Conductor and Canopy both address the hard part after opening a second agent: keeping each change tied to a checkout, a running result, and a review decision. Conductor's current docs describe task workspaces that progress through review, checks, PR, merge, and archive. Canopy's current-main docs describe local projects spanning installed CLIs, services, editor, agent history, PRs, and optional Remote or Team access. Choose from the complete workflow, not a claim that one product alone supports parallel agents.
Credit the overlap first
Both products can run multiple coding agents, separate independent code changes, start a local app, inspect a diff, and work through pull requests. Conductor documents Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, and OpenCode; one workspace has its own branch, working tree, app processes, and review path, while multiple agents can share a workspace for one branch. Canopy documents supported installed CLIs in real PTYs, current or isolated worktrees, saved project commands, Preview, an Agents rail, and Agent Workspace tied to Git and PR evidence. Integration depth in Canopy varies by CLI, and its README may be ahead of a downloadable release.
| Question | Canopy | Conductor |
|---|---|---|
| Independent changes | Project sessions in current checkout or separate worktrees | One isolated workspace per shippable task |
| Shared branch work | Multiple sessions can share a project checkout; own integration | Multiple agents can share one workspace and branch |
| Running app | Saved service commands, detected URLs, Preview and feedback | Workspace app processes, Run button, and testing flow |
| Review | Agent Workspace, diff, checks and PR context | Diff Viewer comments, agent review, Checks tab and PR/merge flow |
| Execution location | Desktop host with installed CLIs; optional Remote controls that host | Local Mac workspaces or Conductor Cloud workspaces |
| Collaboration | Optional host-mediated encrypted Team relay | Conductor Cloud multiplayer and workspace sharing |
Conductor's task-to-merge path
Conductor's workflow documentation makes the workspace a unit of delegation and the branch or PR a unit of integration. It can create a workspace from an issue or PR, run an agent and app in that workspace, send Diff Viewer comments back to an agent, show CI and review state in Checks, open a PR, merge, and archive the result. That is a substantial review workflow, not merely a tab manager. A team that wants each task to move through this explicit workspace lifecycle should test it directly. Its Cloud option can keep agents in hosted isolated Linux sandboxes; its local option uses the Mac's local environment.
Canopy's local project path
Canopy groups a project across components, saved website/API/worker commands, agent sessions, file and Git context, search, notes, Preview, and optional team or phone access. It aims to make several installed CLIs legible around one local product rather than making a fresh task workspace the only entry point. The current-main README also describes an editor, native document viewers, on-device dictation on supported systems, and local usage signals for some CLIs. Its local-first boundary means Canopy-owned workspace state is stored locally by default; installed model CLIs and enabled integrations can still use their own networks. Verify the installed release and platform before making one of those surrounding surfaces a deciding requirement.
Check the data and host boundary
Conductor's security documentation distinguishes local workspaces, whose files and chats stay local unless a connected provider or integration receives data, from Cloud workspaces, whose repository files and session data are stored in Conductor-managed infrastructure and synced to the local machine. Canopy's Remote controls a running local host, and optional Internet relay traffic may pass through a selected tunnel; its app README says Canopy-owned project state stays local by default. Neither product makes model-provider traffic disappear. If code location, remote availability, or team access matters, decide which mode you will actually enable and inspect that mode's documentation rather than treating either brand label as a security proof.
Run one fair task in both
Pick a small issue with a visible outcome, such as fixing a failed settings-form retry. In each app, use the same repository, CLI account, task brief, and acceptance checks. Start one implementation and one read-only review, verify their checkout and branch, run the page, inspect a failed and successful request, comment on the exact diff, and reach a PR decision. Record where each step required another tool, what state resumed after closing the app, and whether the final reviewed commit matched the preview. A product that makes one step easier but loses the handoff may still cost your team time; let the completed task answer the choice.
Frequently asked questions
Does Conductor support Codex and more than one agent?
Yes. Its current docs list Codex with Claude Code, Cursor, and OpenCode, and explain both multiple isolated workspaces and multiple agents in one workspace.
Is Conductor only a terminal tab manager?
No. Its docs cover workspace isolation, app runs, diff comments, checks, PR creation, merge, and archive.
Does Canopy run agents in the cloud if my laptop is off?
Canopy Remote controls a running local host; the installed CLI may have its own cloud features. Conductor offers separate Cloud workspaces. Test the execution location and persistence you need.
Are Conductor local workspaces always synced to its cloud?
Its security documentation distinguishes local and Cloud modes. Local workspaces use the Mac's environment and keep workspace data locally unless a connected provider or integration receives it; Cloud workspaces store and sync data through Conductor-managed infrastructure.