Conductor is a YC-backed macOS app for orchestrating AI coding agents. Pane is an open-source, cross-platform agent manager. The differences are fundamental: platform support, agent compatibility, openness, and interaction model.
| pane | conductor | |
|---|---|---|
| platform | windows + mac + linux | mac only (apple silicon only) |
| agents | any CLI agent — claude code, codex, aider, goose, anything | claude code + codex only |
| open source | yes (AGPL-3.0) | no — closed source, proprietary |
| diff viewer | built-in, syntax-highlighted | built-in (diff-first model) |
| git workflow | commit, push, rebase, squash, merge — all keyboard | worktrees + PR creation |
| interaction model | keyboard-first cockpit — every action has a shortcut | GUI-first dashboard |
| worktree management | automatic — invisible to the user | automatic (duplicates full repo per workspace) |
| session persistence | yes — survives restarts | yes |
| pricing | free forever | free (uses your API keys) |
| git provider requirement | none — works with any local repo | requires GitHub (must clone from GitHub) |
| checkpoints / revert | git-native (rebase, squash, reset) | turn-by-turn checkpoints with visual revert |
| integrations | agents connect via MCPs and CLI tools — the terminal is the integration layer | built-in github, linear |
cross-platform
Conductor only runs on Apple Silicon Macs. Intel Macs aren't even supported. Windows and Linux? "Hopefully soon-ish." Pane runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux today — same UI, same shortcuts, same features.
agent-agnostic
Conductor supports Claude Code and Codex. That's it. Pane supports any CLI agent — Claude Code, Codex, Aider, Goose, or anything that runs in a terminal. A new agent ships tomorrow? Just run it. No waiting for Conductor to add support.
open source
Pane is fully open source under AGPL-3.0. Audit the code, build it yourself, contribute. Conductor is closed source and proprietary — you can't see how it works or verify what it does.
keyboard-first vs GUI-first
Conductor is a visual dashboard — it's designed around clicking and visual management. Pane is keyboard-first. Every action has a shortcut. The command palette (⌘K) puts everything one keystroke away. Conductor is a dashboard. Pane is a cockpit.
no GitHub requirement
Conductor requires repos to be cloned from GitHub — no local-only repos. Pane works with any git repository, anywhere.
turn-by-turn checkpoints
Conductor lets you view and revert to specific turns in an agent's conversation. Pane uses standard git operations (rebase, squash, reset) for the same goal.
linear integration
Conductor integrates with Linear for issue-to-PR workflows. Pane is terminal-native — you use whatever tools you want in your terminal tabs.
Conductor is a polished Mac app for managing Claude Code and Codex visually. If you're on an Apple Silicon Mac and only use those two agents, it works. But if you want cross-platform support, agent flexibility, open source transparency, and a keyboard-first workflow — Pane is the tool built for that.
Does Conductor work on Windows or Linux?
No. Conductor only runs on macOS with Apple Silicon. Intel Macs aren't even supported. Windows and Linux support is described as 'hopefully soon-ish.' Pane runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux today.
Can I use Aider or Goose with Conductor?
No. Conductor only supports Claude Code and Codex. Pane supports any CLI agent — Claude Code, Codex, Aider, Goose, Gemini CLI, OpenCode, or anything that runs in a terminal.
Is Conductor open source?
No. Conductor is closed source and proprietary, backed by Y Combinator. You can't audit the code or build it yourself. Pane is fully open source under AGPL-3.0.
Is Conductor free?
Yes, Conductor itself is free. You use your own Claude Code or Codex API keys. Pane is also free and open source.
What's the difference between Conductor's dashboard and Pane's cockpit?
Conductor is GUI-first — a visual dashboard where you manage agents by clicking. Pane is keyboard-first — every action has a shortcut, navigation is up/down for panes, left/right for tabs, and ⌘K for the command palette. Conductor is a dashboard. Pane is a cockpit.