Highwind vs cmux
Two native Mac apps for agents, with different focus
Quick summary
cmux is a free, open-source Mac terminal built on Ghostty’s libghostty, made for running many coding agents. It has split panes, a WebKit browser with Developer Tools, a browser API for agents, an iOS Simulator pane, custom commands and session resume for 17 agents.
Highwind is also native Swift and also has panes, a browser, an iOS simulator and agents. The differences are the dev servers and Android: Highwind restarts servers on crash, starts required services first and starts servers again at launch, and it also shows Android emulators and phones. By default cmux restores layout, folders, scrollback and browser URLs, but not running processes. An opt-in setting keeps local processes in tmux across a quit, but not across a reboot.
Choose cmux for a free terminal built for agents. Choose Highwind if your projects have servers you want kept running and restored.
Who should choose Highwind, and who should choose cmux?
Choose Highwind if
- You want dev servers restarted on crash and started in the order they need.
- You want servers running again after a reboot, not only the layout and scrollback.
- You also build for Android.
- You want an MCP server that lets agents start services, read logs and update tasks.
- You want a task board and quick commands per project.
Choose cmux if
- You want a free, open-source terminal.
- You mostly run agents and don’t need server supervision.
- You want processes to keep running while the app is closed or updating, using its opt-in tmux setting.
- You want cmux’s cloud VMs or iOS app.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Highwind | Cmux |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A Mac app for dev servers, CLI agents, browsers and phone simulators, grouped by project | A native terminal for running coding agents |
| Runs your dev servers | Each service has a command, a folder and a port | Terminals and a task manager |
| Restarts a server when it crashes | Per service, up to 3 attempts, 2 seconds apart | Processes are restarted by hand in the task manager |
| Starts the services a server needs first | Starts each required service and waits until its port accepts connections | Not documented |
| CLI agents from several vendors | Claude Code, Codex, Gemini, OpenCode, Copilot and pi, plus any CLI added with a JSON file | Resume support for 17 agents |
| Agent conversations resume after a restart | Each agent pane resumes its own session at launch | After running cmux hooks setup |
| Servers run again after you quit or reboot | Services that were running start again at the next launch, agents resume and browser tabs reopen. Launch at login is optional | Restores layout and scrollback; opt-in tmux setting keeps processes across a quit, not a reboot |
| Built-in browser with DevTools | WebKit pane with the Chrome DevTools frontend beside the page | WebKit browser with Developer Tools |
| Agents can use the built-in browser | 21 browser tools over MCP, with an approval policy per action | Browser API for agents |
| Phone simulator or emulator in a pane | iOS simulator, Android emulator or Android phone in a pane. No physical iPhones. Needs Xcode tools or the Android SDK installed | iOS Simulator pane (iPhone, iPad); Android not documented |
| Agents can use the simulator or emulator | 13 device tools over MCP: tap, swipe, type, screenshot, UI tree, logs and crash reports | CLI taps, swipes, types and takes screenshots; iOS Simulator only |
| MCP server that controls the app | More than 70 tools for services, logs, views, tasks, the browser and devices. Off until you turn it on | CLI and socket API; its MCP server is for computer use |
| Shell commands as buttons | Per project, run in their own pane | Custom commands in .cmux/cmux.json |
| Split panes | Views with split panes, layout presets and floating windows | Split panes |
| Task board | Kanban board per workspace that agents can read and update | Not documented |
| Git worktrees and diff review | No worktree management or diff view | Diff viewer |
| Code editor | Plain text editor and sidebar, no syntax highlighting | Not documented |
| Configuration as plain files | Plain files in a .highwind folder | .cmux/cmux.json |
| Built with | Native Swift | Native Swift, open source (GPL-3.0) |
| No account needed | No account | Not for local use |
| Platforms | macOS 14 and later | macOS 14 and later |
| Price | Free during the public beta | Free, Pro $50 a month adds cloud VMs and the iOS app |
“Not documented” means we found no mention of it in cmux’s documentation.
What does cmux restore after a restart?
cmux’s session restore documentation lists the layout, working folders, scrollback and browser URLs, and says it does not checkpoint live process state. Agents resume through hooks you set up with cmux hooks setup. An opt-in setting, Keep Local Sessions Alive, runs local sessions in tmux, so closing or updating cmux detaches from them instead of ending them. Its documentation says this does not cover a machine shutdown or reboot.
Highwind stops its processes when you quit. At the next launch it starts the services that were running, resumes each agent’s conversation without extra setup for its built-in agents, and reopens browser tabs. That includes after a reboot.
Phone simulators in cmux and Highwind
Since version 0.64.21 in August 2026, cmux can show a booted iPhone or iPad Simulator in a pane and control it from its CLI. Its documentation doesn’t mention Android. Highwind shows an iOS simulator, an Android emulator or a physical Android phone in a pane, and its device tools work over MCP.
Where cmux is ahead
cmux is free and open source, uses Ghostty’s terminal engine, and has a diff viewer, cloud VMs and an iOS app. Highwind will charge after the beta and has no diff view.
Frequently asked questions
Is Highwind a cmux alternative?
If your work includes dev servers, yes. Both are native Mac apps with panes, a browser and agents. Highwind adds server supervision, ordered start, restore of running servers, a task board and an MCP server for the app.
Are both apps native?
Yes. cmux and Highwind are both written in Swift. Neither uses Electron.
Try Highwind
A native Mac app for your dev servers, CLI agents and browser panes. Requires macOS 14 or later.
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Last reviewed November 2, 2026. Product features and prices change; tell us on the contact page if something here is out of date.