The Conductor alternative with a spec gate and a team layer.

Conductor is a polished, free Mac app that runs parallel Claude Code agents in git worktrees, genuinely good software. AIDEN adds what it deliberately leaves out: an enforced spec approval gate, a full kanban board, team mode, Intel Mac support, and a business model built to last.

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Quick answer

Conductor (conductor.build) is an active, well-regarded, YC-backed Mac app that runs parallel Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor agents in git worktrees, it raised a $22M Series A in 2026, it's currently free with no paid tier, and it's earned its reputation for polish. AIDEN shares the foundation, parallel agents, worktree isolation, bring-your-own CLIs, and differs in workflow opinion: an enforced spec-approval gate before any agent codes (Conductor runs agents without a gating workflow), a full kanban story board rather than a session list, team mode with shared boards and review queues, an embedded browser, terminal, and VS Code panel, voice control, and broader hardware support, macOS 12+ on both Apple Silicon and Intel, with Windows/Linux on a waitlist. Conductor requires Apple Silicon.

Conductor in one line: Active, well-regarded, YC-backed free Mac app running parallel Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor agents in git worktrees
Conductor funding: $22M Series A raised in 2026; currently free with no paid tier
Conductor platforms: Apple Silicon Macs only; no Intel, Windows, or Linux
AIDEN in one line: Spec-first orchestrator: enforced approval gate, kanban board, team mode, embedded browser/terminal/VS Code, voice control
AIDEN platforms: macOS 12+ (Apple Silicon and Intel); Windows/Linux waitlist
AIDEN pricing: Free for 1 project, Solo $19/mo, $169 lifetime, Team $10/seat/mo (min 3)

Stick with Conductor when

You want a free, minimal, polished runner without workflow opinions, Conductor gets out of your way beautifully.
Apple Silicon only is fine, your whole setup is on an M-series Mac.
You work solo and don't need shared boards, review queues, or team features.
You prefer the lightest possible layer over your CLIs, no spec gates, no board ceremony.

Switch to AIDEN when

You want an enforced spec approval gate, a written plan you sign off before any agent touches code.
You want a full kanban board (stories, statuses, review queue) rather than a list of sessions.
You work with others, team mode gives shared boards and review queues at $10/seat/mo.
You're on an Intel Mac, AIDEN supports macOS 12+ on Apple Silicon and Intel, with Windows/Linux on a waitlist.
You want the workspace extras: embedded browser, terminal, and VS Code panel, plus voice control.
You want a tool whose pricing is its sustainability plan, free tier plus paid tiers, rather than free-for-now.

Conductor vs AIDEN, side by side

Across 9 features · AIDEN 5 · Conductor 1

Feature	Conductor	AIDEN
Parallel agents in git worktrees	Yes	Yes
Enforced spec approval gate	No	Yes
Kanban story board	Session list-style view	Full board with statuses and review queue
Team mode / shared boards	No	Yes
Intel Mac support	No, Apple Silicon only	Yes, macOS 12+ (Apple Silicon and Intel)
Mix Claude Code + Codex agents	Yes, multiple CLIs supported	Yes, on one board
Embedded browser / terminal / VS Code panel	No	Yes
Voice control	No	Yes
Price / business model	Free, no paid tier (VC-funded, $22M Series A)	Free, Solo $19/mo or $169 lifetime, Team $10/seat/mo (min 3)

Switching from Conductor?

Download AIDEN free and bring your existing Claude Code or Codex setup. Runs on macOS in minutes, no credit card required.

Download AIDEN free

Free to start · macOS 12+ · No credit card required

A switcher's take

I ran Conductor for months and I'd still recommend it, it's fast, it's pretty, and worktree-per-agent just works. Two things moved me to AIDEN. First, workflow: Conductor happily lets an agent sprint off a one-line prompt, and I'd lost a few evenings to confidently wrong implementations; AIDEN's spec gate forces the plan-review moment I kept skipping. Second, the team: Conductor is a solo tool, and once two colleagues wanted in, shared boards and a review queue stopped being nice-to-haves. The price difference is real, Conductor is free, but free today is unpriced tomorrow, and I'd rather pay for the tool my workflow depends on.

Conductor vs AIDEN, FAQ

Is Conductor free?

Yes, currently. Conductor is free with no paid tier, backed by YC and a $22M Series A raised in 2026. That's a genuine advantage today. The flip side is that its eventual pricing is undefined, free-forever funded by venture capital usually becomes a priced product later. AIDEN charges from day one (free tier plus paid tiers), which is the boring version of sustainability.

What's the core difference between Conductor and AIDEN?

Both run parallel Claude Code and Codex agents in git worktrees on your Mac with your own subscriptions. The difference is workflow opinion: AIDEN enforces a spec approval gate before agents code and organizes work as a kanban board with team mode, shared boards, and review queues. Conductor is deliberately lighter, a polished runner without a gating workflow or team layer.

Does Conductor run on Intel Macs or Windows?

No. Conductor requires Apple Silicon, no Intel Mac support, and no Windows or Linux version. AIDEN runs on macOS 12+ on both Apple Silicon and Intel, with Windows and Linux on a waitlist.

Do I need Conductor or AIDEN if Claude Code has Agent Teams?

Honest answer: for two or three sessions, maybe not, Claude Code's own multi-session features can be enough if you're comfortable coordinating in the terminal. Both tools earn their place when parallelism grows: worktree isolation, a visual overview of every agent, and (in AIDEN's case) spec gates, a review queue, and PRs. See our claude-code-orchestration guide for where the built-in features stop.

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Stop chatting. Start shipping.

Try AIDEN free. Bring your existing Claude Code or Codex setup.

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