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Ubra vs Herdr, tmux, Zellij, cmux, Warp, Solo and manager apps
Ubra and Herdr are both free and open source. Herdr is the runtime in your terminal (a background server); Ubra is the desktop home for your agents — pick by where you like to work.
Comparison matrix
Scroll sideways on small screens. Where we're unsure of a rival's feature, the cell says "check their docs".
| Area | Ubra | Herdr | tmux / Zellij | cmux / Warp | Conductor / Emdash / Superset | Solo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Native desktop app (own window) | Terminal-based runtime (background server) | Terminal multiplexer | Terminal app | Manager app | Process dashboard |
| Agent CLIs detected | 28: claude, codex, cursor-agent, opencode, gemini, copilot …and 22 more | 22 | None (sees panes, not agents) | Attention cues, app-side | Workspace status, app-side | Process status only |
| Agent state | Per-pane badges working / blocked / idle / done, plus notification and sound | Working / blocked / idle, flags when one needs you | — | Attention cues | Workspace status | Up / down only |
| Where agents live | Desktop window + tray; opt-in background daemon (experimental) | Background server, no client needed | Detached sessions | While the app is open / session restore | While the app is open | While the app is open |
| Survives window close | Yes via tray; daemon mode detaches like Herdr (opt-in) ¹ | Yes, server owns the terminals | Yes, detach | Session restore | No | No |
| Layout restore | Full workspaces / tabs / panes + agent rerun | Layout + session resume | Manual / plugin scripts | Session restore | Project restore | Watches processes, not layouts |
| File tree + Git | Built-in Explorer + Source Control | Use your own terminal tools | Use your own terminal tools | In-app (their window) | Worktrees, diffs, review queues | — |
| Plan usage | Codex + Claude windows built in | — | — | — | — | — |
| SSH remotes | Roadmap, not shipped ² | Yes, any tty | Yes | Partial, check their docs | Remote projects (some) | — |
| Automation API | ubra-cli JSON (local, experimental) | CLI + socket API, agents can drive it | Terminal scripting | App APIs, check their docs | Workflow APIs, check their docs | MCP for processes |
| OS support | macOS, Linux, Windows | macOS, Linux, Windows (single binary) | macOS / Linux (Windows via WSL) | Mac-first / cross-platform, check their docs | Desktop apps, check per product | Check their docs |
| License + price | MIT, free forever | Apache-2.0, free (Herdr Cloud announced) | ISC / MIT, free | Freemium / free tiers, check their docs | Mixed, check per product | Check their docs |
- ¹ Ubra daemon survival is opt-in and experimental via
UBRA_DAEMON=1. By default, quitting the app stops panes; tray-hide keeps them running while the tray is available. - ² Ubra SSH remotes are on the roadmap, not shipped. Herdr and multiplexers win on SSH today.
By group
Multiplexers (tmux, Zellij)
tmux/Zellij persist terminals for people fluent in them; Ubra gives you the same persistence with point-and-click panes, agent badges, and no keybindings to memorize.
Terminal apps (cmux, Warp)
Polished windows that replace your terminal; Ubra is its own window too — but open-source, MIT, with agent badges, tray mode, and Git sidebar built in.
Manager apps (Conductor, Emdash, Superset)
Great review queues and worktrees; Ubra adds live terminal panes with agent state, tray survival, and plan usage in the same window.
Solo (process dashboard)
Solo supervises dev processes (up/down); Ubra holds interactive agent terminals with working/blocked/idle state.
Herdr
Herdr is the runtime underneath your terminal with SSH and plugins; Ubra is the desktop window with file tree, Git, and usage built in. Both free and open-source — pick by where you like to work.
One-liners, for deciding fast
- Herdr
- Pick Herdr if you want agents on an always-on terminal server with SSH machines and plugins; pick Ubra for a desktop window with Git and usage built in.
- tmux
- Pick tmux if you're fluent in prefix keys and SSH; pick Ubra for the same panes with a mouse and agent badges.
- Zellij
- Pick Zellij for a friendlier terminal workspace with plugins; pick Ubra if you'd rather not live in the terminal at all.
- cmux
- Pick cmux for a terminal app built around agent attention cues; pick Ubra for an MIT-licensed window with Git and tray mode.
- Warp
- Pick Warp if you want a modern terminal replacement; pick Ubra if you want a dedicated home for many agents side by side.
- Solo
- Pick Solo to keep dev servers up; pick Ubra to run and watch interactive agent sessions.
- Conductor
- Pick Conductor for worktree-based agent review; pick Ubra for live terminal panes with agent state.
- Emdash
- Pick Emdash for orchestrating agents across worktrees; pick Ubra for real CLIs in panes with plan usage built in.
- Superset
- Pick Superset for managing many agent tasks in one app; pick Ubra for open-source panes that keep running in the tray.
Last updated: October 2026. Rival details from official docs as of October 2026 — open an issue if anything is stale.