Hydra

Hydra compared

Choose the layer that should own the work.

A terminal multiplexer, an agent runtime, a native terminal, and a worktree manager solve different problems. Hydra combines a native workspace with an independent local PTY daemon and an optional browser client. The useful comparison is the architecture—not a row of unqualified checkmarks.

Get Hydra See the evidence-led matrix

One set of sessions. More than one surface.

Hydra’s desktop window is a client of the local daemon, not the owner of the shell processes. Optional remote access reaches that same daemon through the enrolled desktop.

Local client

Native desktop

Projects, windows, panes, provider history, and a GPU-rendered terminal on macOS and Linux.

safe to close

Session owner

Local PTY daemon

Owns PTY masters, child lifecycles, terminal state, and scrollback independently of the UI.

sessions remain live

Optional client

Browser or phone

Connects to the enrolled desktop without requiring an inbound Hydra terminal port.

same local sessions

Closing the app is not closing a pane.

The GUI can be replaced or reopened without using window lifetime as terminal lifetime.

History remains provider-owned.

Hydra reads bounded provider metadata and delegates the actual resume to each provider CLI.

Remote is optional.

The desktop and daemon remain a local product; browser access is an additional client path.

The comparison matrix

This table describes documented product models. “Not the stated focus” is not the same as “impossible,” and networking can often be extended with SSH, VPNs, or tunnels.

Hydra compared with terminal multiplexers, Herdr, cmux, worktree managers, and OpenCode Web
Question Hydra tmux · Zellij Herdr cmux Conductor · Emdash · Superset OpenCode Web
Product shape Desktop + daemon + web clientNative workspace backed by a separate local PTY owner.H1 Terminal multiplexerA server/session model rendered inside a terminal.T1Z1 Agent-aware multiplexerA background server and terminal client with agent state and automation.R1 Native macOS terminalA Swift/AppKit terminal built on libghostty.C1 Agent workspace managersDesktop workflows centered on isolated tasks, worktrees, diffs, and review.M1M2M3 Agent-specific server + clientsOpenCode’s web UI and TUI attach to an OpenCode server.O1
What owns live terminals? The local pty-daemon owns PTYs, child lifecycles, grid state, and scrollback.H1 The multiplexer server owns terminal programs and sessions.T1Z1 The Herdr server owns real terminal panes and their processes.R1 The app restores layout, metadata, scrollback, and supported agent sessions; its docs explicitly say arbitrary live process state is not checkpointed.C2 Behavior is product-specific. Emdash documents saved terminal state and tmux-backed reconnects; Conductor documents terminal restoration after restart.M2M4 The OpenCode server owns the shared sessions while browser and TUI clients attach.O1
When the main UI closes Live PTYs continueClosing or replacing the GUI does not imply closing the session.H1 Detach and reattachBoth products document persistent sessions independent of one attached client.T1Z1 Detach and reattachThe server and agents continue when the terminal client closes.R2 Restore on relaunchSupported sessions resume from captured native resume identity; unsupported processes reopen as ordinary terminals.C2 Restore/resume variesThe cited products document their own persistence paths; they should not be treated as one runtime model. Clients share one serverThe web UI and attached TUI can operate on the same server sessions.O1
Agent awareness Provider-aware launch, bounded local history discovery, exact-session resume, and project/window/pane organization.H2 General terminal programs and panes are the documented core; agent semantics are not assumed here.T1Z2 Recognizes agents, reports working/blocked/done/idle, and exposes pane/agent automation.R3 Works with terminal agents and adds notification rings plus hook-assisted session restore.C1C2 Agents are first-class tasks/workspaces with branches, diffs, checks, and review flows.M1M2M3 Deeply aware of OpenCode sessions; it is not presented as a general multi-provider terminal runtime.O1
Existing provider history A core workflowHydra reads bounded metadata from supported provider stores and resumes through provider-owned IDs and commands.H2 Not the stated focus of the cited multiplexer documentation. Integrations can add native session identity and restore for agents running in Herdr.R3 Supported agents can resume when hooks captured a native resume token.C2 Each manager documents its own task/chat/workspace lifecycle; no shared import claim is made here. Lists and manages sessions belonging to the running OpenCode server.O1
Browser or phone path Optional enrolled browser clientThe same local workspace is reachable without exposing an inbound Hydra terminal port.H3 tmux is commonly reached through a terminal/SSH client; Zellij now also documents a self-hosted web client and HTTPS remote attach.T1Z3 Documents terminal/SSH workflows and phone reattachment.R1 Offers an iOS companion in beta for paired Mac terminals.C1 Remote-host workflows are product-specific; Emdash documents local UI controlling remote projects.M5 Runs a web UI on localhost by default and can bind to the network with explicit authentication guidance.O1
Worktrees and diff review Hydra organizes projects and live sessions; a dedicated worktree/review tool can sit alongside it. General terminal layout and scripting are the focus of the cited docs. Runtime, session state, and automation are the focus of the cited docs. Terminal multitasking, notifications, browser splits, and programmability are the documented focus.C1 The core strengthIsolated worktrees, parallel tasks, diffs, checks, and review are central workflows.M1M2M3 OpenCode session access is the documented web focus, rather than a cross-provider worktree manager.O1

Product names identify documented examples, not exhaustive categories. A blank or qualified statement is deliberate: absence from documentation is not proof that a feature cannot be built, configured, or supplied by a third party.

Pick by workflow, not by winner.

Several of these products pair well together. The honest question is which layer you want to standardize—and which trade-off you want to keep.

01 / Hydra

Choose Hydra for one local session graph across desktop and browser.

Best when provider-history discovery, native project/pane organization, UI-independent local PTYs, and optional phone/browser access should be one product.

02 / tmux · Zellij · Herdr

Choose a terminal-first runtime when your terminal is already the UI.

tmux and Zellij are mature general multiplexers. Herdr adds agent state and automation while remaining inside the terminal. Zellij also documents a web client.

03 / cmux

Choose cmux for a macOS-first terminal with agent-oriented polish.

Its documented strengths include native rendering, vertical tabs, notification rings, an in-app browser, programmability, session restore, and an iOS companion beta.

04 / Conductor · Emdash · Superset

Choose a worktree manager when branches and review are the unit of work.

These products make isolated workspaces, parallel tasks, diffs, checks, and review flows central. Hydra can run beside that workflow rather than replace it.

05 / OpenCode Web

Choose OpenCode Web for a focused OpenCode browser surface.

It exposes OpenCode sessions through a browser and can share the server with an attached TUI. That is a tighter scope than a multi-provider desktop workspace.

06 / Compose them

Use the boundaries that help you.

A Hydra project can point at a Git worktree. A Hydra terminal can run tmux or another CLI. The categories explain ownership; they do not require exclusivity.

Sources and method

Every named-product statement above is grounded in the product’s own site, documentation, or canonical repository. We avoid inferring “no” from silence and welcome corrections.

H1Hydra public source overviewPTY daemon, retained sessions, native renderer, projects, panes, and local platform support. H2Hydra provider interoperabilityLocal provider-session discovery, supported histories, and provider-owned formats. H3Hydra Remote overviewEnrolled browser access, outbound connection model, and the no-inbound-terminal-port path. T1tmux Getting StartedServer/client model, panes, sessions, detach, reattach, and SSH use. Z1Zellij commandsRunning sessions, attach, list, and lifecycle commands. Z2Zellij programmatic controlHeadless sessions, pane IDs, input, and automation. Z3Zellij web clientBrowser client, authentication, and HTTPS remote terminal attach. R1Herdr official siteTerminal-first agent multiplexer, server ownership, SSH, phone, and API positioning. R2Herdr Quick startDetach behavior and background server lifetime. R3Herdr AgentsAgent detection, lifecycle state, integrations, and direct attach. C1cmux official siteNative macOS terminal, notifications, browser, API, and iOS companion beta. C2cmux Getting StartedCurrent session restore behavior and explicit live-process limitation. M1Conductor Git worktreesIsolated workspace, branch, commands, chats, diff, and review flow. M2Emdash OverviewParallel worktrees, providers, diffs, remote development, and tmux sessions. M3Superset OverviewAI-agent workspaces and Git worktree model. M4Conductor Big Terminal ModeTerminal-first workflow and documented restart restoration. M5Emdash Remote ProjectsLocal UI with repositories, terminals, agents, and Git operations on a remote host. O1OpenCode WebBrowser server, sessions, network binding, authentication, and TUI attach.

Reviewed 17 August 2026 · Product behavior changes quickly · Report a correction

Keep the sessions. Change the screen.

Install Hydra on macOS or Linux, open your existing provider history, and add browser access only if you want it.

Download Hydra View source