Short answer
Paseo and Orchestrator.inc (formerly Agent Orchestrator) have a lot in common: both are free, Apache-2.0, run a local daemon that desktop, CLI and phone apps connect to, and give each agent its own git worktree. The deciding difference is focus. Paseo is one agent environment you can carry across desktop, phone, web and terminal, with an end-to-end encrypted relay. Orchestrator supervises many agents and follows each pull request through CI and review. Choose Paseo if you often check in from your phone on other networks. Choose Orchestrator if you run several agents at once and want failing checks and review comments to reach the right agent on their own.
At a glance
| Orchestrator.inc | Paseo | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Supervising many agents through PR, CI and review | One agent environment across desktop, phone, web and terminal |
| License and price | Apache-2.0, free locally; optional Cloud plans from $20/month | Apache-2.0, free; the optional Paseo Hub service has free and paid plans |
| Desktop | macOS, Windows x64, Linux | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Mobile | iOS and Android app with push notifications | iOS and Android app |
| Web client | None | Self-hostable web app and a Docker image |
| Away from your network | Managed HTTPS tunnel; no built-in device relay yet | Optional end-to-end encrypted relay, or Tailscale |
| Coding agents | 38 harnesses, chosen per project and per task | Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode and others built in, plus agents that speak ACP |
| Isolation | Git worktree and branch per session; multi-repo workspaces | Git worktree and branch per agent, with setup hooks |
| Overview | Kanban board placed by session, PR, CI and review state | Agent list and split panes |
| After the push | Failing checks, review comments and merge conflicts sent to the owning agent | Review diffs and open PRs in the app; Hub triggers you write can start agents on PR comments |
| Planner agent | Project orchestrator that briefs and spawns workers | Agents can start other agents and hand off work |
| Automation | ao CLI and scheduled automations | CLI, TypeScript SDK, MCP server, plugins and schedules |
The problem in practice
You have three agents on one repository, each on its own branch. You step out, and from your phone you can see that two of them opened pull requests. While you are away, one PR fails a lint check and a teammate leaves review comments on the other. Reaching the agents from your phone is the easy part. The harder part is noticing the red check and the comments, and getting each one to the agent that wrote the code.
How each tool handles it
Task: get two agent PRs through a failing check and a round of review.
In Paseo
- Start agents from the desktop, phone or web app. Each gets a worktree.
- Open the PR from the app and watch its checks on GitHub.
- When a check fails or a comment arrives, open the agent from wherever you are and paste in the failure or the comment. A Paseo Hub trigger you write can start a new run on a PR comment, but Hub has no event for failing checks.
- Merge on GitHub.
In Orchestrator.inc
- Spawn two workers from the board, the phone app or with
ao spawn. Once each pushes, Orchestrator discovers its PR. - The local daemon sees the failing check and sends its name, link and the end of the failed log to the worker that owns the PR.
- The review comments go to the other worker. If you set one up, a reviewer agent from another vendor reviews each PR and its findings go to the worker too.
- Both cards move to Ready and your phone gets a push. You read the diff and merge; Orchestrator never merges on its own.
The difference is steps two and three: in Orchestrator nobody relays the failure or the comments.
Where Paseo is a good fit
- You use agents from your phone on cellular. Paseo's optional relay is end-to-end encrypted and needs no network setup.
- You want more ways in. A web app, a Docker image, a TypeScript SDK, an MCP server and plugins that show up in every client.
- You want an editor next to the agent. Paseo includes a file editor; Orchestrator has none.
Where Orchestrator fits better
- Workflows where CI and review feedback should reach the agent on its own. GitHub and GitLab, including self-managed GitLab, are polled with no webhooks to set up, and failing checks, requested changes and merge conflicts go to the owning session, de-duplicated.
- People who want a second model to review the first. 22 of the 38 harnesses can act as reviewer agents, so Codex can review a Claude Code PR, and automatic review is a project setting.
- 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.
- People who run many sessions. Cards move across the board on their own, based on what is true of each session and its PR. Nothing is dragged by hand.
Orchestrator's remote story is narrower than Paseo's. Away from your network the phone app reaches your desktop over a managed HTTPS tunnel, and there is no built-in device relay yet. Orchestrator Cloud runs sessions in hosted sandboxes if you would rather not keep a machine on.
Pricing
Orchestrator is free and open source (Apache-2.0); you bring your own agent subscriptions. It uses the agent CLIs and sign-ins you already have, so usage is billed by your provider. 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. As of October 2026, Paseo is also free and Apache-2.0, and its optional Hub service has a free plan and a paid plan.
Who should pick which
Pick Paseo if
- you often check in from your phone on other networks and want an end-to-end encrypted relay
- you want a web client, an SDK, plugins or a Docker deployment
- you want a file editor in the same app as your agents
Pick Orchestrator if
- you want failing CI, review comments and conflicts sent to the owning agent without a manual step
- you want a reviewer agent from another vendor on every PR
- you want a planning agent that spawns workers, or multi-repo workspaces
- you run enough sessions that a board with live PR and CI state helps
Try it
Install Orchestrator, add a repository, and spawn two workers with the quickstart; then pair the phone app and watch the cards move as their PRs go through CI.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Paseo open source?
Yes. As of October 2026 Paseo is Apache-2.0. It moved to Apache-2.0 from AGPL-3.0 in August 2026, so older lists that call it AGPL are out of date. Orchestrator.inc is also Apache-2.0.
Does Paseo have a mobile app?
Yes. Paseo has iOS and Android apps, plus a web app. Orchestrator.inc also has iOS and Android apps, with push notifications when a session needs you or a PR is ready to merge.
Which is better for using coding agents away from home?
Paseo, if end-to-end encryption on other networks matters to you: its optional relay is end-to-end encrypted and needs no network setup. Orchestrator.inc reaches your desktop over a managed HTTPS tunnel, and has no built-in device relay yet.
Does Paseo fix failing CI automatically?
Not by default. As of October 2026, Paseo Hub can start agents on pull request comments and reviews through triggers you write, but it has no event for failing checks. Orchestrator.inc sends failing check names, links and the end of each failed log to the owning session as they appear.
Can I use Claude Code and Codex in both?
Yes. Both run the Claude Code and Codex CLIs you already have installed and signed in to, so your existing subscriptions work. If you want to see the difference on your own repository, you can install Orchestrator.inc from orchestrator.inc and run it next to Paseo.