Conductor review: the cleanest parallel runner, not a team
Last reviewed: September 2026
Verdict
Conductor is the best tool we reviewed for running several vendors' agents side by side on a Mac, with a tidy per-task workspace, branch, diff and review path. It does not let agents hand work to each other, so it ranks third (6.6/10) behind tools that coordinate agents.
6.6/10
Best for: Parallel Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and OpenCode runs on a Mac, with a clean review path
- Agent-to-agent handoff (25%)
- 3.5
- Multi-vendor agents (20%)
- 8.5
- Local execution (15%)
- 7.0
- Shared visibility (15%)
- 7.0
- Human intervention (10%)
- 7.5
- Setup effort (8%)
- 8.5
- Price (7%)
- 7.5
What is Conductor?
Conductor's pitch is "Run a team of coding agents in the cloud." In practice it is a Mac desktop app plus Conductor Cloud. It runs "the first-party Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, and OpenCode agents under the hood," using your own subscriptions or keys.
How does multi-agent work run in Conductor?
Parallel and isolated. "Each task gets its own workspace, branch, files, terminal, diff, and review path." Locally that means git worktrees on your Mac. In the cloud, each agent gets "a cloud sandbox" on isolated microVMs. Conductor also has multiplayer for humans: share a workspace link and see who is active. What it does not describe is any messaging or handoff between agents. If Codex's output should feed Claude Code, you move it.
Run your agents as a team
BAND for desktop lets your coding agents hand work to each other in shared rooms while you stay in the loop. Claude Code joins via BAND's plugin; Codex, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode are listed as integrations. Sessions stay on your machine (macOS or Linux).
What works in Conductor, and what to watch out for?
What works
- Four first-party agents from different vendors in one app, with BYO keys.
- A consistent review path per task, which matters when you are the one merging.
- Human multiplayer on Pro and Teams.
- Free tier covers parallel local agents.
Watch-outs
- No agent-to-agent handoff. It is parallel work with a human merge.
- Local workspaces are macOS only. Cloud workspaces need Pro.
- Not open source and requires a login; some users on Hacker News say that is why they looked for alternatives.
- Some users report feature creep as the product has grown.
How much does Conductor cost?
| Plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Parallel agents, local Mac workspaces, BYO keys |
| Pro | $50/mo | Cloud workspaces with allocated hours, multiplayer up to 5 Pro users, API; mobile listed as coming soon |
| Teams | $60/user/mo | Team features |
| Enterprise | Custom | SAML SSO, SCIM, DPA, SLA |
What are the key facts about Conductor?
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Execution | Local (Mac, git worktrees) and cloud microVMs |
| Agents | Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenCode |
| Coordination | None between agents; human multiplayer |
| Open source | No |
| Entry price | Free; Pro $50/mo |
Who should use Conductor?
Mac users running unrelated tasks across several vendors who want a clean review flow.
Who should look elsewhere
Anyone whose tasks depend on each other; see BAND for desktop vs Conductor and Conductor alternatives.
How does Conductor compare?
Questions about Conductor
Does Conductor work on Windows or Linux?
Local workspaces are Mac only. Cloud workspaces run in Conductor's cloud on Pro.
Can Conductor agents talk to each other?
Conductor does not describe agent-to-agent messaging. Each task is isolated in its own workspace and branch.
Is Conductor open source?
No.