Conductor, Emdash, Superset
Host them
The agent runs inside the tool’s window. It controls the whole loop, and sees only what it launched.
Compare
How Codealong compares.
There are good tools for running coding agents in parallel. Most of them run your agents for you. Codealong works with the ones you already run, across harnesses, accounts and Macs, and routes new work to the right one. Here’s the honest version, including where others do more.
Checked against each product’s own docs and pricing on October 9, 2026.
Vibe Island and other notch apps
Hook into them
Hooks in each harness’s config report what happens. They see everything once hooked, and watch more than they start.
Codealong
Read them
It reads what every harness already writes, so it sees sessions started anywhere, and starts new work in the official harness.
Side by side.
| Feature | CodealongReads your agents | ConductorHosts agents in its app | EmdashHosts agents in its app | SupersetHosts agents in its app | Vibe IslandHooks into each agent | Claude & Codex appsThe vendors’ own |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seeing your agents | ||||||
| How it reaches agents | Reads the files each harness already writes | Runs its own copies of Claude Code and Codex, in its own chat | Runs each CLI in its own terminal | Runs each CLI in its own terminal | Installs hooks and a status-line wrapper in each harness | It is the harness |
| Sees sessions started anywhereTerminal tabs, background jobs and the desktop apps | Yes | Only what it launched | Only what it launched | Only what it launched | Yes, once hooked | Only its own agent |
| Harnesses | Claude Code, Claude app, Codex CLI and app, OpenCode, Antigravity, Cursor | Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenCode | 35 CLIs | 21 CLIs, plus any other | 30 listed, including both desktop apps | One each |
| Routing work | ||||||
| Sends a prompt to the session already on it | Suggested, with how likely it is | Starts new workspaces | Starts from issues | Starts from tasks | No | Within its own agent |
| Several accounts | Any number, for Claude Code and Codex | Not documented | GitHub accounts only | Account profiles | Extra config folders | One per app |
| Picks the account with room | Auto: soonest weekly reset, never at 90% | No | No | You pick the default | No | No |
| Usage limits | 5-hour, weekly and per model, every account | None | None | 5-hour and weekly, per login | 5-hour and weekly | Its own account |
| Answering and doing | ||||||
| Approve from over any appWithout switching to the agent | Desktop, notch, Waiting window and iPhone (Claude Code, OpenCode) | In its window | In its window | In its window | From the notch | In the app |
| Worktrees | Starts work in a free or new one; no merge-and-clean-up | Create, review, merge, archive | Create, PR, checks, merge | Create, set up, tear down, PR | Shows the branch | One per session |
| Tasks linked to agents | Todos with one owner each; agents edit them | Todos that block a merge | Issues from 10+ trackers | Kanban; Linear on Pro | None | Projects threads (Claude) |
| Reach and terms | ||||||
| Several machines | Macs and iPhone, peer to peer, end to end encrypted | Cloud workspaces (Pro) | SSH remotes | Through its relay (Pro) | SSH hosts; 1–3 Mac seats | Through the vendor’s servers |
| Phone | iPhone app, free (early) | iOS, for cloud workspaces (Pro) | None | iPhone and iPad (Pro) | Alerts through Bark | iOS and Android |
| Platforms | macOS 13+ | macOS | macOS, Windows, Linux | macOS; Linux experimental | macOS 14+ | Mac, Windows, web, phone |
| Price | Free | Free; Pro $50/month | Free | Free for one user; Pro $20/user/month | $19.99 once per Mac | Included in their plans |
| License | Apache 2.0 | Closed source | Apache 2.0 | Elastic License 2.0 (source-available) | Closed source | Closed source |
Does it In part, or differently Doesn’t, or not found in its docs
One by one.
Codealong vs
Conductor
A Mac app for running coding agents in parallel, each in its own workspace, then reviewing and merging their changes.
What it does well
- The whole loop in one app: a worktree per task, diff review, PR and merge
- Cloud workspaces, multiplayer and an iOS app on Pro
- A dispatcher (⌘N) that starts new workspaces
Where Codealong differs
- Conductor runs its own copies of Claude Code and Codex; Codealong works with the ones you already run, including the Claude and Codex apps
- Codealong sees sessions you started anywhere, not only the ones it launched
- Routing to the session already on the work, and to the account with room
- Free and open source, with a free iPhone app that talks to your Macs directly; Conductor’s iOS app is on Pro
Choose Conductor if you want one app to host your agents and own the review-and-merge loop, with a cloud and a phone app.
Codealong vs
Emdash
An open-source agentic development environment that runs coding agent CLIs in parallel, a git worktree per task.
What it does well
- 35 agent CLIs, on macOS, Windows and Linux
- Issues from Linear, GitHub, Jira and seven other trackers
- SSH remotes, and PRs, checks and merge built in
Where Codealong differs
- Emdash’s status works only for agents launched inside it; Codealong sees every session, including the desktop apps
- Routing by plan room across several accounts of one harness
- Approvals from over any app: the desktop, the notch, the Waiting window, or your iPhone
Choose Emdash if you’re on Windows or Linux, or you want to start work straight from your issue tracker.
Codealong vs
Superset
A terminal-first app for running many CLI coding agents in parallel, each in its own worktree.
What it does well
- Quota meters for every Claude Code and Codex login on the machine
- Worktree set-up and tear-down scripts
- iPhone and iPad access on Pro
Where Codealong differs
- Superset shows each account’s quota and leaves the choice to you; Codealong’s Auto picks the account with room
- Codealong sees sessions you started outside it, in the Claude and Codex apps too
- Apache 2.0, against Superset’s source-available Elastic License
- A free iPhone app; Superset’s phone access is on Pro
Choose Superset if you want a terminal-first workspace that sets up and tears down a worktree per task.
Codealong vs
Vibe Island
A paid notch app that shows what your agents are doing and lets you approve, answer and jump back from the notch.
What it does well
- Approvals and answers from the notch, across about 30 agents
- Jumps to the exact terminal pane
- Fast-moving: dozens of releases since March
Where Codealong differs
- Codealong needs no hooks or status-line wrapper in your harness config to see your agents
- It starts and routes work, not only watches it: the quick panel, Auto, todos
- The full conversation, PRs, a canvas, and Macs linked to each other
- A free iPhone app that answers from the phone itself, not only alerts
- Free and open source
Choose Vibe Island if all you want is a polished notch for status and approvals.
Codealong vs
The Claude and Codex apps
Anthropic’s and OpenAI’s own desktop apps, each with parallel sessions, worktrees, and a view of what needs you.
What it does well
- The deepest integration with their own agent, on day one
- Cloud sessions and phone access included in the plan
- Nothing extra to install
Where Codealong differs
- Each sees only its own agent, on one signed-in account; Codealong shows both apps, the CLIs and other harnesses together
- Codealong opens each session in the app it lives in, so you keep using them
- Their phone access goes through the vendor’s servers; Codealong’s iPhone app talks to your Macs directly
Choose The Claude and Codex apps if you use one harness on one account. If you use both, or several accounts, use them with Codealong.
Also worth a look
- herdr, agent-deck, Claude Squad. Terminal multiplexers that run agents in their own panes. agent-deck can move a session between Claude accounts.
- CodeIsland, Coucou, Open Island. Free, open-source notch apps for status and approvals, some with phone apps.
- VS Code. Finds Claude Code and Codex sessions started outside it, behind a filter that’s off by default.
Codealong is for you if you run more than one of anything.
More than one harness, more than one account, more than one Mac, or just more agents than you can keep in your head. If you use one agent on one account, its own app serves you well. See every feature
Sources
Each product changes often. If something here is out of date, open an issue and we’ll fix it. Product names are trademarks of their owners.
- Conductor
- Conductor pricing
- Conductor docs
- Conductor for iOS
- Conductor dispatcher
- Emdash
- Emdash providers
- Superset
- Superset agent status
- Superset usage
- Superset pricing
- Vibe Island
- Vibe Island for Claude Code
- Vibe Island changelog
- Claude desktop
- Claude agent view
- Claude Remote Control
- Claude desktop multi-account request
- Codex in ChatGPT
- Codex remote connections
- OpenAI account switching