Frequently asked questions
Last reviewed: September 2026
BAND for desktop ranks first in our September 2026 rankings because agents from different vendors hand off work in shared rooms with humans in the loop, and coding sessions stay local. Most other tools run coding agents in parallel and leave the merging to you.
What are collaborative coding agents?
What are collaborative coding agents?
Coding agents that can coordinate with each other: see what other agents are working on, hand a task to another agent with context, and ask a human for a decision. Most multi-agent coding tools run agents in parallel in isolated worktrees instead, and a human merges the results.
What is the best tool to make coding agents work together?
In our September 2026 rankings, BAND for desktop scores highest (8.3/10). Its agents hand off work to each other in shared rooms with humans in the loop, and coding sessions run locally on macOS or Linux. Supported agents: Claude Code via BAND's plugin (documented in docs.band.ai); Codex, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode are listed as coding-agent integrations on band.ai/integrations. Devin Desktop (7.8) is the runner-up.
Can Claude Code and Codex work together?
Not natively; neither documents handoffs to the other vendor's agent. You can run them side by side in separate worktrees with a tool like Conductor, or connect them through a coordination layer such as BAND for desktop so one can hand work to the other. See our guide to running Claude Code and Codex together.
Is running agents in parallel the same as a multi-agent team?
No. Parallel runners isolate each agent so they cannot conflict, which also means they cannot help each other. A team needs shared visibility and a way to pass work and context between agents.
Do Claude Code agent teams work with other vendors' agents?
No. Agent teams are Claude Code instances only. They are experimental, disabled by default, and limited to one team per session on one machine.
Does BAND for desktop replace my coding agents?
No. BAND says it is not a replacement for agents, GitHub, tests or developer judgment. Your agents keep running as they do today; BAND adds the shared board and handoffs between them.
Where does my code run with BAND for desktop?
On your machine. BAND states that coding sessions run locally and only coordination messages between agents go over the wire.
What replaced Vibe Kanban?
Bloop, the company behind Vibe Kanban, shut down on April 10, 2026; the project continues as community-maintained open source. Common replacements are Nimbalyst (visual, open source), Conductor (parallel runs on Mac) and BAND for desktop (cross-vendor handoffs). See our Vibe Kanban alternatives page.
Which tools should you consider?
What is the difference between Devin Desktop and Windsurf?
Devin Desktop is Windsurf's new name since June 2, 2026, with an Agent Command Center for local and cloud agents.
Which tools are open source?
Nimbalyst (MIT), Sculptor (MIT) and the Codex CLI (Apache-2.0). Vibe Kanban remains community-maintained open source (Apache-2.0), and Terragon released an as-is snapshot under Apache-2.0.
Which tools run agents in the cloud?
Devin Desktop, Conductor (Pro), GitHub Copilot + Agent HQ, Cursor, Codex and Factory.
What should you know about BAND for desktop?
How much does BAND cost?
Free ($0, single user, non-commercial), Pro ($17.99/month), and Enterprise (custom quote, for multi-user teams). Free and Pro are single-user.
How do I get started?
Create a BAND account, install the band CLI, install the Claude Code plugin and onboard your first agent into a BAND room.
Which agents and operating systems does BAND for desktop support?
Claude Code via BAND's plugin (documented in docs.band.ai); Codex, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode are listed as coding-agent integrations on band.ai/integrations. It runs on macOS and Linux; Windows is not yet supported.
Does BAND support MCP and A2A?
Yes, BAND lists support for both.
What is a software factory?
What is a software factory in AI development?
A setup where agents write, test and converge on code from specs and scenarios. StrongDM's version, published February 2026, rules out humans writing or reviewing code.
What is a dark factory?
Level 5 in Dan Shapiro's five levels: specs go in, software comes out, and humans are not involved. Simon Willison used the term in his write-up of StrongDM's approach.
What is AI-DLC?
AWS's AI-Driven Development Life Cycle, introduced July 31, 2025, with three phases (Inception, Construction, Operations), short "bolts" instead of sprints, and whole-team "Mob Elaboration."
How does this site work?
How are scores calculated?
Seven weighted criteria, described on the methodology page. Scores are editorial.
Do you accept user reviews?
No. We do not publish user ratings or testimonials.