# HB Code vs cmux

> cmux is an open-source macOS terminal for CLI agents. HB Code is a Mac and Windows desktop app for Claude Code and Codex with iOS and Android apps.

cmux and HB Code both run Claude Code and Codex on your computer with your own provider sign-ins. cmux is an open-source macOS terminal built on Ghostty that runs any CLI coding agent on your Mac or on remote hosts. HB Code is a Mac and Windows desktop app for Claude Code and Codex, with iPhone and Android apps for your desktop sessions.

## The main difference

cmux is a native macOS terminal emulator built on Ghostty under the GPL-3.0-or-later license. Because it's a terminal, it runs Claude Code and Codex alongside other CLI agents such as OpenCode, Gemini CLI, Aider, Goose, Amp, and Cline. HB Code is a closed-source desktop app for macOS and Windows. It runs Anthropic's unchanged Claude Agent SDK executable and HB Code's own build of the open-source Codex app-server.

The two apps also differ in where agents run and how you pay for remote features. cmux runs agents on your Mac or over SSH and remote tmux, and its paid plans ($40 to $200/month) add isolated Cloud VMs. Teams on cmux can also pool ChatGPT and Claude subscriptions through CodeRouter, which moves work to another account when one hits a rate limit. In HB Code, agents work in local folders on your computer, and Settings lists usage limit windows for your Claude and ChatGPT accounts.

On a phone, cmux provides a TestFlight iOS beta app on its paid plans. It connects to your Mac over the encrypted Iroh network or your own network like Tailscale, without relaying terminal sessions through cmux servers. HB Code has iPhone and Android apps with a 10-day preview and an HB Code Pro upgrade in the App Store or Google Play. HB Code's phone connection goes through HB Code's relay server over TLS without end-to-end encryption.

## Side by side

| Topic | HB Code | cmux |
| --- | --- | --- |
| License and source | Not open source. The source isn't public. | The macOS and iOS apps are open source on GitHub under GPL-3.0-or-later, along with the CLI and TUI. The cmux server software uses the Business Source License 1.1 (BUSL-1.1) and requires a commercial license from Manaflow for production use or self-hosting. |
| Price | The desktop app needs no payment. A phone gets a 10-day connected preview and then needs HB Code Pro from the App Store or Google Play. | The macOS terminal app and local agents are free. Paid plans with Cloud VMs and the iOS app cost $50/month for Pro ($40/month billed yearly) or $200/month for Max ($160/month billed yearly). Team costs $60/user/month, and Enterprise has custom pricing. |
| Desktop | macOS 12 or later on Apple silicon, and Windows 10 version 1809 or later on x64. No Linux app. | A native macOS terminal built on Ghostty for macOS 14.0 or later on Apple Silicon or Intel Macs. Other desktop platforms aren't released yet and have a waitlist. |
| Phone and web | iPhone with iOS 18 or later and Android 8.0 or later. No web app. | An iOS companion app for iPhone and iPad is in beta through TestFlight. It attaches to your Mac terminals and receives forwarded notifications. |
| Coding agents | Claude Code and Codex. | Any CLI agent that runs in a terminal works, including Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Gemini CLI, Kiro, Aider, Goose, Amp, Cline, and Cursor Agent. When an agent spawns subagents or teammates, cmux turns them into native split panes. |
| Agent sign-in and billing | Claude Code is the unchanged executable of Anthropic's Claude Agent SDK. Codex is HB Code's own build of OpenAI's open-source Codex app-server. Both run on your own Claude and ChatGPT sign-in, and HB Code includes neither plan. | Local agents run with your own provider sign-ins or API keys at no cost from cmux. Through CodeRouter, teams can also pool and share API keys plus subscriptions from ChatGPT, Claude, OpenCode Go, OpenRouter, or Amazon Bedrock. |
| Account with the maker | None for work on the desktop. Remote access and the phone apps need an HB Code account. | You need a cmux account for the iOS app and Cloud VMs, as well as for CodeRouter. You can sign in with Apple, Google, GitHub, or an email code. |
| Where the agent works | In your project folders on your own computer. HB Code creates no worktrees and lists the ones that the repository has. No cloud. | Agents run locally on your Mac, or on remote hosts over SSH and remote tmux sessions. Paid plans add isolated Cloud VMs, and Enterprise plans support self-hosted cloud execution. |
| How the phone reaches the desktop | Through HB Code's relay server over TLS. The connection isn't end-to-end encrypted. The server passes the content and doesn't store it. | The iOS app pairs with your Mac over the built-in encrypted Iroh network or your own network such as Tailscale. Interactive terminal sessions flow directly between devices without being relayed through or stored on cmux servers. When notification forwarding is on, notification text goes through cmux servers to Apple's push service. |
| Accounts and usage limits | Several Claude accounts and ChatGPT subscriptions. Settings › Agents lists each one with its limit windows, and the phone apps show the same windows. | Local agents run under each provider account's own limits, and CodeRouter switches to another pooled account when one hits a rate limit. Pro and Team include up to 5 Cloud VMs sharing 20 vCPUs and 40 GB RAM. Max shares 80 vCPUs and 160 GB RAM across up to 5 Cloud VMs. |
| Usage analytics in the app | No analytics or crash-report SDK in the desktop app or the phone apps. The desktop app sends one daily usage signal, with a random ID not linked to your account, only if you allow it. With remote access on, the server keeps device status data. | The app uses Sentry for crash reports and PostHog for product analytics, plus Sparkle for macOS updates. Analytics and crash reports are on by default, and you can turn them off in Settings. Mobile analytics doesn't send terminal command text or terminal output to PostHog. |

## cmux: when it fits better

- You want an open-source macOS terminal that runs other CLI agents like OpenCode, Gemini CLI, Aider, or Cline alongside Claude Code and Codex.
- You want to run coding agents on remote hosts over SSH and remote tmux sessions, or inside isolated Cloud VMs.
- You want to pool multiple Claude and ChatGPT subscriptions or API keys across a team with automatic failover on rate limits through CodeRouter.
- You want your iPhone or iPad to connect to your Mac over the encrypted Iroh network or your own network like Tailscale.

## HB Code: when it fits better

- You work on a Windows PC or macOS 12 and 13, or you want an Android app to control your desktop sessions.
- You want desktop and phone apps that ship with no analytics SDK and no crash-report SDK.
- You want agents to work in your own Chrome through the Browser Bridge extension and send tasks from one session to another.

## Sources

- https://cmux.com/
- https://cmux.com/pricing
- https://cmux.com/docs/getting-started
- https://cmux.com/docs/ios
- https://cmux.com/docs/ssh
- https://cmux.com/docs/remote-tmux
- https://cmux.com/docs/coderouter
- https://cmux.com/docs/cloud/troubleshooting
- https://cmux.com/agents/claude-code
- https://cmux.com/agents/codex
- https://cmux.com/privacy-policy
- https://github.com/manaflow-ai/cmux
- https://github.com/manaflow-ai/cmux/blob/main/README.md
- https://github.com/manaflow-ai/cmux/blob/main/LICENSE

We read these pages on October 24, 2026. Prices and features can change after that date. If a statement on this page is wrong or out of date, tell us and we'll correct it. [Write to support](https://www.hbcode.ai/support)

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## Guides

- [How to check usage limits and use more than one account](https://www.hbcode.ai/claude-code-usage-limits.md)
- [How to check what Claude Code or Codex did](https://www.hbcode.ai/claude-code-ui.md)
- [How to run several Claude Code and Codex sessions](https://www.hbcode.ai/claude-code-sessions.md)
- [How to use Claude Code or Codex on your phone](https://www.hbcode.ai/claude-code-mobile.md)
- [How to see what the subagents of Claude Code do](https://www.hbcode.ai/claude-code-subagents.md)
- [How to try Claude Code and Codex on the same task](https://www.hbcode.ai/claude-code-vs-codex.md)
- [How to run Codex in a desktop app on Mac and Windows](https://www.hbcode.ai/codex-desktop-app.md)
- [Download HB Code](https://www.hbcode.ai/downloads)