Best tools to run parallel coding agents in 2026, grouped by what they solve

All fourteen at a glance

"Not listed" means the tool's own site and docs do not mention it, as of the date above.

Official tools from Anthropic and OpenAI

Start here if you use one vendor's agent. These are first-party, included in the plan you already pay for, and need nothing else installed. Their limit is that each covers only its own agent.

Claude Code: agent view, agent teams, Remote Control and cloud sessions

Anthropic's docs list five ways to run several tasks at once in Claude Code: subagents, agent view, agent teams, dynamic workflows and projects.

• Agent view (claude agents, a research preview) is one screen for all your background sessions: what is running, what needs your input, and what is done. Sessions you dispatch from it get their own worktree.
• Agent teams are experimental and off by default: a lead session hands work to teammates through a shared task list.
• Remote Control lets you continue a local session from the Claude app on iOS or Android, or from claude.ai/code. It needs a Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise plan; API keys are not supported.
• Cloud sessions (Claude Code on the web) run on Anthropic-managed machines against a GitHub repo and keep going when your computer is off.
• The Claude desktop app runs parallel sessions with an optional worktree each, on macOS, Windows and Linux (beta).

Pick it if Claude Code is your only agent. Our guides cover running several Claude Code agents and Claude Code on iPhone in detail.

Codex: the ChatGPT desktop app, remote connections and Codex Cloud

OpenAI merged the Codex app into the ChatGPT desktop app for macOS and Windows on July 9, 2026. Each Codex chat there can run in its own git worktree, so several chats work on one project without getting in each other's way. Remote connections let you control that Mac or PC from the ChatGPT phone app, and Codex Cloud runs tasks in their own workspace while your computer sleeps. Cloud and mobile remote control are on Plus ($20 a month) and higher plans. The Codex CLI is open source under Apache-2.0; phone setup cannot start from the CLI.

Pick it if Codex is your only agent. For the terminal, see Codex notifications on Mac.

Worktree workspaces

These apps manage where each agent works. Every task gets its own git worktree and branch, and most add a diff view and a way to merge or open a pull request. Pick one if your main problem is agents stepping on each other's files.

Conductor

A polished, closed-source Mac app from Melty Labs. Each workspace is a worktree with an agent chat, diff review, pull requests and merge. It bundles Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode and runs Cursor; other CLIs run in an experimental terminal mode. The free plan covers local workspaces; Pro ($50 a month) adds cloud workspaces, an iPhone app for them and collaboration. It needs a GitHub sign-in. Cadence vs Conductor compares the two.

Claude Squad

An open-source terminal app (AGPL-3.0) that runs each agent in its own tmux session and git worktree. You drive it entirely from the keyboard, preview each session's diff, and push its branch with one key. It runs anywhere tmux does, including over SSH on a server. Cadence vs Claude Squad compares the two.

Nimbalyst

The successor to Crystal, which was deprecated in February 2026. An open-source (MIT) desktop workspace for parallel Claude Code and Codex sessions, each in its own worktree, with a session kanban and editors for markdown, mockups and diagrams. It has an iOS companion app and an alpha voice mode that uses OpenAI. It runs on macOS (including Intel), Windows and Linux.

Agentastic.dev

A free, closed-source Mac app (macOS 14 or later, Apple Silicon and Intel) that calls itself a multi-agent IDE. Each workspace is a new git worktree, and Docker or Apple containers are an option. It ships 55 agent definitions and has a CLI for Linux and WSL. Its iPhone app is in a TestFlight beta.

Orca

A free, open-source (MIT) app from Stably AI that runs many agents in parallel, each in its own worktree, with terminals, diffs and a built-in browser. It supports a long list of CLIs, runs on macOS (including Intel), Windows and Linux, and works with worktrees on remote machines over SSH. Its iOS app and Android APK let you watch and control terminals from your phone.

Emdash

A free, open-source (Apache-2.0) desktop app from General Action that gives each task a worktree and branch, runs 25 or more agents, and adds scheduled recurring work and app previews. It runs on macOS, Windows and Linux and supports SSH remotes.

Parallel Code

A free, open-source (MIT) app for macOS and Linux that runs Claude Code, Codex, Gemini and other CLIs side by side, each in its own worktree. Its Connect Phone button opens a mobile web view over your Wi-Fi or Tailscale, and an Android app adds notifications and voice input.

Vibe Kanban is sunsetting. Bloop, the company behind it, shut down in April 2026 and removed its hosted services. The open-source app (npx vibe-kanban) lives on as a community project, so check its status before you build a workflow on it.

Inboxes and remotes

These tools leave your agents where they run and focus on you: which agent needs you, and how you answer it from your desk or your phone. Pick one if your agents already work in parallel and the time is lost waiting for you to notice.

Cadence

Our app. A free Mac app with no account that puts a dot for each agent on the edge of your screen and collects every question, plan approval and Allow/Deny request in one Inbox you answer with 1 to 9 or your voice. Claude Code is hosted natively with real Allow/Deny, cost and worktree diffs; ten other CLIs run through herdr, on your Mac or on your Linux servers. Double-tap ⌥ to send a spoken request to the right agent, or hold it to dictate into any app, transcribed on your Mac. The iPhone app is in a private TestFlight beta. It runs on Apple Silicon only and does not create worktrees for terminal agents.

One (getone.one)

The closest app to Cadence: a screen-edge toolbar, an Inbox answered with number keys, and voice routing on a double-tap of Option, with other CLIs in herdr. It also runs on Intel Macs, has a browser remote, and keeps agents on up to eight Linux servers reachable while your Mac is off. It needs a sign-in, its AI features go through One's server to AI providers, and the free plan allows 25 AI requests a day. Cadence vs One compares the two.

Happy

An open-source (MIT) client that started as a phone app for Claude Code and now covers Codex and Grok, with end-to-end encryption, iOS and Android apps, a web client and desktop apps. A voice assistant is free for the first hour, then needs a subscription or your own ElevenLabs key. Happier, a separate MIT project that grew out of Happy, supports 30 or more agents and a self-hosted relay.

Notification apps

These do one job: tell you when an agent needs you, and in some cases let you answer. Pick one if you are happy with your terminals and only want to stop missing prompts. For a free version of the same idea, see our guides to Claude Code notifications and Codex notifications on Mac.

Vibe Island

A Mac app built for Apple Silicon that shows agent status and approvals in the notch, or in a floating bar on Macs without one. It costs $19.99 once per Mac, with a free trial, and lists 30 agents. An independent review in August 2026 found two-way answering for a few of them, such as Claude Code and OpenCode, and status only for the rest.

Pushary

A paid service that sends agents' permission requests and questions to your phone, a Mac notch app, Slack or the web, where you approve or deny them. It connects to Claude Code through hooks and to other clients through a hosted MCP server, and can auto-approve by rule. Plans start at $9.99 a month for 5,000 notifications.

How to choose

• One agent, one vendor? Use the official tools first. They are included in your plan.
• Agents overwriting each other? Use a worktree app. Conductor if you want polish and cloud workspaces; Orca, Emdash, Nimbalyst, Parallel Code or Claude Squad if you want open source.
• Agents waiting on you without you noticing? Use an inbox (Cadence, One) or a notification app (Vibe Island, Pushary).
• Away from your desk? Remote Control or Codex remote connections for one vendor's agent; Happy, Orca, Cadence, One or Pushary across several.
• Intel Mac, Windows or Linux? Cadence is Apple Silicon only, and Vibe Island says it is built for Apple Silicon. One, Conductor, Agentastic, Orca, Emdash, Nimbalyst, Parallel Code, Happy and Claude Squad run on Intel Macs. Orca, Emdash, Nimbalyst and Happy also have Windows and Linux apps, and Claude Squad and Parallel Code run on Linux.

The groups combine. A worktree app or the official tools decide where agents work, and an inbox or a notification app decides how you hear from them.

Common questions