---
title: "Conductor alternatives: 16 tools to move to after Meta bought Conductor"
description: "The best Conductor alternatives after Meta's deal: Buildful and other cloud agents to replace Conductor Cloud, plus desktop apps like Orca and T3 Code."
author: "Ankit Kumar"
published: "2026-11-09"
updated: "2026-11-09"
url: "https://hashnode.com/blog/conductor-alternatives"
tags: ["AI coding","coding agents","claude-code","Developer Tools","ai agents"]
---

# Conductor alternatives: 16 tools to move to after Meta bought Conductor

Conductor Cloud shuts down on November 20, 2026. Buildful and the other cloud agents that replace Cloud, the desktop apps that replace the Mac app, and where each Conductor feature went.

**tldr:** Meta bought Conductor (conductor.build) on November 4, 2026. Conductor Cloud goes read-only on November 13 and shuts down on November 20. The Mac app gets new models and critical bug fixes until early 2027. If you used Conductor Cloud, move to a cloud option before November 20. Buildful is the closest match to how Cloud worked, for $10 a month with every UI change tested in a real browser. Pick boxes.dev to keep running your own Claude or Codex plan. Claude Code on the web and Codex cloud work if you already pay for those plans. If you used the Mac app, move to Orca or T3 Code, both free and open source.

Most "Conductor alternatives" lists are written by one of the alternatives. Fair enough. But they mostly rank desktop apps, and Conductor had two kinds of users. Some ran agents in git worktrees on their own Mac. Others paid for Conductor Cloud, so agents kept working with the laptop closed. Those need different tools.

So this list is split in two. Cloud agents come first, since Conductor Cloud is the part with a deadline, then desktop apps. Every fact is from each tool's own site, checked on November 9, 2026.

![A flowchart that starts with what you used in Conductor. The Mac app leads to desktop apps that run agents in git worktrees on your own machine. Conductor Cloud leads to cloud options that run agents on cloud machines while your laptop is closed.](https://cdn.hashnode.com/uploads/gql/54b81b237393d8e81463c55c/af0e129d-77b6-422c-9e03-92edb64efc30.png)

*The Mac app and Conductor Cloud each have their own set of replacements.*

## What happened to Conductor?

Conductor ran Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and OpenCode in parallel on your Mac. Each task got its own workspace: a git worktree on its own branch. In 2026 it added Conductor Cloud, an iOS app and remote control.

On November 4, 2026, the team posted "[Conductor is joining Meta](https://www.conductor.build/announcement)". These are the dates that matter:

| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| November 4, 2026 | Sign-ups and downloads close. Pro users keep Pro features for free. |
| November 13, 2026 | Conductor Cloud goes read-only. Active subscribers get a refund. |
| November 20, 2026 | Conductor Cloud shuts down, and Cloud data deletion begins. |
| Early 2027 | The Mac app stops getting updates, and all user data is deleted. |

Export before November 20. Right-click a cloud workspace and choose **Transfer to local**, or use **Settings**, **Account**, **Export data**. Conductor says you can still read and export after Cloud goes read-only on November 13, but don't leave it to the last week. Our [guide to moving off Conductor Cloud](https://buildful.ai/knowledge-base/conductor-cloud-migration), on buildful.ai, walks through carrying over your setup scripts and environment variables.

## Where did each Conductor feature go?

If you liked one part of Conductor in particular, start here.

| What you used in Conductor | Where it lives now |
|---|---|
| Parallel agents, each in its own git worktree | Orca, Emdash, Paradev and Pane do it per task. T3 Code, Paseo and Nimbalyst do it when you ask for a worktree. Claude Code has `claude --worktree`. |
| Claude Code, Codex and others in one window | Orca, T3 Code, Paseo, Emdash, Paradev, Nimbalyst, Pane |
| Signing in with your Claude or ChatGPT plan | Orca, T3 Code, Paseo, Emdash, Paradev, Nimbalyst, Pane, boxes.dev and Amp. The Claude Code and Codex apps use their own vendor's plan. |
| Running on Windows or Linux | Orca, T3 Code, Paseo, Emdash, Nimbalyst, Pane, and the Claude Code and Codex apps |
| Agents on a machine other than your laptop | Orca, Paseo and Emdash, over SSH or on a server. Paradev's Pro plan adds remote access. |
| Conductor Cloud, working with your laptop closed | Buildful, boxes.dev, Claude Code on the web, Codex cloud, Cursor cloud agents, Devin, Amp, Paradev Team |
| Your phone | Paseo, T3 Code and boxes.dev have iOS and Android apps. Orca has an iOS app and an Android APK. Nimbalyst has an iOS app, and Paradev has one on Pro. Claude, ChatGPT and Cursor have iOS apps. Buildful takes tasks by iMessage. |
| Starting work from a Linear issue | Emdash, Paradev on Pro, boxes.dev, Cursor cloud agents, Buildful |
| Checks before you merge | Buildful runs your repo's checks and tests UI changes in a real browser, with a video recording. Devin also tests in a browser and records it. |

## Cloud agents that replace Conductor Cloud

These run each task on a machine in the cloud. Your laptop can be closed. Most also open the pull request for you. Buildful comes first because it's closest to how people worked in Conductor Cloud. boxes.dev is closest to how Conductor Cloud billed, on the agent plans you already pay for.

### Buildful

[Buildful](https://buildful.ai) is a cloud coding agent, and the closest match to working in Conductor Cloud. You hand off a task and close the laptop. Each task runs in its own private cloud sandbox with your repo's setup commands and environment variables, the same pieces a Conductor Cloud workspace needed, and several run at once. You describe a task in the browser, from Slack or Linear, or by iMessage. It runs your checks, tests UI changes in a real browser and records it, and opens a pull request on GitHub.

It's different from Conductor in a few ways. There's no Mac app and no worktrees, and you can't sign in with a Claude or ChatGPT plan. Smart Mode picks the right open-weight model for each task. On Pro and Team you can also pick a frontier model like Claude or GPT, with prepaid credit or your own API key. Pro is $10 a month for 1,000 tasks, and Team is $40 for 3,000. [Buildful vs Conductor](https://buildful.ai/compare/conductor) has the full comparison.

![Buildful's homepage, headlined "Coding superintelligence for everyone.", listing that it picks the right open-weight model for each task, tests UI changes in a real browser and opens a pull request on GitHub, next to a new task box.](https://cdn.hashnode.com/uploads/gql/54b81b237393d8e81463c55c/d28810c6-5481-4bee-82ee-04637b851743.png)

*Buildful's homepage. Describe a task, and it comes back as a tested pull request.*

**Pick it if** you used Conductor Cloud and want the same hand-off-and-review flow for a set monthly price, with UI changes tested in a browser.

### boxes.dev

[boxes.dev](https://boxes.dev) is closest to Conductor Cloud's billing, since it runs the agent plans you already pay for. It gives each agent a Linux cloud computer, built from a snapshot of your environment, and runs your own Claude Code or Codex plan on it. You start work from Slack, Linear, a schedule or its API, and follow along on desktop, web, iOS, Android or the CLI. A trial includes 20 hours, and Starter is $19 a user a month for 50 hours.

![The boxes.dev homepage, headlined "Close your laptop again.", saying every agent gets its own cloud computer and runs your Codex or Claude subscription.](https://cdn.hashnode.com/uploads/gql/54b81b237393d8e81463c55c/78f2dd35-d37d-4bc7-bf23-0d3298fa87e6.png)

*The boxes.dev homepage. Each agent gets its own cloud computer, running your own Codex or Claude plan.*

**Pick it if** you want Conductor Cloud's model: your own agent plans, on machines someone else runs.

### Claude Code on the web

[Claude Code on the web](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/claude-code-on-the-web) runs sessions in Anthropic's cloud VMs. Start them at claude.ai/code, from the Claude apps, or with `claude --cloud`, and run several at once. It comes with Claude Pro and above, and uses your plan's limits, so parallel sessions use them up faster. It needs a claude.ai login, and works best with a GitHub repo; from the CLI you can upload a repo that isn't on GitHub.

**Pick it if** you already pay for Claude.

### Codex cloud

[Codex cloud](https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/cloud) runs each task in its own cloud workspace, and keeps working while your computer sleeps. It works from your GitHub repo and can open pull requests. It comes with ChatGPT Plus and above.

**Pick it if** you already pay for ChatGPT.

### Cursor cloud agents

[Cursor's cloud agents](https://cursor.com/docs/cloud-agent) run in isolated VMs, each on its own branch, and open pull requests. You can start them from the web, Cursor's apps, Slack, GitHub, Linear or the API, as many at once as you like. They need Cursor Premium, from $30 a month, and usage is billed at each model's rate.

**Pick it if** your team already works in Cursor.

### Devin

[Devin](https://devin.ai/pricing) is Cognition's coding agent. It runs in the cloud, or locally in a git worktree through Devin Desktop, and can split big tasks across parallel cloud agents. Pro is $20 a month with a usage quota, and Max is $200.

**Pick it if** you want long, hands-off sessions and enterprise controls.

### Amp

[Amp](https://ampcode.com/pricing) runs agents in cloud sandboxes it calls orbs, from its CLI, web and apps. The Hobby plan is free with your own Claude or ChatGPT plan, and you pay as you go for orb time. Individual is $20 a month with orb time included.

**Pick it if** you want cloud sandboxes while keeping the model plans you already pay for.

## Desktop apps that replace the Conductor Mac app

These run on your machine, like Conductor did. You bring the agents and the plans.

### Orca

[Orca](https://onorca.dev) is the closest match to Conductor, and the tool named most often in lists after the deal. It's a free, MIT-licensed desktop app that runs Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenCode and many other CLI agents in parallel, each in its own git worktree. It runs on macOS, Windows and Linux, with an iOS app and an Android APK. You plug in the subscriptions you already have. It can also run agents on a remote server or cloud VM.

![Orca's homepage, headlined "Ship 100x with the agent IDE", with download buttons for Mac and a preview of the app running agents in separate worktrees.](https://cdn.hashnode.com/uploads/gql/54b81b237393d8e81463c55c/47f9f725-4dc6-4ab2-958d-9c2388766c0f.png)

*Orca's homepage. It runs Claude Code, Codex and other agents in parallel, each in its own worktree.*

**Pick it if** you want Conductor's workflow, free, on any OS.

### T3 Code

[T3 Code](https://t3.codes) is an open-source control plane for coding agents. It's MIT-licensed and free. There's a desktop app for macOS, Windows and Linux, a web app, and mobile apps. It runs Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenCode and more, signed in with your own plans. Each thread writes to its own branch, and a thread gets its own git worktree when you choose **New worktree**.

![T3 Code's homepage, headlined "The open-source control plane for coding agents", with a macOS download button, links to the iOS and Android apps, and a preview of the app.](https://cdn.hashnode.com/uploads/gql/54b81b237393d8e81463c55c/badd3556-6803-4de1-b99b-6ddb589568f6.png)

*T3 Code's homepage. It runs Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and more with your own subscriptions.*

**Pick it if** you want one open-source app on every device, including the web.

### Paseo

[Paseo](https://paseo.sh) is an Apache-2.0 "agentic development environment". A daemon runs your agents on your laptop, a server or in Docker, and you reach it from desktop, web, mobile or the CLI. It runs Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode natively, plus 30+ more from its catalog through the Agent Client Protocol. It works in any directory, and git worktrees are optional. The app is free, with native iOS and Android apps. An optional hosted Hub has a free tier, and its Pro plan is $15 a seat a month.

**Pick it if** you want to run agents on a server and check them from anywhere.

### Emdash

[Emdash](https://github.com/generalaction/emdash) is an Apache-2.0 desktop app for macOS, Windows and Linux. It detects the agent CLIs you have installed, such as Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and OpenCode, and runs each task in its own git worktree. It also works on remote machines over SSH, and you can send it issues from Linear, GitHub or Jira. This is Emdash Classic, which still gets fixes. New development has moved to Emdash 2.0, a cloud product in early access, so it isn't in the cloud list below.

**Pick it if** you want an open-source app that can also drive a remote machine.

### Paradev

[Paradev](https://paradev.com), formerly Superset, is an MIT-licensed desktop app for running CLI agents in parallel, each in its own worktree. It runs Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Gemini CLI and any other CLI agent, with your own plans or API keys. It's on macOS, with Linux experimental and no Windows yet. There's a free plan for local use. Pro is $20 a user a month, or $16 a user a month billed yearly, and adds mobile, Linear and remote access. Team is $60 a user a month, with 150 cloud hours on a standard 4 vCPU, 8 GB workspace.

![Paradev's homepage, headlined "Run an Army of Coding Agents", with a note that Superset is now Paradev and a macOS download button.](https://cdn.hashnode.com/uploads/gql/54b81b237393d8e81463c55c/1c4ff290-dc75-4d4a-9925-0deea7b3fee4.png)

*Paradev's homepage. Superset renamed itself Paradev in 2026.*

**Pick it if** you're on a Mac and might want team cloud hours later.

### Nimbalyst

[Nimbalyst](https://nimbalyst.com) is an MIT-licensed visual workspace for Claude Code and Codex, with OpenCode and Copilot in alpha. Next to the agent it has editors for Markdown, mockups and diagrams. It runs on macOS, Windows and Linux, with an iOS app, and uses your existing Claude Code or Codex subscription. A session gets its own worktree when you choose **New Worktree**. It's free for individuals.

**Pick it if** you plan and sketch next to your agents, not only in a terminal.

### Pane

[Pane](https://runpane.com) is a keyboard-first desktop app for running coding agents side by side. Claude Code, Codex and Cursor are built in, and anything that runs in a terminal works, signed in with your own account. Each feature gets its own git worktree and branch. It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux and WSL, it's free, and it's licensed under AGPL-3.0.

**Pick it if** you live on the keyboard, or on Windows with WSL.

### Claude Code desktop app

If you only ever ran Claude in Conductor, you may not need another app. The [Claude Code desktop app](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/desktop) runs several sessions side by side, and gives each its own worktree when you switch **Worktree** on. It runs on macOS and Windows, with Linux in beta, and needs a Claude plan from Pro at $20 a month. The CLI does the same with [`claude --worktree`](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/worktrees).

**Pick it if** Claude is the only agent you use.

### Codex app

The same goes for Codex. The [Codex app](https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/app), part of the ChatGPT desktop app, runs several chats in one project with [worktrees](https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/environments/git-worktrees). It runs on macOS, Windows and Linux, signed in with ChatGPT or an API key.

**Pick it if** Codex is the only agent you use.

## The cloud options side by side

| Tool | Uses your Claude or ChatGPT plan? | Start tasks from | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buildful | No, Smart Mode picks the model | Browser, Slack, Linear, iMessage | Pro $10 for 1,000 tasks |
| boxes.dev | Yes, Claude Code or Codex | Slack, Linear, a schedule, API, its apps | Starter $19 a user for 50 hours |
| Claude Code on the web | Yes, a Claude plan | claude.ai, Claude apps, `claude --cloud` | Claude Pro from $20, from your plan's limits |
| Codex cloud | Yes, a ChatGPT plan | ChatGPT, the Codex app | ChatGPT Plus and above |
| Cursor cloud agents | No, Cursor's own billing | Web, Cursor apps, Slack, GitHub, Linear, API | Premium from $30, plus model usage |
| Devin | No, Devin's own quota | Devin's web app, Slack, its editor | Pro $20 with a quota |
| Amp | Yes | Its CLI, web and apps | Hobby free plus orb time; Individual $20 |
| Paradev Team | Yes, your own plans or keys | Its desktop app | $60 a user a month, with 150 cloud hours |

## What each tool brings over from Conductor

Nothing imports your Conductor chats. Plan to keep the export for reference. Beyond that, the tools differ:

- **Orca** has a [Migrate from Conductor guide](https://onorca.dev/docs/migrate-from-conductor). Point it at the same checkout and your Conductor workspaces open in place. Scripts move from `conductor.json` to `orca.yaml`, run actions become Quick Commands, and `CONDUCTOR_ROOT_PATH` still works.
- **Paradev** finds worktrees left by Conductor during onboarding and imports them, since its [November 8 update](https://paradev.com/changelog). It also has a [guide for moving from Conductor](https://docs.paradev.com/migrate-from-conductor).
- **Everything else:** push your workspace branches to GitHub, then copy the setup script and environment variables from `.conductor/settings.toml` into the new tool. Cloud workspaces never had `CONDUCTOR_PORT` or `CONDUCTOR_DEFAULT_BRANCH`, so only Mac scripts need those replaced.

## What it costs one developer

Conductor never billed for models. Pro was $50 a month on top of your Claude or ChatGPT plan, so Pro with Claude Max came to $150 a month or more. Here's the same developer after the move, before any extra model usage:

![A bar chart of what one developer pays per month before extra model usage. Conductor Pro with Claude Max is $150, boxes.dev with Claude Max is $119, Orca with Claude Max and Claude Code on the web on Max are $100 each, Cursor Premium is $30 and Buildful Pro is $10.](https://cdn.hashnode.com/uploads/gql/54b81b237393d8e81463c55c/7779a537-ad43-4a92-b20f-202f0ac7143f.png)

*Monthly cost for one developer. Cursor's $30 and Buildful's $10 don't include frontier models like Claude.*

| Setup | Monthly cost |
|---|---|
| Conductor Pro with Claude Max (before) | $50 + from $100 |
| Orca, T3 Code or Paseo with Claude Max | from $100 |
| Claude Code on the web, on Claude Max | from $100 |
| boxes.dev Starter with Claude Max | $19 + from $100 |
| Cursor Premium | from $30, plus model usage |
| Buildful Pro | $10 for 1,000 tasks |

Buildful's $10 covers tasks on the open-weight model Smart Mode picks. A frontier model like Claude is extra, on prepaid credit or your own key, and Cursor's $30 doesn't include Claude or GPT either. Orca, T3 Code, Emdash and Pane cost nothing, so your model plan is the bill. Paradev and Paseo charge for their paid tiers.

## All 16 side by side

| Tool | Runs | Platforms | Open source | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buildful | Buildful's cloud | Browser, Slack, Linear, iMessage | No | Pro $10 for 1,000 tasks |
| boxes.dev | boxes.dev's cloud computers | Desktop, web, iOS, Android, CLI | No | Starter $19 a user for 50 hours |
| Claude Code on the web | Anthropic's cloud | Browser, apps | No | Claude Pro from $20 |
| Codex cloud | OpenAI's cloud | Browser, apps | No | ChatGPT Plus and above |
| Cursor cloud agents | Cursor's cloud | Browser, apps | No | Premium from $30, plus model usage |
| Devin | Cognition's cloud or your machine | Browser, desktop | No | Pro $20 with a quota |
| Amp | Cloud sandboxes | CLI, web, apps | No | Hobby free; Individual $20 |
| Orca | Your machine or a server | macOS, Windows, Linux, mobile | MIT | Free |
| T3 Code | Your machine | macOS, Windows, Linux, web, mobile | MIT | Free |
| Paseo | Your machine or a server | macOS, Windows, Linux, web, mobile | Apache-2.0 | Free; Hub Pro $15 a seat |
| Emdash | Your machine or over SSH | macOS, Windows, Linux | Apache-2.0 | Open source |
| Paradev | Your machine; cloud hours on Team | macOS, Linux experimental | MIT | Free; Pro $20 a user |
| Nimbalyst | Your machine | macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS | MIT | Free for individuals |
| Pane | Your machine | Windows, macOS, Linux, WSL | AGPL-3.0 | Free |
| Claude Code desktop | Your machine | macOS, Windows, Linux beta | No | Claude Pro from $20 |
| Codex app | Your machine | macOS, Windows, Linux | No | ChatGPT plans |

## So which should you pick?

![A decision flowchart. If you used the Mac app and run several agents on any OS, pick Orca or T3 Code. If you only use Claude or only Codex, pick their own desktop app. If you run agents on a server you own, pick Paseo or Emdash. If you used Conductor Cloud and want to keep your Claude or Codex plan, pick boxes.dev. If you already pay for Claude or ChatGPT, pick Claude Code on the web or Codex cloud. If you want a set monthly price, pick Buildful at $10 a month.](https://cdn.hashnode.com/uploads/gql/54b81b237393d8e81463c55c/1f20d782-d9fe-4035-a63c-cd21a66627f6.png)

*Two questions get most people to the right tool.*

- **You used Conductor Cloud:** a cloud option, before November 20. Buildful for the closest match to how Cloud worked, at a set price per month. boxes.dev to keep running your own agent plans. Claude Code on the web or Codex cloud if you already pay for Claude or ChatGPT.
- **You want the Mac app back, for free:** Orca. T3 Code if you also want it on the web.
- **You need Windows or Linux:** Orca, T3 Code, Paseo, Emdash, Nimbalyst or Pane.
- **You only use Claude, or only Codex:** their own desktop apps now run parallel sessions.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the best Conductor alternative?

For Conductor Cloud, Buildful is the closest match to how it worked. Each task runs in its own cloud sandbox with your setup commands and environment variables, and comes back as a tested pull request, for $10 a month for 1,000 tasks. boxes.dev is closest if you want to keep running your own Claude Code or Codex plan. Claude Code on the web and Codex cloud come with plans you may already have. For the Conductor Mac app, Orca is the closest match: a free, MIT-licensed app that runs coding agents in parallel git worktrees on macOS, Windows and Linux.

### Is there a free Conductor alternative?

Yes. Orca and T3 Code are free and MIT-licensed, and Paseo is free and Apache-2.0. All three run Claude Code, Codex and other agents in parallel with the plans you already have.

### Is there an open-source Conductor alternative?

Yes. Orca, T3 Code, Paradev and Nimbalyst are MIT-licensed, Paseo and Emdash are Apache-2.0, and Pane is AGPL-3.0.

### What replaces Conductor Cloud?

A cloud option, such as Buildful, boxes.dev, Claude Code on the web, Codex cloud, Cursor's cloud agents, Devin or Amp. Each runs tasks on cloud machines, so work continues with your laptop closed. Buildful is closest to how Conductor Cloud worked: each task runs in its own sandbox with your setup and returns a tested pull request, for $10 a month. boxes.dev is closest on billing, since it runs your own Claude Code or Codex plan.

### Is there a Conductor Cloud alternative with a flat monthly price?

Yes. Buildful is $10 a month for 1,000 tasks, and Team is $40 for 3,000. Each task runs on the open-weight model Smart Mode picks. Frontier models like Claude or GPT are extra, on prepaid credit or your own API key.

### Which Conductor alternatives test changes before you merge?

Buildful runs your repo's checks on every task and tests UI changes in a real browser, with a video recording in the pull request. Devin also tests in a browser and records it.

### Is there a Conductor alternative for Windows?

Yes. Orca, T3 Code, Paseo, Emdash, Nimbalyst and Pane run on Windows, macOS and Linux. Conductor's desktop app was Mac-only.

### Can I import my Conductor workspaces into another tool?

Orca opens Conductor workspaces in place, and Paradev imports the worktrees Conductor left behind. No tool imports Conductor's chats, so export them from Conductor's settings before November 20, 2026, and push your workspace branches to GitHub.

### Do I have to leave the Conductor Mac app now?

No. The Mac app gets new models and critical bug fixes until early 2027. Conductor Cloud is the part with a deadline: read-only on November 13, gone on November 20.