cmux Alternatives

cmux is a free and open source native macOS terminal built on Ghostty. It is described as a terminal for multitasking, organization, and programmability, with features such as vertical tabs, notification rings, split panes, and a CLI for automation. The interface is aimed at keeping terminals, agents, and related activity visible and controllable in one place. Its vertical tabs include a sidebar that shows the git branch, working directory, ports, and notification text. Panes can be split horizontally or vertically within each tab, and notification rings light up when agents need attention. cmux also includes an in-app browser that can sit beside the terminal and is scriptable through an API. The browser automation documentation states that it can navigate, snapshot the DOM, click, type, evaluate JavaScript, and read console and network activity. Programmability extends through a CLI and socket API for tasks such as creating workspaces, opening split panes, sending input, reading screen contents, taking screenshots, and driving the browser. The app supports extensive keyboard shortcuts, and its FAQ says terminal rendering uses Ghostty config while cmux-specific settings control the sidebar, tab bar, split panes, and behavior. It restores windows, workspaces, panes, working directories, and scrollback when relaunched, and that state survives a full computer restart. It also has an iOS companion in beta, with realtime terminal sync to iPhone and iPad, plus optional forwarding of terminal notifications. The FAQ says it works with any coding agent that runs in a terminal and names Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Gemini CLI, Kiro, Aider, Goose, Amp, Cline, and Cursor Agent among the examples. It can also open workspaces over SSH and attach to remote tmux sessions. cmux runs on macOS only for now, as a native Swift and AppKit app. It is free to use, and the source code is available on GitHub. The page also says it is GPL-licensed.

emux is an open-source CLI tool for managing tmux sessions, featuring a TUI picker, agent-driven automation, MCP server support, and a web daemon for session monitoring. It is designed for terminal power users and developers seeking advanced session management.

RMUX is a terminal multiplexer engine for agents that keeps terminal sessions alive and scriptable. It is described as tmux-compatible and can be used to drive persistent shells from Rust, Python, or TypeScript. The site also says it is usable like tmux and automated like Playwright. Its documented capabilities include creating detached sessions, sending keys or text, waiting for session or pane output, and capturing panes. The examples shown on the site include commands such as rmux new-session, rmux send-keys, rmux wait-for, and rmux capture-pane, along with SDK calls that create or reuse a session, access a pane, send text, wait for text, and take a snapshot. RMUX also mentions terminal-native locators, structured snapshots, streamed output, and line events. A browser-based share feature is included as well: running rmux web-share creates an encrypted browser session. RMUX is natively available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. The site says it ships official SDKs for Rust, Python, and TypeScript, with Rust using rmux-sdk, Python using librmux and available on PyPI, and TypeScript using @rmux/sdk and available on npm. It also provides a GitHub repository, docs, examples, API documentation, and a CLI reference. The site footer describes RMUX as a programmable terminal multiplexer for Linux, macOS, and Windows. It states that the project is Apache-2.0 and MIT dual licensed. Release binaries include SHA256 checksums.

tmuxy is a graphical user interface designed specifically for tmux, aiming to simplify session management for users who find tmux's keybindings and commands challenging to memorize. Rather than acting as a terminal emulator itself, tmuxy wraps around tmux, providing a GUI that attaches to either a local tmux server or a remote one via SSH. Each pane in the tmuxy interface corresponds directly to a tmux pane, maintaining the underlying functionality of tmux while offering a more accessible visual experience. The platform is available as both a desktop application and a web server mode. The desktop app connects to tmux locally or remotely, while the web server mode exposes the same interface as a web app, allowing users to access their tmux sessions from any browser, including on mobile devices. This flexibility means users can manage their tmux environments from virtually anywhere without the need for additional applications on their devices. tmuxy features a Rust-based backend that communicates with tmux through control mode, streaming state updates to a React frontend. Communication is handled via Server-Sent Events (SSE) in the web version or Tauri IPC in the desktop app. The web-based architecture enables advanced features such as image rendering, markdown previews, pane groups, and floating panes, all while preserving the core tmux experience. As of now, tmuxy is still under development and not yet available as a stable release. The codebase is accessible on GitHub for those interested in contributing or exploring the architecture further.

Unified control layer over tmux — sessions, persistence, plugins, CLI, and a web UI.

pairmux is an open-source CLI tool that provides reliable terminal primitives for AI agents operating within tmux sessions. It enables developers and researchers to automate and manage terminal interactions for AI-driven workflows.

Manage tmux sessions on local and remote machines

tmuxx is an open-source command-line tool that provides a TUI for managing and automating tmux sessions. It is designed for developers who want to control and integrate tmux with AI workflows efficiently.

cloudmux is an open-source CLI tool that allows developers and teams to launch multiplayer cloud-based terminal workspaces. It supports collaborative sessions, agent integration, and browser-based access, making it ideal for remote development and team collaboration.

wtmux is a terminal multiplexer for Windows, inspired by tmux and built in Rust. It allows developers and power users to manage multiple terminal sessions and split panes within a single window, enhancing productivity on Windows systems.