Claude Squad vs herdr: Two Ways to Run Multiple AI Coding Agents
Claude Squad and herdr both run several AI coding agents from the terminal, but they take different approaches to setup, workflow, and remote use. Here is how the two compare.
Contents
OverviewAt a glanceHead to headFeature matrixPricingPros & consClaude Squad and herdr: the public release record on 2026-08-01Claude Squad and herdr at a glanceInstallation and prerequisitesDesign philosophy: local task isolation vs remote persistenceAgents, plugins, and control surfacesLicensing, privacy, and project maturityWhich one fits your workflowVerdictFAQSourcesIf you run more than one AI coding agent at a time (say, Claude Code on a new feature while another agent handles a refactor), you soon want one place to watch and steer them all. Claude Squad and herdr both do that from the terminal, but they start from different assumptions about where your agents run and how you supervise them.
This article compares what each tool is, how it installs, and the workflow each is built around, using each project's own pages as observed on 2026-08-01. Where a page we read did not cover a capability, we say so instead of guessing.
At a glance
Short version: Both are terminal tools for running several AI coding agents at once, and both install in one command. Claude Squad is a local supervisor that isolates each task in its own git workspace and adds a review-before-ship step; it runs on top of tmux and the GitHub CLI (Claude Squad landing page, 2026-08-01). herdr is a single-binary agent multiplexer built for remote, persistent work: it can keep agents alive on a server over ssh and let you reattach from a phone, and it adds local plugins and a scripting API (herdr.dev and herdr docs, 2026-08-01). Choose Claude Squad for local, git-isolated task supervision; choose herdr for agents that survive a closed laptop and a control surface you can reach remotely.
Head to head
Key differences side by side; the stronger option is tinted green.
| Feature | Claude Squad | herdr |
|---|---|---|
| Core purpose | Terminal UI to supervise multiple AI coding agents (Claude Code, Codex, Aider) in one place (landing page, 2026-08-01) | Agent multiplexer that runs multiple coding agents from one terminal (herdr.dev, 2026-08-01) |
| Setup / prerequisites | Requires tmux and gh (GitHub CLI); install via Homebrew or shell script (landing page, 2026-08-01) | Ships as a single self-contained binary; install via script, Homebrew, or Nix flake (herdr.dev, 2026-08-01) |
| Remote use & persistence | Not covered on the pages we read (2026-08-01) | Runs agents on a server that keeps them alive over ssh after the laptop closes; reattach from a phone (herdr.dev, 2026-08-01) |
| Per-task git isolation | Isolates each task in its own git workspace (landing page, 2026-08-01) | Not covered on the pages we read (2026-08-01) |
| Session state (detach / restore / resume) | Not covered on the pages we read (2026-08-01) | Detach and reattach, restart restore, pane history replay, native agent resume, live handoff (docs, 2026-08-01) |
| Extensibility (plugins / API) | Not covered on the pages we read (2026-08-01) | Local executable workflow plugins plus a CLI and local socket API; a plugin marketplace is announced as planned, not yet launched (docs, 2026-08-01) |
| Privacy posture | Not covered on the pages we read (2026-08-01) | States no account and no telemetry (herdr.dev, 2026-08-01) |
| License | GNU AGPL v3.0 (landing page and GitHub, 2026-08-01) | Not covered on the pages we read (2026-08-01) |
| Platform support | Not covered on the pages we read (2026-08-01) | Stable on Linux/macOS; Windows in preview beta (herdr.dev, 2026-08-01) |
Feature matrix
| Feature | Claude Squad | herdr |
|---|---|---|
| Runs multiple AI coding agents from the terminal | ✓ | ✓ |
| One-command shell-script installEach provides a curl-based installer (2026-08-01) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Homebrew install | ✓ | ✓ |
| Works with multiple agent CLIsClaude Squad: Claude Code, Codex, Aider; herdr shows Claude Code, opencode, Codex (2026-08-01) | ✓ | ✓ |
✓ full · △ partial/paid · ✗ not supported
Pricing
Confirm current pricing on each vendor's site.
- Install via Homebrew: brew install claude-squad
- Or a shell-script installer from the project
- Requires tmux and gh (GitHub CLI)
- Supervise multiple agents, isolate tasks in git workspaces, review before shipping
- Install via shell script, Homebrew, or Nix flake
- Stable on Linux/macOS; Windows in preview beta
- No account and no telemetry (herdr.dev)
- Single self-contained binary
Pros & cons
- Isolates each task in its own git workspace with a review-before-ship step (landing page, 2026-08-01)
- Open source under GNU AGPL v3.0 with an active public repository (~8.2k stars as of 2026-08-01)
- Works with several agent CLIs: Claude Code, Codex, and Aider (landing page, 2026-08-01)
- Simple one-command install via Homebrew or a shell script
- Requires tmux and gh (GitHub CLI) to be installed first (landing page, 2026-08-01)
- The pages we read did not cover remote/ssh persistence or mobile reattach
- The pages we read did not cover a plugin system or a scripting API
- Single self-contained binary; installs via script, Homebrew, or Nix (herdr.dev, 2026-08-01)
- Built for remote, persistent work: agents stay alive on a server over ssh, reattach from a phone (herdr.dev, 2026-08-01)
- Rich session state: detach/reattach, restart restore, pane history replay, native agent resume, live handoff (docs, 2026-08-01)
- States no account and no telemetry (herdr.dev, 2026-08-01)
- Extensible via local plugins and a CLI/socket API (docs, 2026-08-01)
- Windows support is a preview beta, not stable, as of 2026-08-01 (herdr.dev)
- The pages we read did not state a license or a price
- The plugin marketplace is announced but not yet launched as of 2026-08-01 (docs)
- The pages we read did not cover per-task git workspace isolation
Claude Squad and herdr: the public release record on 2026-08-01
| Measured on 2026-08-01 | Claude Squad smtg-ai/claude-squad | herdr herdrdev/herdr |
|---|---|---|
| Latest release | v1.0.19, published 2026-06-17 | preview-2026-07-29-44b3adb12552, published 2026-07-29 |
| Commits, weekly average | 0.8 a week (10 commits in the 12 weeks to 2026-08-01) | 77.7 a week (932 commits in the 12 weeks to 2026-08-01) |
| Most recent commit | 2026-07-30 | 2026-08-01 |
As recorded on 2026-08-01 from each project's public GitHub source repository, herdr's code history averaged 77.7 commits a week over the preceding twelve weeks against 0.8 a week for Claude Squad — a gap echoed in their releases, where herdr's most recent tag (preview-2026-07-29-44b3adb12552) was published 2026-07-29 while Claude Squad's latest, v1.0.19, dates to 2026-06-17. Both sets of figures come from the version-control record itself, not from a package registry's download counts or a vendor's own status page. For someone choosing between the two, the numbers reasonably suggest that herdr is under markedly heavier active development and is shipping changes far more frequently, whereas Claude Squad's public cadence has been comparatively quiet in this window. What they do not establish is whether either tool is more reliable, better supported, or higher in quality, nor how many people actually use either one, since commit and release frequency measure development activity alone rather than adoption or fitness for any particular use.
Where these numbers come from: on 2026-08-01 (2026-08-01T01:15:45Z) we called the public endpoints listed below and recorded what they returned. Nothing here is taken from either vendor's marketing pages, and anyone can repeat the same calls. Repository figures describe the named repository — for a closed-source platform that is its official CLI or SDK, not the platform itself. What these figures do not tell you: Commit counts include merges, dependency bumps and documentation changes, and a monorepo will always show more commits than a single-purpose repository, so this measures how busy the named repository is — not progress, quality, or how much of it reaches the product. The commit date says the repository is being worked on, nothing about what changed. None of them measures reliability, support or how either product feels to use.
- Claude Squad — GitHub REST API · GitHub releases API · the project's own repository, where its releases are published
- herdr — GitHub REST API · GitHub releases API · the project's own repository, where its releases are published
Claude Squad and herdr at a glance
Claude Squad presents itself as a way to manage multiple AI agents (it names Claude Code, Codex, and Aider) from a single terminal UI, so you can supervise several at once, isolate each task in a git workspace, and review the work before shipping it (Claude Squad landing page, 2026-08-01). The project is open source: its site and its GitHub repository both list the GNU AGPL v3.0 license. The repository is a Go project and, as of 2026-08-01, carried roughly 8.2k stars, 594 forks, and 220 commits (Claude Squad GitHub repository, 2026-08-01).
herdr calls itself an "agent multiplexer · a binary, not an app." Its pitch is running all your coding agents from one terminal on any box, even over ssh, with each agent in its own real terminal and a server that keeps them alive when you close the laptop; you can see which agents are blocked, working, or done, and reattach from your phone (herdr.dev, 2026-08-01). Its documentation was on version 0.7.5, last updated Jul 31, 2026 (herdr docs, 2026-08-01).
Installation and prerequisites
Both install in a single command. Claude Squad offers Homebrew (brew install claude-squad) or a shell-script installer, and its page lists tmux and gh (the GitHub CLI) as prerequisites you need first (Claude Squad landing page, 2026-08-01). That reflects its build: it layers on tmux for the multiplexing, and the GitHub CLI is called out as a requirement.
herdr ships as a single self-contained binary and lists a shell script, Homebrew, and a Nix flake as install paths. A Windows build is offered as a preview beta, while Linux and macOS are marked stable (herdr.dev, 2026-08-01). Because it is distributed as one binary, its homepage frames setup as install-and-run rather than assembling dependencies.
Design philosophy: local task isolation vs remote persistence
The clearest difference is where your agents live. Claude Squad's stated model is local supervision: multiple agents in one UI, each task isolated in a git workspace, with a review step before you ship (Claude Squad landing page, 2026-08-01). That maps to a workflow where you spin up parallel agents on your own machine, keep each task's git changes separated, and vet the diffs before merging.
herdr's stated model puts the agents on a server. It runs each agent in its own real terminal on any box, over ssh if you like, and keeps them alive when the laptop closes; you glance at blocked, working, and done status and reattach later, including from a phone (herdr.dev, 2026-08-01). Its docs describe session-state features that back this up: detach and reattach, restart restore, pane history replay, native agent resume, and live handoff (herdr docs, 2026-08-01).
Neither approach is strictly better, because they answer different questions. If your agents run on the machine in front of you and the priority is keeping each task's git changes clean and reviewable, Claude Squad's model fits. If your agents are long-running and you want them to outlive your terminal session and stay reachable, herdr's model fits.
Agents, plugins, and control surfaces
Both work with more than one agent. Claude Squad names Claude Code, Codex, and Aider (Claude Squad landing page, 2026-08-01). herdr's site shows Claude Code, opencode, and Codex among the agents it runs, and its docs describe detection behavior, custom labels, and direct attach (herdr.dev and herdr docs, 2026-08-01).
On extensibility, herdr's documentation describes local executable workflow plugins with manifest actions and event hooks, plus a CLI and local socket API for controlling it from scripts, tools, and agents (herdr docs, 2026-08-01). Its docs also say you can share plugins from GitHub today and tag a repo to be listed "when the marketplace launches," so the marketplace itself is announced rather than available as of 2026-08-01 (herdr docs, 2026-08-01). The Claude Squad pages we read did not cover a plugin system or a scripting API.
Licensing, privacy, and project maturity
Claude Squad states its license plainly: GNU AGPL v3.0, on both its landing page and its GitHub repository (2026-08-01). The repository is public and, as of 2026-08-01, showed about 8.2k stars, 594 forks, and 220 commits, which are useful signals of an active project (Claude Squad GitHub repository, 2026-08-01).
herdr's homepage emphasizes a privacy posture, stating "no Electron, no account, no telemetry" alongside its stable Linux and macOS builds and preview Windows build (herdr.dev, 2026-08-01). The herdr pages we read did not list a license or a price, so we do not state either here; check the project's repository for its current license before you rely on it.
Which one fits your workflow
Choose Claude Squad if you run agents locally and want each task quarantined in its own git workspace with a review pass before merging, and you are fine having tmux and the GitHub CLI installed (Claude Squad landing page, 2026-08-01). It suits a single-machine developer juggling a few parallel agents who cares most about clean, reviewable diffs.
Choose herdr if you want agents that keep running on a server after you disconnect, that you can supervise over ssh and reattach to from a phone, and you value a single-binary install with no account or telemetry (herdr.dev, 2026-08-01). Its plugin and API surface also make it the better fit if you want to script or extend a multi-agent setup (herdr docs, 2026-08-01).
Both install quickly, so running each against a real task costs little. The deciding factor is usually whether you need local git-workspace isolation or remote persistence, and each tool leads clearly on one of those.
Claude Squad and herdr solve overlapping problems from opposite ends. Claude Squad is a local, git-workspace-oriented supervisor for parallel agents, open source under the GNU AGPL v3.0, that expects tmux and the GitHub CLI on your machine (Claude Squad landing page and GitHub repository, 2026-08-01). herdr is a single-binary agent multiplexer aimed at remote, persistent work: keeping agents alive on a server over ssh, reattaching from a phone, with local plugins, a scripting API, and a stated no-account, no-telemetry posture (herdr.dev and herdr docs, 2026-08-01).
If your work is local and diff-review-centric, Claude Squad's task isolation is the stronger match. If you need agents to survive a closed laptop and stay reachable remotely, herdr is built for that. The pages we read did not let us compare a few dimensions on equal footing (Claude Squad's remote behavior and herdr's license among them), so confirm those on each project's own pages before you commit. Both install in one command, which makes a short hands-on trial the most reliable tiebreaker.
FAQ
Are Claude Squad and herdr free?
Claude Squad is open source under the GNU AGPL v3.0, per its landing page and GitHub repository (2026-08-01), and installs via Homebrew or a shell script. The herdr pages we read did not list a price or license as of 2026-08-01, though its homepage says it needs no account; check its repository for licensing before you rely on it.
Do both work with agents other than Claude Code?
Yes. Claude Squad names Claude Code, Codex, and Aider (landing page, 2026-08-01). herdr's site shows Claude Code, opencode, and Codex among the agents it runs (herdr.dev, 2026-08-01).
Can I use these on Windows?
herdr lists a Windows build as a preview beta, with Linux and macOS marked stable, as of 2026-08-01 (herdr.dev). Windows support was not covered on the Claude Squad pages we read, so check its repository if that matters to you.
Which one keeps agents running after I close my laptop?
herdr describes running agents on a server that keeps them alive when you close the laptop, with reattach over ssh and from a phone (herdr.dev, 2026-08-01). That capability was not covered on the Claude Squad pages we read.