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Forkbench vs Conductor
Conductor (by Melty Labs) is a native macOS app for running AI coding agents in parallel across git-worktree workspaces.
Forkbench and Conductor are both native macOS apps for running AI coding agents in parallel with git-worktree isolation. They overlap on the basics that became table stakes in 2026 — worktrees, a diff panel, parallel sessions. Where they part ways is what happens around the agents: secrets, multiple machines, and remote control.
| Forkbench | Conductor | |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Native macOS | Native macOS |
| Git worktree isolation | Yes | Yes |
| Agent support | Any terminal CLI + your shell tooling | Claude Code / Codex / Cursor |
| Secrets handling | Zero-read Vault (keys never seen by agents) | No dedicated secrets broker |
| Multi-Mac coordination | Yes (Pro) | Single machine |
| Remote / mobile control | Yes — web + phone (Pro) | No |
| Persistent notes for agents | Notebooks (free) | No |
| Price | Free; Pro $12/mo; Team $20/seat | Free |
Where Conductor is strong
- Polished, focused native app with a clean parallel-agents UX.
- Free today, and well-funded (a $22M Series A), so it is not going anywhere.
- Tight integration with Claude Code / Codex / Cursor logins.
Where Forkbench differs
- A real terminal underneath: run ANY CLI agent or tool (Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Aider, custom scripts) plus tmux/vim/lazygit — not a fixed set of integrations.
- Zero-read Vault: agents run commands with your API keys without ever seeing the raw values; keys stay in the macOS Keychain.
- Coordination across multiple Macs paired to your account, and remote control from the web or your phone (Fork Lab).
- Notebooks: persistent briefs/conventions handed to agents so you stop re-pasting context.
The bottom line
If you want the cleanest single-machine parallel-agents app and you live in Claude Code / Codex / Cursor, Conductor is excellent. If you run a mix of CLI agents, care that your secrets never touch the agent, or coordinate work across more than one Mac and want to answer a blocked agent from your phone, that is what Forkbench is built for.
Comparison based on publicly available information as of mid-2026. Spot something out of date? Tell us.