tmux alternative for running many Claude Code and Codex sessions
tmux is the tool most people reach for when they run several Claude Code or Codex sessions at once: one window per project, split panes, detach and come back later. It works, and it works everywhere.
omux takes a different approach. It's a native macOS app built for exactly this job, so instead of remembering which pane holds which agent, you get a sidebar of projects and sessions that shows which agent is working, which one is waiting on you, and buttons to answer it. This page is a fair look at where each one fits.
Side by side
| omux | tmux | |
|---|---|---|
| Runs on | macOS only | macOS, Linux, BSD, anywhere with a terminal |
| Interface | Native macOS window with a sidebar and panels | Keyboard-driven, inside any terminal |
| Knows what the agent is doing | ✓ status from Claude Code's and Codex's own signals, no screen scraping | ✕ a pane is a pane |
| Answer a permission prompt | Allow and Deny buttons under the session, without switching to it | Switch to the pane and type |
| Subagents | Listed under the session, transcripts in the side panel | Not visible unless the agent prints them |
| Conversations after a restart | Each session resumes its exact Claude or Codex conversation | Sessions are gone when the server stops, unless you add a resurrect plugin and resume by hand |
| Git worktrees and pull requests | One worktree per session, PR status in the sidebar, merge and clean up | Manual |
| Diff, files and browser next to the agent | Built-in panels | Other tools in other panes |
| Split panes | ✕ | ✓ any layout |
| Detach and reattach | ✕ sessions live as long as the app runs | ✓ the server keeps running |
| Remote machines over SSH | ✕ | ✓ tmux runs on the remote end |
| Scripting | ✕ | Full CLI, scriptable |
| Price and license | Free, MIT | Free, ISC |
Pick tmux if
- You work on Linux, over SSH, or on a remote box: tmux runs where the shell runs.
- You rely on detach and reattach, or on custom pane layouts and keybindings.
- You script your sessions, or drive them from other tools.
Pick omux if
- You run several Claude Code or Codex sessions on a Mac and want to see at a glance which one needs you.
- You'd rather click Allow than hunt for the pane that's asking.
- You want each session's conversation back after a restart, its own worktree, and the diff and files beside it, without setting any of that up.
What omux does for every session
- Projects with sessions under them, in a sidebar
- Shows whether each agent is working, needs you or is done
- Allow or Deny an agent's permission request without switching to it
- Lists a session's subagents and opens their transcripts
- Resumes each Claude Code and Codex conversation after a relaunch
- Git worktree per session, with pull request status and merge
- Files, Changes (diff with review notes) and Browser panels
- Claude and Codex plan usage limits in the sidebar
- macOS notifications with sound
Questions
Can I use omux and tmux together?
Yes. A plain shell session in omux is a normal login shell, so you can run tmux inside it. omux's agent-aware features apply to sessions that run Claude Code or Codex directly.
Does omux replace tmux for remote work?
No. omux runs sessions on your Mac only. For agents on remote machines, tmux or a tool like herdr is the better fit.
Does omux need Claude Code or Codex to be installed?
For agent sessions, yes: Claude Code as claude, and optionally the Codex CLI as codex. Plain shell sessions work without either.
Also compared: Terminal alternative, cmux alternative, Warp alternative, herdr alternative. Facts about tmux come from its public documentation as of 2026-10-30; if something is out of date, open an issue.