and Codex. But you can run any CLI agent with a custom terminal command. OpenCode: Native launch, saved-conversation restore and once-only initial input since Pane v2.4.170. No named Sessions, Pane Chat, handoff, conversation history UI or native MCP/skills integration yet.