- Compare
- vs Claude Code
Plexus
Running Claude Code by hand in tmux or terminal tabs, or in Anthropic's Desktop app, compared with Plexus, which runs the same claude CLI on your login.
Plexus is not a replacement for Claude Code. It runs Claude Code. Every session is the real claude CLI in a real terminal, using the login you already have, so your slash commands and interactive prompts work as they always do. The question is whether you want Plexus around it, or whether Claude Code's own tools are enough.
Claude Code has added a lot of parallel tooling itself: a --worktree flag, background sessions with an agent view, worktree hooks, and the Desktop app's Code tab. Of everything in this category, Claude Code Desktop overlaps with Plexus the most, and this page treats it that way.
Side by side
Claims about Claude Code are from its own documentation and site, linked on each row, and were last checked on . Claude Code's website.
| Topic | Plexus | Claude Code |
|---|---|---|
| The agent | Runs the Claude Code CLI you already installed, in a real terminal, with your existing login. No API key. Plexus docs | It is Claude Code. It needs a paid Claude subscription or a Claude Console account. With a subscription, no API key is required. Source: code.claude.com |
| Parallel sessions in the terminal | A session per task, each in its own git worktree that Plexus creates and removes. Plexus docs | claude --worktree <name> starts a session in its own git worktree. Run it again with another name in another terminal for a second session. Source: code.claude.com |
| Background sessions and status | A dot on every session (Working, Needs you, Idle), a blue ring for background subagents, and a dashboard of every session across all repositories. Plexus docs | claude --bg runs a session in the background in a worktree under .claude/worktrees/. claude agents lists background sessions with states including Working, Needs input and Idle, plus a PR label. Source: code.claude.com |
| Claude Code Desktop | Native app for macOS, Windows and Linux. Every session except one on the project's main checkout gets its own worktree, under <project>/worktrees/. Plexus docs | The Code tab in Claude Desktop runs parallel sessions with an optional worktree each, stored in .claude/worktrees/ by default, with an opt-in setting to archive a session once its PR merges or closes. macOS, Windows, and Linux in beta. Source: code.claude.com |
| Gitignored files in new worktrees | A copy list per scope, .env and .env.local by default. Plexus docs | A .worktreeinclude file lists gitignored files to copy into new worktrees. Source: code.claude.com |
| Reviewing the agent's changes | Review tab: a PR-style diff, inline comments sent to the agent, AI review, an unattended review-and-fix cycle, and the pull request conversation. Plexus docs | Desktop: a diff view with line comments Claude acts on, and /code-review, which returns its findings as a Code review card grouped by file. Source: code.claude.com |
| Pull requests and CI | GitHub and Bitbucket pull requests with status and CI per session. One-click sign-in; the gh CLI is not needed. Plexus docs | Desktop: a CI status bar once a PR is open, Auto-fix for failing checks and Auto-merge. Requires the GitHub CLI (gh). Source: code.claude.com |
| Issue trackers | GitHub issues, GitHub Projects boards and Plnnrly projects (backlog, board and sprints) as tabs in the app, on a paid plan. Start a session from any issue or work item, linked to it. Plexus docs | Desktop: connectors for GitHub, Linear, Notion and more, which let Claude create issues and work with those tools from a local or SSH session. Source: code.claude.com |
| Notifications | A native notification when a session needs you, with an optional sound. Held back while background subagents are still running. Plexus docs | Desktop: a notification when a session finishes a task and you are not viewing it. The sidebar filters by status, project and environment. Source: code.claude.com |
| Hooks | Create, Run and Teardown scripts at global, workspace and project level, with combine modes and repository hooks in .plexus/hooks.json. Plexus docs | Claude Code hooks cover many lifecycle events, including WorktreeCreate and WorktreeRemove, and can be shell commands, HTTP endpoints, MCP tool calls, prompts or subagents. Source: code.claude.com |
| Where sessions run | On your machine, in the session's worktree. Plexus docs | Desktop sessions can run locally, in Anthropic's cloud, over SSH or in WSL. Cloud usage counts toward your plan's limits. Source: code.claude.com |
| A terminal multiplexer | Not needed. Each session has its own terminal in the app. Plexus docs | tmux runs on OpenBSD, FreeBSD, NetBSD, Linux, macOS and Solaris. Source: github.com |
- You live in the terminal. You run a few sessions on one repository and can keep track of them yourself.
--worktree,.worktreeinclude,claude agentsand a notification hook cover the basics, cost nothing extra and work over SSH. - You want Anthropic's own app. Claude Code Desktop runs parallel sessions with worktrees, lets you comment on diffs, shows CI status and can auto-fix failing checks and auto-merge on GitHub.
- You want sessions in the cloud. Desktop can run sessions on Anthropic's infrastructure that keep going after you close the app. Plexus runs everything on your machine.
- Your sessions span several repositories. Workspaces, projects and sessions in one tree, and one dashboard of every session's state and pull request.
- You want review and git in the same window as the agents. A PR-style diff where your comments go to the agent, AI review, an unattended review-and-fix cycle, a git client per session and a commit graph per repository.
- You use Bitbucket, or would rather not install
gh. Plexus opens and tracks pull requests on GitHub and Bitbucket with a one-click sign-in. - You want the issue tracker next to the agents. A repository's GitHub issues, a GitHub Projects board or a Plnnrly project's backlog, board and sprints, each item a click away from a session linked to it (paid plan).
- You want worktree setup automated at the right level. Create, Run and Teardown hooks that cascade from global to workspace to project, env files copied in, and a block of dev-server ports for each session.
Using them together
Moving to Plexus does not change your Claude plan or how Claude behaves: Plexus finds claude on your PATH and starts it in each session's worktree. You can still open claude in any terminal next to it.
See Requirements for what Plexus needs, and Sessions & worktrees for how a session is set up.
Try it on
Plexus is free to download for macOS, Windows and Linux. It runs the Claude Code you already have, with your existing login.