Compare · Agent runtime
Zentty vs Herdr
An agent runtime under any terminal, and a native Mac terminal with worklanes.
Overview
Herdr and Zentty both take long-running CLI agents seriously, but they sit in different layers. Herdr is a background server: terminals live in the runtime, clients attach, and you can come back from another machine. Zentty is the Mac app: Ghostty-backed panes, durable worklanes, and a sidebar that shows which agent needs you. Neither replaces Claude, Codex, or the rest.
What each tool is
Zentty is a native macOS terminal, written in Swift and AppKit and built on libghostty. It runs your agents in real shells across worklanes and surfaces the moment an agent needs you: running, idle, needs input, needs approval, done. No telemetry. No editor, file tree, git diff UI, or cloud runtime. It stays a terminal.
Herdr is an open-source terminal runtime and workspace manager. A background server owns workspaces, tabs, panes, and processes; a client attaches inside the terminal you already use. It tracks agent state (working, blocked, idle, done), exposes a CLI and socket API so agents can spawn and wait on each other, and can attach to local and saved SSH machines.
Who each tool is best for
Zentty is best for Mac developers who run CLI agents like Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, or OpenCode in parallel and want to stay in flow while those agents work in other panes and worklanes.
Herdr is best for developers who need detachable agent sessions that survive closing a client or dropping SSH, plus a runtime they can drive from scripts or other agents across machines.
Capability comparison
| Dimension | Zentty | Herdr |
|---|---|---|
| Primary purpose | Native Mac terminal with worklanes and agent attention | Background runtime for agent terminals |
| Where it runs | macOS app, local | Server plus client inside any terminal |
| Remote / detach | No — local panes | Yes — detach, reattach, SSH, multi-machine |
| After a full restart | Restores worklanes and supported agent sessions; processes do not survive a quit | Restores layout; original processes do not survive; some agents can resume |
| Agent attention | Running / idle / needs input / needs approval / done | Working / blocked / idle / done / unknown |
| Agent coordination | zentty CLI and pane env vars | CLI and socket API for spawn, prompt, and wait |
| Built-in editor | No — keep your editor | No |
| Cloud runtime | No — local only | No — local, or your own machines over SSH |
| Extensibility | Built-ins plus zentty CLI | Plugins plus CLI and socket API |
| Platform | macOS only | Linux, macOS, and Windows (documented Windows limits) |
| Network checks | No usage telemetry | Default version and agent-manifest checks (can be disabled) |
How to choose
- You work locally on a Mac and want a native app, not a server under your terminal.
- You want worklanes and Ghostty-backed panes with agent attention built in.
- You do not want another runtime layer under your terminal, or a detach/reattach mental model.
- You need sessions that survive closing the client or dropping SSH.
- You want one runtime across machines, including herdr --remote.
- You want agents to spawn panes and wait on each other through a CLI or socket API.
Common questions
No. Herdr is a background server plus a client that runs inside the terminal you already use. Zentty is the terminal app.
Not for detachable or multi-machine sessions. If agents must keep running after you close the client or drop SSH, keep Herdr or tmux.
Yes. Zentty is a real terminal, so Herdr can run inside a pane when you need detachable sessions.
Keep comparing
Sources
Last reviewed: 2026-09-17
Run your agents in real panes, and see which one needs you.
Free Native macOS No telemetry