# Conductor alternatives: where to move now that Meta bought Conductor

> Conductor alternatives for both kinds of user: desktop apps that run agents in parallel worktrees, and cloud agents to replace Conductor Cloud by November 20.

- Tools: Conductor
- Author: [Syed Fazle Rahman](https://buildful.ai/authors/fazle)
- Published: 2026-11-08
- Compare: [Buildful vs Conductor](https://buildful.ai/compare/conductor)
- Sources:
  - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50369503
  - https://onorca.dev
  - https://t3.codes
  - https://paseo.sh
  - https://github.com/generalaction/emdash
  - https://paradev.com
  - https://code.claude.com/docs/en/desktop
  - https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/app
  - https://code.claude.com/docs/en/claude-code-on-the-web
  - https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/cloud
  - https://cursor.com/docs/cloud-agent
  - https://devin.ai/pricing
  - https://ampcode.com/pricing
  - https://paradev.com/pricing

---

The right Conductor alternative depends on which part of Conductor you used. For agents in parallel git worktrees on your own machine, look at Orca, T3 Code, Paseo, Emdash, Paradev, or the Claude Code and Codex desktop apps. To replace Conductor Cloud, pick a cloud agent: Claude Code on the web, Codex cloud, Cursor, Devin, Amp or Buildful.

## Why are people looking for a Conductor alternative?

Meta bought Conductor (conductor.build) on November 4, 2026. Sign-ups closed that day. Conductor Cloud goes read-only on November 13 and shuts down on November 20, and the Mac app gets critical bug fixes until early 2027. [What happened to Conductor](https://buildful.ai/knowledge-base/conductor-shutdown) has every date.

In the [Hacker News thread](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50369503) about the deal, people kept asking for the same things:

- Keep using the Claude and ChatGPT plans they already pay for.
- Agents in isolated worktrees, with a good diff view.
- An open-source tool that can't be shut down from under them.
- For teams, agents that keep working with the laptop closed.

## Desktop apps that run agents in parallel

These replace the Conductor Mac app. Each runs coding agents you already have, such as Claude Code and Codex, side by side on your machine. Facts are from each tool's own site.

| Tool | Platforms | Runs | License | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Orca](https://onorca.dev) | macOS, Windows, Linux, with iOS and Android companion apps | Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenCode and other CLI agents, with your own subscriptions | MIT | Free |
| [T3 Code](https://t3.codes) | macOS, Windows, Linux, web, iOS and Android | Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenCode and more, signed in with your own plans | MIT | Free |
| [Paseo](https://paseo.sh) | macOS, Windows, Linux, web, mobile and CLI | Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode and 30+ more from its agent catalog | Apache-2.0 | Free; optional Hub from $15 a seat a month |
| [Emdash](https://github.com/generalaction/emdash) | macOS, Windows, Linux | Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenCode and other installed CLI agents | Apache-2.0 | Open source |
| [Paradev](https://paradev.com) (formerly Superset) | macOS, with Linux experimental | Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Gemini CLI and other CLI agents, with your own plans or API keys | MIT | Free; Pro $20 a user a month, or $16 yearly |
| [Claude Code desktop](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/desktop) | macOS, Windows, Linux in beta | Claude Code, with a Claude plan | Not open source | Claude Pro from $20 a month |
| [Codex app](https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/app) | macOS, Windows, Linux | Codex, with a ChatGPT account or an API key | Not open source | With a ChatGPT plan |

A few differences matter when you choose:

- **Worktrees.** Orca, Paseo, Emdash and Paradev give each task its own git worktree, as Conductor did. T3 Code does it when you start a thread with **New worktree**, and the Claude Code desktop app when you switch **Worktree** on.
- **Beyond your Mac.** Orca, Paseo and Emdash can also run agents on a remote server over SSH or on a cloud machine.
- **Your own plans.** Orca, T3 Code, Paseo, Emdash and Paradev run several vendors' agents, so you keep paying the vendors you already pay. The Claude Code and Codex apps each run their own vendor's agent.

[Claude Code worktrees](https://buildful.ai/knowledge-base/claude-code-worktrees) explains how to do the same thing with no app at all.

## Cloud agents that replace Conductor Cloud

These run each task on a machine in the cloud, so work continues with your laptop closed.

| Tool | How you start a task | Price |
|---|---|---|
| [Claude Code on the web](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/claude-code-on-the-web) | claude.ai/code, the Claude apps, or `claude --cloud` | Included with Claude Pro and above; uses your plan's limits |
| [Codex cloud](https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/cloud) | The Codex app or ChatGPT, signed in with ChatGPT | ChatGPT Plus and above |
| [Cursor cloud agents](https://cursor.com/docs/cloud-agent) | The web, Cursor's apps, Slack, GitHub, Linear or the API | Premium from $30 a month, billed at each model's rate |
| [Devin](https://devin.ai/pricing) | Devin's web app, Slack or its editor | Pro $20 a month, with a usage quota |
| [Amp](https://ampcode.com/pricing) | Its CLI, web and apps, in cloud sandboxes it calls orbs | Hobby is free with your own Claude or ChatGPT plan, plus pay-as-you-go orb time; Individual is $20 a month |
| [Paradev](https://paradev.com/pricing) Team | Its desktop app, with cloud hours | $60 a user a month, with 150 cloud hours |
| [Buildful](https://buildful.ai/pricing) | The browser, Slack, Linear or iMessage | Pro $10 a month for 1,000 tasks |

Our comparisons with [Claude Code](https://buildful.ai/compare/claude-code), [Codex](https://buildful.ai/compare/codex), [Cursor](https://buildful.ai/compare/cursor) and [Devin](https://buildful.ai/compare/devin) go into more detail.

## Which Conductor alternative should I pick?

- **You liked the Mac app and want the same thing, free:** Orca or T3 Code. Both are MIT-licensed and run the agents you already sign in to.
- **You want it to run on Windows or Linux too:** Orca, T3 Code, Paseo or Emdash.
- **You only use Claude Code or only use Codex:** their own desktop apps now run parallel sessions.
- **You used Conductor Cloud:** a cloud agent. Claude Code on the web and Codex cloud come with plans you may already have. Buildful has a set monthly price and tests every UI change in a real browser.

## Where Buildful fits

Buildful replaces Conductor Cloud, not the Mac app. You start a task in the browser, from Slack or Linear, or by iMessage. It runs in its own private cloud sandbox, with your repo's setup commands and environment variables, and several run at once. Each one runs your checks, tests UI changes in a real browser and records it, and ends in a pull request on GitHub.

Buildful doesn't run on your Mac, use git worktrees, or 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 shared by the team ([pricing](https://buildful.ai/pricing)). [Buildful vs Conductor](https://buildful.ai/compare/conductor) compares them in full, [moving off Conductor Cloud](https://buildful.ai/knowledge-base/conductor-cloud-migration) shows where your setup goes, and [Conductor pricing](https://buildful.ai/knowledge-base/conductor-pricing) shows what Conductor cost.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the best free Conductor alternative?

Orca and T3 Code are the closest free replacements for the Conductor Mac app. Both are MIT-licensed desktop apps that run Claude Code, Codex and other agents in parallel, using the plans you already have.

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

Yes. Orca, T3 Code and Paradev are MIT-licensed, and Paseo and Emdash are Apache-2.0. All of them run coding agents in parallel on your own machine.

### What replaces Conductor Cloud?

A cloud coding agent, such as Claude Code on the web, Codex cloud, Cursor's cloud agents, Devin or Amp. Each runs tasks on machines in the cloud, so work continues with your laptop closed. [Conductor vs Claude Code](https://buildful.ai/knowledge-base/conductor-vs-claude-code) covers what Claude Code now does itself.

### Can I use my Claude or ChatGPT plan with a Conductor alternative?

Yes, with most desktop apps. Orca, T3 Code, Paseo and Paradev run the agents you already sign in to. Claude Code on the web needs a Claude plan, and Codex cloud needs ChatGPT.

### Is there a Conductor alternative for Windows or Linux?

Yes. Orca, T3 Code, Paseo and Emdash run on macOS, Windows and Linux. Conductor's desktop app only ever shipped for the Mac.

### Do I need to move off the Conductor Mac app now?

No. The Mac app keeps getting new models and critical bug fixes until early 2027. Conductor Cloud is the part with a deadline: it goes read-only on November 13 and shuts down on November 20, 2026.

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Source: https://buildful.ai/knowledge-base/conductor-alternatives