Herdr vs cmux
Herdr and cmux are terminal-level tools for watching many coding agents at once; neither manages merges for you. Herdr is an Apache-2.0 Rust binary with a background server, so agents survive detach and SSH drops, on macOS, Linux and Windows. cmux is a native macOS terminal app with notification rings, an approvals feed and a scriptable browser pane.
Facts side by side
| Fact | Herdr | cmux |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Orchestrator | Orchestrator |
| Languages / SDKs | Rust | Swift |
| License | Apache-2.0 | unknown |
| Pricing model | Open source, free | Open core |
| Orchestration pattern | Other | Other |
| GitHub stars | 41,580 (as of 2026-09-30) | 27,518 (as of 2026-09-30) |
| GitHub forks | 3,205 | 2,424 |
| Last push | 2026-09-30 | 2026-09-30 |
| Latest release | v0.9.3 | v0.64.25 |
| Repository | herdrdev/herdr | manaflow-ai/cmux |
| Website | herdr.dev | cmux.com |
| Documentation | herdr.dev | cmux.com |
| Last verified | 2026-09-30 | 2026-09-30 |
| MCP support | Unknown (checked 2026-09-30) | Yes (checked 2026-09-30) |
| A2A support | Unknown (checked 2026-09-30) | Unknown (checked 2026-09-30) |
| AG-UI support | Unknown (checked 2026-09-30) | Unknown (checked 2026-09-30) |
| Install verified | Not yet | Not yet |
Choose Herdr if
- You work over SSH or on Linux or Windows, and need agents to keep running when the client disconnects.
- You want a CLI and socket API that scripts, or an agent with the skill file, can use to start and prompt other agents.
- You want a single Apache-2.0 licensed binary.
Choose cmux if
- You are on macOS 14 or later and want a native app with sidebar status, unread badges and a feed that collects permission requests and plan approvals.
- You want a scriptable browser pane next to the agent terminals.
- You already use a Ghostty config; cmux reads it for themes and fonts.
Migration notes
Neither tool owns your work: agents are ordinary processes in terminals and the code stays in your repository, so switching means re-creating layouts. Things that differ: Herdr marks a pane blocked by reading the screen, which its docs say can misjudge unusual prompts; cmux relies on wrappers, notification sequences and hooks installed with cmux hooks setup. After a restart, Herdr restores the layout but not the processes, and cmux restores layout and best-effort scrollback but does not checkpoint live process state. Worktree handling: Herdr has herdr worktree commands; cmux describes no worktree manager. Licensing: Herdr is Apache-2.0; cmux is GPL-3.0-or-later with some server directories under the Business Source License, and its cloud plans are paid.
FAQ
Do Herdr or cmux review diffs or merge branches?
No. Both records note that no built-in diff review or merge flow is documented; you use the agent and your own git tools.
Which agents do they work with?
Both are agent-agnostic because agents run as normal CLI programs. Their records list Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode and Hermes as documented.
Is cmux free?
The macOS app is open source and free according to its pricing page; cloud VMs, the iOS app and team administration are on paid plans.