Orchestrator.inc vs Claude Squad (2026): tmux TUI or desktop supervisor

Short answer

Claude Squad and Orchestrator.inc (formerly Agent Orchestrator) both give each coding agent its own git worktree so parallel sessions never collide. The difference is what happens after the agent pushes: Claude Squad stops at commit and push, while Orchestrator follows the pull request and sends failing CI checks and review comments back to the agent that owns it. Choose Claude Squad if you want a single binary in tmux that you can run over plain SSH. Choose Orchestrator if you run more sessions than you can watch by hand, or if you work on Windows.

At a glance

	Orchestrator.inc	Claude Squad
Shape	Desktop app, local daemon and `ao` CLI	Terminal app built on tmux
Platforms	macOS, Windows x64, Linux x64, plus iOS and Android companion	macOS and Linux; no native Windows build as of October 2026
License and price	Apache-2.0, free locally with no account; optional Cloud plans from $20/month	AGPL-3.0, free
Remote machines	Runs its host on your own server or VM; drive several hosts from one desktop app	Runs inside tmux on any machine you SSH into
Coding agents	38 harnesses, including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenCode, Gemini CLI and Aider	Claude Code by default, plus other CLI agents passed with `-p`
Isolation	Git worktree and branch per session; multi-repo workspaces	Git worktree and tmux session per instance; one repo per launch directory
Overview	Kanban board with lanes derived from session, PR, CI and review facts	Instance list with preview and diff tabs
After the push	Failing checks, review comments and merge conflicts sent to the owning session	You open the PR and watch CI yourself
Interface	Structured Chat or the agent's native terminal UI	The agent's native terminal UI in tmux
Notifications	In-app, desktop toasts, mobile push	None documented

The problem in practice

You have four Claude Code sessions going. One of them pushed a branch twenty minutes ago. Since then, a lint check failed and a teammate left two review comments. Nothing told you. To get it moving again you have to notice the red check on GitHub, copy the failure, find the right tmux window, paste it in, wait for the push, and then do the same for the review comments.

With two sessions that relay is fine. With five, it becomes most of your day.

How each tool handles it

Task: fix a failing test in a pull request and get it merged.

In Claude Squad

Run cs in the repo and press n. The instance gets a worktree and a tmux session.
Attach, ask Claude Code to fix the test, and detach with ctrl-q.
Press s to commit and push the branch.
Open the PR on GitHub and watch CI. If a check fails, paste the failure into the agent, push again, then merge on GitHub.

In Orchestrator.inc

Spawn a worker from the board or with ao spawn. Once it pushes, Orchestrator discovers the PR.
When a check fails, the failing check names, links and the end of each failed job's log go to that session, and its card on the board reflects the failing check.
The worker pushes a fix. If you set one up, a reviewer agent such as Codex reviews the PR and its findings go to the worker.
The card reaches Ready to merge and you get a notification. You read the diff and press Merge. Merge is always your explicit action.

Where Claude Squad is a good fit

You want something small. It is one Go binary plus tmux, with no desktop app and no background daemon.
You want plain SSH. The whole interface lives in tmux, so it runs on any remote Linux box you SSH into, with no host app to install.
You want any CLI as an agent. Pass a program with -p and Claude Squad runs it in a worktree without a dedicated adapter.

Where Orchestrator fits better

Teams on Windows, or mixed teams. Orchestrator ships a Windows x64 build with a native ConPTY terminal host, so no WSL or tmux is needed.
Workflows where CI and review feedback should reach the agent on its own. Orchestrator polls GitHub and GitLab, including self-managed GitLab, without webhooks or a GitHub App. Failing checks, requested changes and merge conflicts go to the owning session, de-duplicated.
People who want a board instead of a list. Cards sit in Working, Needs you, In review and Ready to merge based on what is actually true of the session and its PR. Nothing is dragged by hand.
Larger pieces of work. A project orchestrator agent can break a plan into tasks, spawn and brief workers, and follow their progress. A reviewer agent from another vendor can check each PR.
Agents on your own servers. You can install Orchestrator's host on a server or cloud VM and start and supervise sessions there from your desktop, with several hosts in one app.
People away from their desk. The companion mobile app shows chat, the terminal and diffs, and sends a push when a session needs input or a PR is ready to merge.

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. Claude Squad is free under AGPL-3.0, with no paid tier as of October 2026.

Who should pick which

Pick Claude Squad if

you live in tmux and want a single binary with no GUI
you want to reach remote machines over plain SSH without running a host app on them
you only need worktree isolation and a quick diff, and you handle PRs on GitHub yourself

Pick Orchestrator if

you or a teammate are on Windows, or you want the same tool on every OS
you run enough sessions that watching PRs and CI by hand is the bottleneck
you want reviewer agents, a planning agent or multi-repo workspaces
you want to supervise agents on your own servers or VMs from one desktop app
you want a phone notification when an agent needs you

Try it

Install Orchestrator, add your repo as a project, and spawn two Claude Code workers on two small issues; the review loop guide shows what happens once they open PRs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Claude Squad work on Windows?

Not natively. Claude Squad supports macOS and Linux, relies on tmux, and does not run natively on Windows as of October 2026. If you need parallel agents on Windows, Orchestrator.inc has a native Windows x64 build that runs agents through ConPTY, with no WSL or tmux required.

Does Claude Squad create pull requests or track CI?

No. Its s key commits and pushes the branch. Opening the PR, watching CI, answering review comments and merging happen on GitHub by hand. Orchestrator.inc discovers the PR, sends failing checks and review comments to the owning session, and lets you merge from the app.

Is there a Claude Squad alternative that keeps the native Claude Code terminal?

Yes. Every Orchestrator.inc session can run in the agent's own terminal UI. Claude Code and Codex sessions can also switch to a structured Chat view and back without losing their worktree.

Is Claude Squad lighter on resources than Orchestrator.inc?

Yes. Claude Squad is a Go terminal app that needs tmux and the GitHub CLI. Orchestrator.inc is an Electron desktop app with a local Go daemon and a SQLite database under ~/.ao.

Which license is easier for commercial use?

Orchestrator.inc uses Apache-2.0, a permissive license. Claude Squad uses AGPL-3.0, a copyleft license that some companies review more carefully, although running it as a local tool is usually not a concern. If a permissive license matters to your team, you can download Orchestrator.inc from orchestrator.inc and read the source on GitHub.