Short answer
Conductor and Orchestrator.inc (formerly Agent Orchestrator) both run parallel coding agents in isolated git worktrees. The deciding differences are platform and source: as of October 2026, Conductor is a closed-source app for macOS only, while Orchestrator is Apache-2.0 and ships for macOS, Windows and Linux. The second difference is what happens when CI fails on a worker's pull request. Choose Conductor if you are on a Mac and want a native macOS app. Choose Orchestrator if you need Windows or Linux, want the source, or want CI and review feedback to reach the agent without relaying it yourself.
At a glance
| Orchestrator.inc | Conductor | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Supervising many agents through PR, CI and review on any desktop OS | Mac users who want a native workspace for Claude Code and Codex |
| Platforms | macOS, Windows, Linux, plus iOS and Android companion | macOS; iOS app for cloud workspaces |
| License | Apache-2.0, source on GitHub | Proprietary |
| Coding agents | 38 harnesses, including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenCode, Gemini CLI, Aider and GitHub Copilot | Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and OpenCode |
| Isolation | Git worktree and branch per session; multi-repo workspaces | Git worktree and branch per workspace; one repository per project |
| Where agents run | Locally, on your own servers or VMs, or Orchestrator Cloud on paid plans | Locally, or Conductor Cloud on paid plans |
| Overview | Kanban board placed by session, PR, CI and review state | Workspace list grouped by repository |
| PR and CI | Failing checks, review comments and merge conflicts sent to the owning agent | Checks tab with CI and review threads, plus a button to forward failing checks to the agent |
| Git hosts | GitHub and GitLab, including self-managed GitLab | GitHub |
| Agent interface | Structured Chat or the agent's native terminal UI | Chat UI plus an embedded terminal |
| Planner agent | Project orchestrator that briefs and spawns workers | None |
The problem in practice
You have four agents working on one repository. One opens a pull request and a test fails in CI. Nothing is wrong with the agent; it just has not seen the failure. Someone has to notice the red check, find the right session, and hand it the failure. With four agents that is a minor chore. With ten, across two repositories and a teammate on Windows, it becomes most of your day. The same is true for review comments and merge conflicts. Each one waits until a person notices it and passes it along.
How each tool handles it
In Conductor
- Chat with the agent in its workspace until the change is ready, then create the PR from the app.
- The Checks tab shows the failing run.
- Click the forward-failing-checks action so the agent sees the failure, and wait for the fix.
- Review the diff and merge, or let automerge handle it once checks pass.
In Orchestrator.inc
- Spawn a worker from the board or with
ao spawn. It gets its own worktree and branch, and its PR is picked up once pushed. - The local daemon sees the failing check and sends its name and link to the session that owns the PR.
- The worker pushes a fix. Optionally, a reviewer agent from another vendor reviews the PR and its findings go back to the worker.
- The card reaches Ready to merge, you get a notification, and you press merge. Merge is always your action.
The difference is step three. Conductor makes forwarding one click; Orchestrator does it without the click, and does the same for requested changes and merge conflicts.
Where Conductor is a good fit
- You work on a Mac and value an app that feels native to macOS.
- Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and OpenCode cover your agents and a chat UI suits you.
- Your team needs SSO, SCIM or a SOC 2 report from its tools.
Where Orchestrator fits better
- Teams on Windows or Linux. Orchestrator ships for Windows x64 with a native ConPTY terminal host (no WSL or tmux) and for Linux as AppImage, .deb and .rpm, alongside Apple silicon and Intel Macs.
- People who want the source. The desktop app, daemon and
aoCLI are Apache-2.0 at github.com/OrchestratorInc. - Workflows that mix agents. Each session picks from 38 harnesses, and 22 of them can act as reviewers, so Codex can review a Claude Code PR.
- Review and CI feedback that should reach the agent on its own. GitHub and GitLab are polled with ETags, with no webhooks or GitHub App to install, and messages are de-duplicated.
- Larger plans. A project orchestrator agent breaks a plan into tasks, spawns and briefs workers, and follows their progress. One workspace can span several repositories.
- Your own servers. Install Orchestrator's host on a server or cloud VM, then start and supervise sessions there from your desktop, with several hosts in one app. Machines linked to the same Orchestrator account find each other; otherwise they pair over an HTTPS tunnel or the LAN. Orchestrator Cloud is the hosted option.
Pricing
Running Orchestrator on your own machines is free and open source (Apache-2.0), with no account needed; you bring your own agent subscriptions or API keys. Optional Orchestrator Cloud plans, for agents that keep working while your laptop is closed, are Starter at $20/month and Pro at $40/month, with Enterprise pricing on request. Orchestrator does not proxy model calls. As of October 2026, Conductor's local tier is also free with your own agent subscriptions, Pro is $50 per month for cloud workspaces and related features, and Teams is $60 per user per month.
Who should pick which
Pick Conductor if
- you are on a Mac and want a native app
- you need SSO, SCIM or a SOC 2 report
- Claude Code and Codex cover your agents and the Checks tab covers your PR needs
Pick Orchestrator if
- you or your teammates work on Windows or Linux
- you want an open-source tool you can read and fork
- you run agents other than Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and OpenCode
- you want CI failures, review comments and conflicts routed to the owning agent
- you use GitLab or need multi-repo workspaces
- you want agents on your own servers or VMs, driven from your desktop
If you are still weighing options, Conductor alternatives covers more tools and Conductor vs Superset compares two Mac-first apps.
Try it
Install Orchestrator, add a repository, and spawn your first two agents with the quickstart. Then let a PR fail CI and watch the failure arrive in the worker's session.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Conductor work on Windows or Linux?
No. As of October 2026, Conductor has no Windows or Linux build. Orchestrator.inc ships a native Windows x64 build and Linux packages.
Is there an open source Conductor alternative?
Yes. Orchestrator.inc is Apache-2.0, and the desktop app, daemon and CLI are all on GitHub. It covers the same worktree-per-agent model and adds automatic routing of CI and review feedback.
Is Conductor open source?
No. Conductor is proprietary and has no public source repository as of October 2026.
Does Conductor fix failing CI automatically?
Conductor shows failing checks in its Checks tab and offers an action to forward them to the agent, which a person triggers. Orchestrator.inc sends failing check names, links and the end of each failed job's log to the owning session without a click. In both tools, merging stays a human decision.
Does Orchestrator.inc have cloud workspaces like Conductor?
Yes, in two ways. You can install Orchestrator's host on your own server or cloud VM and drive sessions there from the desktop app, or use Orchestrator Cloud, which you join through the waitlist, with Starter at $20/month and Pro at $40/month. Running everything on your own machines stays free.
Can I run Orchestrator.inc on a Mac like Conductor?
Yes. Orchestrator.inc ships for Apple silicon and Intel Macs as well as Windows and Linux. If you want to try it next to Conductor on the same repository, the quickstart at docs.orchestrator.inc gets two agents running in a few minutes.