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New open source agent terminal vs the standard terminal multiplexer.
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cmux and tmux both help you manage multiple terminal sessions, but they are fundamentally different tools. cmux (launched February 2026, now with thousands of GitHub stars) is a free, open source (AGPL-3.0) native macOS terminal built specifically for running multiple AI coding agents. It uses libghostty for GPU-accelerated rendering and adds vertical tabs with git branch status, split panes, notification rings, an embedded scriptable browser, session restore, and a Unix socket API.
tmux is the standard terminal multiplexer, actively maintained since 2007. Its killer feature is detach/reattach — sessions survive SSH disconnects and can be reattached from any machine. It runs on macOS, Linux, BSD, and Solaris, has a plugin ecosystem via TPM, and YAML session managers like tmuxinator and tmuxp.
cmux is macOS-only and purpose-built for local agent workflows. tmux runs everywhere and excels at remote persistence. Solo is a separate macOS process dashboard for background services neither tool supervises.
This page should answer native multitasking terminal versus terminal multiplexer first. Solo only matters later if the real need is a separate Mac workspace around local agents and commands.
cmux fits best when you want tabs, panes, browser context, and agent-friendly visual workflows without dropping into a multiplexer-first mindset.
tmux fits best when you want detach and reattach workflows, pane-based layouts, and a tool that works nearly everywhere.
Solo is relevant when the real need is a separate Mac workspace for local agents, services, shells, and shared project commands rather than another terminal layout model.
| Feature | cmux | tmux | Solo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary purpose | Native macOS terminal for running multiple coding agents | Terminal multiplexer with session persistence | Local process dashboard for agents and project commands |
| Runs inside another terminal | — | Yes — runs inside any terminal emulator | — |
| Terminal rendering | libghostty with GPU acceleration (Swift/AppKit) | Text-based — renders inside host terminal | xterm.js with WebGL rendering |
| Tabs / workspaces | Vertical sidebar tabs showing git branch, directory, ports, and notification status | Windows inside sessions, switchable via prefix key | Sidebar with process status and CPU/memory stats |
| Split panes | Yes — horizontal and vertical with directional keyboard navigation | Yes — horizontal and vertical with flexible layouts | — |
| Detach and reattach | — | Yes — sessions survive disconnects and can be reattached from any machine | — |
| Runs on remote servers | — | — | |
| Embedded browser | Yes — scriptable web view with API for clicks, form filling, JS eval, screenshots | — | — |
| Agent notifications | Blue rings around panes, unread badges, desktop alerts, Cmd+Shift+U to jump to latest | Bell and activity alerts in status bar | Native macOS notifications, in-app toasts, OSC escape sequences |
| Automation API | Unix socket API + CLI with workspace, split, input, browser, and notification commands | Full CLI — every action scriptable; rich format strings for state queries | MCP server and Raycast HTTP API |
| Session restore | Yes — layout, directories, scrollback, browser history on relaunch | Via tmux-resurrect and tmux-continuum plugins | Processes persist while app is running |
| Plugin ecosystem | Community extensions via CLI | TPM with 100+ plugins (resurrect, continuum, yank, themes) | — |
| Session config files | No project session manifest | tmux.conf for settings; tmuxinator or tmuxp for YAML session layouts | solo.yml for project command definitions |
| Ghostty config compatibility | Yes — reads existing Ghostty config for themes, fonts, and colors | — | — |
| Claude Code hooks | Yes — on-task-complete hooks via ~/.cmux/hooks/ | — | — |
| Auto-restart on crash | — | Not built in; requires shell scripting | Yes — with rate limiting |
| Open source | Yes — AGPL-3.0 | Yes — ISC license | — |
| Price | Free | Free | Free (4 projects, 20 processes); Pro 69 year |
| Platform | macOS 14+ (Intel and Apple Silicon) | macOS, Linux, BSD, Solaris (no native Windows) | macOS only |
cmux is a brand-new terminal (February 2026) built for the AI agent era. It launched, hit #2 on Hacker News, and gained thousands of GitHub stars quickly.
tmux is a battle-tested terminal multiplexer, actively maintained since 2007. It is one of the most widely used developer tools in existence.
Solo is a native macOS process dashboard for local dev environment management.
cmux is purpose-built for agent multitasking.
tmux can run any CLI agent in a pane, but it was not designed with agents in mind.
Solo treats agents as managed processes alongside your other commands.
cmux is macOS-only with no remote capabilities. It cannot replace tmux for remote server work.
tmux runs everywhere Unix runs, and remote persistence is its killer feature.
Solo is macOS-only with no remote support.
If cmux is your terminal for agent work, Solo adds process lifecycle management.
If tmux is your multiplexer, Solo adds a GUI process layer for local Mac work.
Solo complements both tools. Use cmux for interactive agent sessions, tmux for remote servers, and Solo for keeping your local background services healthy with crash recovery and shared configuration.
cmux and tmux are both free and open source. The practical choice is workflow shape, not plan cost.
cmux pricing lens
cmux is free and open source.
tmux pricing lens
tmux is free and open source.
Where Solo fits
Solo adds a separate Mac workflow layer if what you need is project-level visibility rather than another terminal or multiplexer.
cmux and tmux solve different problems. cmux is a new, agent-optimized macOS terminal with notification rings, an embedded browser, and a socket API — ideal for juggling many coding agents locally. tmux is the battle-tested multiplexer with remote persistence, pane layouts, and a plugin ecosystem — essential for remote servers and SSH workflows. They can coexist: tmux on remote servers, cmux for local agent work. Solo adds a third layer — process lifecycle management with auto-restart, crash notifications, and team-shareable configuration — that neither terminal tool provides.
Related comparisons
If you are evaluating cmux, tmux, Solo, these are the closest next comparisons in the matrix.
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