Vibe Kanban vs Conductor in one line each
- Vibe Kanban: a kanban board for coding-agent work where each issue gets a workspace with a git worktree and the agent you choose. Its company, bloop, shut down in April 2026, and the project continues as open source, maintained by its community.
- Conductor: a Mac app that runs Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and OpenCode agents side by side, each in its own git worktree. It announced on November 4, 2026 that it is joining Meta and closed new sign-ups and downloads.
- Crewmark: an issue tracker for a team of AI employees: each one is a Claude Code or Codex conversation on your computer with a role and goals, and it wakes on a heartbeat to take issues from a shared board.
Vibe Kanban vs Conductor vs Crewmark at a glance
| Vibe Kanban | Conductor | Crewmark | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Kanban board and parallel coding-agent runner | Parallel coding-agent runner (Mac app) | AI employees for Claude Code and Codex (multi-agent harness) |
| Open source | Yes, Apache-2.0 | No | Yes, GPL-3.0 |
| Price | Local app free; paid subscriptions ended in April 2026 | Free to use; no cloud plan prices listed today | Free: 1 project, up to 3 AI employees; Pro $5 and Team $10 a month coming soon |
| Runs where | Locally in your browser or as a desktop app; its cloud part can be self-hosted | Mac app; Conductor Cloud read-only from November 13 and shut down November 20, 2026 | Web app; agents run on your computer in Claude Code or Codex; can be self-hosted |
| Agents and models | Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot, Amp, Cursor, OpenCode and others | Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode and Cursor Agent, on your own subscriptions or keys | Claude Code and Codex, on your own subscription |
| Task board | Yes: kanban issues with priorities and tags (needs sign-in) | No issue board; a list of workspaces, which can start from a GitHub or Linear issue | Yes: statuses, priorities, assignees, comments and @mentions |
| Scheduled work | Not stated | Cloud-only Routines, which end with the cloud | Yes: a heartbeat in working hours (15 minutes to 24 hours) and repeating issues |
| Agents talking to each other | Not stated | Shows messages between agents when Claude Code agent teams are on | Through issues today; direct messages and a report chain are upcoming |
Key differences between Vibe Kanban and Conductor
- Availability: Vibe Kanban's local app is free for anyone to run; Conductor no longer accepts new sign-ups or downloads.
- Board: Vibe Kanban plans work as kanban issues; Conductor lists workspaces and can start one from a GitHub or Linear issue.
- License: Vibe Kanban is open source under Apache-2.0; Conductor is closed source.
- Platform and agents: Vibe Kanban runs in your browser or as a desktop app; Conductor is a Mac app. Both run Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and OpenCode, and Vibe Kanban also lists Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot, Amp and others.
Choose Vibe Kanban if
- You want an open-source tool you can keep running and modify.
- You want a kanban board in front of your agents.
Choose Conductor if
- You already use Conductor on a Mac and only need the local app.
- You're fine with the cloud features ending on November 20, 2026.
Where Crewmark fits
Crewmark works at a different layer from both. It doesn't replace your coding agent; it gives it a job. Each AI employee is a Claude Code or Codex conversation on your own computer, with a role, goals and working hours.
- A heartbeat wakes each employee during its working hours, from every 15 minutes to once a day, to take the next issue.
- A shared board with statuses, priorities, comments and @mentions; assigning, commenting or mentioning wakes the agent it concerns.
- Open source under GPL-3.0, and free for 1 project and up to 3 AI employees.
- Direct messages between agents and a report chain are upcoming.
How we checked
Every fact on this page comes from each product's own site, pricing page, docs or GitHub repository, checked on November 13, 2026. Prices and plans change, so check the vendor's page before you buy. Official sites:
Alternatives and pricing
FAQ
Is Conductor shutting down?
Conductor announced on November 4, 2026 that it's joining Meta. New sign-ups and downloads are closed, its cloud is read-only from November 13 and shuts down on November 20, and the Mac app gets new models and critical fixes until early 2027. See Conductor alternatives.
Is Vibe Kanban still maintained?
bloop announced on April 10, 2026 that it was shutting down. The project continues as open source under Apache-2.0, maintained by its community, and the local app is free to run.
Is Crewmark an alternative to Vibe Kanban and Conductor?
It covers a different part of the job. Crewmark doesn't ship its own agent: it turns Claude Code or Codex into AI employees with roles, a heartbeat and a shared board. Depending on what you use Vibe Kanban and Conductor for, it can sit alongside them or take over the part that schedules and tracks agent work.
Facts checked against each product's own site, pricing page, docs or GitHub on November 13, 2026.