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Forkbench vs Claude Squad
Claude Squad is an open-source terminal program (tmux + git worktrees) for running multiple coding agents side by side.
Claude Squad is a well-liked open-source TUI that manages multiple agents in tmux with git worktrees. It is free, agent-agnostic, and terminal-native. Forkbench targets the same job, many agents, one human staying in control, but as a full macOS control surface with secrets, coordination, and remote access built in.
| Forkbench | Claude Squad | |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | Native macOS app + real terminal | Terminal TUI (tmux) |
| Open source | No (free tier + paid plans) | Yes (AGPL) |
| Agent support | Any terminal CLI | Any terminal CLI |
| Git worktree isolation | Yes, 1-click + visual git panel | Yes |
| Shared task board | Yes; more than one agent on it is Pro | No (session list) |
| Secrets handling | Vault (Pro), sealed on your Mac | None |
| Multi-Mac + remote | Yes (Pro) | No |
| Price | Free; Pro €30/mo; Team $30/seat, dropping to $20 at scale | Free / OSS |
Where Claude Squad is strong
- Free and open source (AGPL); inspectable and scriptable.
- Pure terminal / tmux workflow, great if you never want to leave the CLI.
- Agent-agnostic: Claude Code, Codex, Gemini, Aider.
Where Forkbench differs
- Agents use your keys without ever holding them, with optional Touch ID on every use. Vault is part of Pro.
- Folders the macOS kernel enforces. A Thread can be locked to the folders the job is about, applied as each shell starts and inherited by every process it spawns, so an agent cannot read or write outside them. Builds still run and the network is untouched.
- A visual board that shows the whole fleet at a glance, who's on what, what's blocked, instead of tmux panes you tab between.
- A shared task backlog where agents claim tickets and hand off so no two collide. The board itself is free on a single Mac with one agent working it; more than one agent on the same board, and the same board across your Macs, are Pro.
- End-to-end encrypted Notebooks, free with no passphrase, plus remote control (answer a blocked agent from the web or your phone).
The bottom line
If you want a free, hackable, all-terminal setup and you're comfortable in tmux, Claude Squad is a great choice. If you'd rather see the whole fleet on one board, keep secrets out of the agents' reach, and reach your agents from another Mac or your phone, Forkbench is the fuller workspace.
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Comparison based on publicly available information as of mid-2026. Spot something out of date? Tell us.