Four projects, free forever.
The Free plan includes every feature, so you only need Pro after you outgrow four projects.
Primary purpose
Solo
Local process dashboard for agents and project commands
Conductor
Parallel coding-agent orchestrator
Agent Orchestrator
Solo vs Conductor
Parallel agent orchestrator vs local process dashboard
Official product sites
Quick Summary
Conductor is a macOS agent-orchestration app from Melty Labs (YC S24). It runs Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, and OpenCode in isolated local or cloud workspaces, with parallel tasks, diff review, PR creation, multiplayer collaboration, and API access. Shared .conductor/settings.toml scripts can set up a workspace and run apps, servers, workers, watchers, and test loops.
Solo is a desktop workspace for local agents, project commands, queues, and shell sessions, with command restart policy, notifications, resource visibility, and shared configuration through solo.yml.
Choose Conductor for isolated parallel coding work and review. Choose Solo for one shared local project environment.
Who it is for
Who should choose each option in Solo vs Conductor?
Choose Conductor for parallel coding agents in isolated local or cloud workspaces. Choose Solo for local agents and project commands in one process dashboard.
Choose Solo if the local environment is the problem
Solo fits best when you want one editor-agnostic workspace for agents, services, shell sessions, and shared project commands.
Choose Conductor if parallel agent throughput is the problem
Conductor fits when you want Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, or OpenCode in isolated local or cloud workspaces with review and collaboration.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Solo | Conductor |
|---|---|---|
| Primary purpose | Local process dashboard for agents and project commands | Parallel coding-agent orchestrator |
| Replaces your editor | — | — |
| Coding agents | Supported agents get first-party status and session features; other CLIs run as generic processes | Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, and OpenCode |
| Parallel isolated agents | — | Yes — isolated local and cloud workspaces |
| Diff review and PR creation | — | Yes — built-in diff viewer (Cmd+D) and PR flow (Cmd+Shift+P) |
| Linear integration | — | Yes — start work directly from Linear issues |
| MCP integration | Yes — exposes an MCP server for external tools | Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor Composer workflows |
| Local process dashboard | Yes — sidebar with CPU/memory stats per process | Workspace list and per-workspace run scripts, but not a general process supervisor |
| Automatic command restart | After self-exit or matching file changes, with rate limiting | No Solo-style automatic crash/file-watch policy documented |
| Process notifications | Native desktop notifications, in-app toasts, and OSC sequences | Agent and workspace notifications; no generic process-failure workflow documented |
| Use any CLI tool | Supported agents plus generic managed commands | Four supported coding-agent harnesses |
| Non-agent processes | Dev servers, queues, workers, and build watchers | Named run scripts can start apps, servers, workers, watchers, and test loops |
| Shared project config | solo.yml — version-controlled, team-shareable | .conductor/settings.toml with setup, run, and archive scripts |
| Checkpoints and revert | — | Yes — turn-by-turn workspace change tracking |
| Price | Free (4 projects, 20 processes); Pro plan | Free local tier; Pro $50/mo, Teams $60/user/mo, Enterprise custom; provider usage separate |
| Team features | Shared project configuration | Multiplayer, API access, team administration, and cloud workspaces |
| Platform | macOS and Windows | macOS desktop app; cloud workspaces run remotely |
Replaces your editor
Solo
—
Conductor
—
Coding agents
Solo
Supported agents get first-party status and session features; other CLIs run as generic processes
Conductor
Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, and OpenCode
Parallel isolated agents
Solo
—
Conductor
Yes — isolated local and cloud workspaces
Diff review and PR creation
Solo
—
Conductor
Yes — built-in diff viewer (Cmd+D) and PR flow (Cmd+Shift+P)
Linear integration
Solo
—
Conductor
Yes — start work directly from Linear issues
MCP integration
Solo
Yes — exposes an MCP server for external tools
Conductor
Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor Composer workflows
Local process dashboard
Solo
Yes — sidebar with CPU/memory stats per process
Conductor
Workspace list and per-workspace run scripts, but not a general process supervisor
Automatic command restart
Solo
After self-exit or matching file changes, with rate limiting
Conductor
No Solo-style automatic crash/file-watch policy documented
Process notifications
Solo
Native desktop notifications, in-app toasts, and OSC sequences
Conductor
Agent and workspace notifications; no generic process-failure workflow documented
Use any CLI tool
Solo
Supported agents plus generic managed commands
Conductor
Four supported coding-agent harnesses
Non-agent processes
Solo
Dev servers, queues, workers, and build watchers
Conductor
Named run scripts can start apps, servers, workers, watchers, and test loops
Shared project config
Solo
solo.yml — version-controlled, team-shareable
Conductor
.conductor/settings.toml with setup, run, and archive scripts
Checkpoints and revert
Solo
—
Conductor
Yes — turn-by-turn workspace change tracking
Price
Solo
Free (4 projects, 20 processes); Pro plan
Conductor
Free local tier; Pro $50/mo, Teams $60/user/mo, Enterprise custom; provider usage separate
Team features
Solo
Shared project configuration
Conductor
Multiplayer, API access, team administration, and cloud workspaces
Platform
Solo
macOS and Windows
Conductor
macOS desktop app; cloud workspaces run remotely
What each tool is
Solo
Solo is a native desktop app that gives you one dashboard for all the commands a project needs running locally. It is not a code editor and does not bundle an AI model.
- Manages dev servers, build watchers, queues, workers, and supported CLI agents
- Starts and stops every process; commands can restart automatically after self-exit or matching file changes
- Sends desktop notifications when something needs attention
- Shares configuration through a solo.yml file your team can commit to version control
Conductor
Conductor is a macOS app from Melty Labs (YC S24) for parallel coding-agent work.
- Runs Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, and OpenCode
- Uses isolated local or cloud workspaces
- Supports multiplayer, API access, diff review, and PR creation
- Offers Free, Pro, Teams, and Enterprise plans
Different problems, different workflows
Solo
Solo manages local project commands and supported CLI agents.
- Define commands in solo.yml or the UI and start them with one click
- Command processes can restart after self-exit or watched-file changes
- Supported attention events can raise notifications
Conductor
Conductor is organized around isolated agent workspaces and review.
- Run several agents in parallel
- Review changes and create PRs
- Share setup, run, and archive scripts through .conductor/settings.toml
- Named run scripts can start multiple long-running apps, servers, workers, watchers, or test loops
Agent scope
Solo
Solo does not review diffs or manage branches, but it does integrate with supported agent CLIs.
- Launch and resume support
- Working/idle state and summaries
- MCP coordination tools
- Generic CLI commands can still run without agent-specific features
Conductor
Conductor is agent-specific and branch-oriented.
- Supports Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, and OpenCode
- Built-in diff viewer and checkpoints
- PR creation flow
- Isolated workspaces keep parallel changes separate
Using them together
Solo
Solo and Conductor can coexist. They solve different problems and do not overlap much.
- Conductor handles parallel agent orchestration (branching, diffing, PRs)
- Solo handles the rest of your local environment (dev servers, queues, workers, build watchers) with auto-restart and shared configuration
Conductor
If your workflow involves both parallel agent work and long-running local services, using both tools is reasonable.
- Conductor manages the agents and their branches
- Solo manages the background infrastructure those agents might depend on
Pricing
Pricing and scope
Conductor and Solo are priced differently because Conductor is an orchestration layer over other coding agents, while Solo is a separate local workflow layer.
Solo pricing lens
Solo has a free tier for up to 4 projects and 20 processes, with Pro above that.
Conductor pricing lens
Conductor has a free local tier, Pro at $50 per month, Teams at $60 per user per month, and Enterprise plans. Provider usage is separate.
Decision shortcut
If your main cost is already agent usage, Conductor adds orchestration. If your main pain is local workflow sprawl, Solo adds control.
Migration
What switching looks like
Conductor and Solo can run together because they manage different parts of the local workflow.
- Keep your supported coding agents in the loop either way. The choice is whether you need isolated multi-agent workspaces or one shared local project surface.
- Use Solo if you want long-lived commands, local agents, alerts, and shared startup workflows managed together.
- Use Conductor if your workflow depends on worktrees, parallel agent branches, and reviewing what each agent changed before merge.
Common questions
Does Solo do Conductor-style isolated workspaces?
No. Solo is not a git-worktree orchestrator. Its strength is one shared local environment for agents, shell sessions, and project commands.
Can Solo replace Conductor for multiple coding agents?
Not fully. Solo can run multiple local agents, but it does not try to match Conductor’s isolated-workspace orchestration and review flow.
The Verdict
Conductor runs supported coding agents in isolated local or cloud workspaces and adds diff review, PR creation, multiplayer collaboration, and API access. Solo keeps one local project environment visible, with first-party agent status, command restart policy, notifications, resource monitoring, and shared configuration. Choose Conductor for parallel branch-oriented coding work, Solo for local environment management, or both for their separate layers.
Solo preview
See what Solo actually is
Solo is a lightweight desktop terminal workspace for local agents, project commands, interactive terminals, and long-running services. It sits beside your editor, keeps your stack visible, and gives Claude Code, Codex, and the rest of your tools one shared local control surface.
Built by
Built by Aaron Francis
Solo is built by Aaron Francis, creator of faster.dev and Database School, and VP of Marketing at Laravel. He built Solo after running Claude Code alongside his own dev stack and getting tired of juggling nine terminal tabs just to keep local agents, services, and project commands visible.
He is also a dad to two sets of twins, which tends to create a strong preference for software that reduces chaos instead of adding more of it. That is why Solo keeps showing up in these comparisons as the local workspace around your tools, not another editor or orchestrator trying to absorb the whole workflow.
Related comparisons
Keep comparing the nearby options
If you are evaluating Solo, Conductor, these are the closest next comparisons in the matrix.
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Team seats
Centralized billing, simple claim-link distribution
Buy seats under one Stripe subscription, then share a claim link in Slack or email. Each claimant signs in or registers and receives a normal Solo Pro license. Optional auto-grow adds prorated seats automatically when the pool is full, so your team never hits a license wall.
Seats 1–3
$99/seat/yr
Seats 4–10
$89/seat/yr
Seats 11–50
$79/seat/yr
Seats 51+
$69/seat/yr
Brackets apply per seat — a 10-seat team pays $99 each for seats 1–3 and $89 each for seats 4–10.
Give every coding agent
the same room to work in.
Download Solo 
Free for four projects on macOS and Windows.
Start with a terminal and add the programmable meta-harness when you need to coordinate agents with your local development stack.
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