# herdr review

> herdr is an open source terminal runtime for coding agents that keeps their sessions running in a background server and shows each agent's status.

Devtoolwatch Board, the week of Oct 25–31, 2026. Canonical page: https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/herdrdev-herdr/

## TL;DR

herdr is a terminal multiplexer built for coding agents such as Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and OpenCode. herdr is for developers who run several agents at once, locally or over SSH. herdr marks each pane as working, blocked or idle, keeps terminals alive after you detach, and lets agents drive it through a CLI and socket API.

## herdr at a glance

- **Category:** [Coding agents](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/categories/coding-agents/)
- **Maintained by:** herdrdev (organization, [@herdrdev](https://github.com/herdrdev) on GitHub)
- **License:** Apache 2.0
- **Language:** Rust, Python, PowerShell
- **Repository:** [github.com/herdrdev/herdr](https://github.com/herdrdev/herdr)
- **Website:** [herdr.dev](https://herdr.dev)
- **Latest release:** [v0.9.5](https://github.com/herdrdev/herdr/releases/tag/v0.9.5) on GitHub, Oct 14, 2026
- **First published:** Mar 27, 2026

## What herdr does

- herdr keeps terminals running in a background server when you close the client or lose your SSH connection.
- herdr marks every pane as working, blocked or idle, and tells you when an agent stops and needs an answer.
- herdr shows local work and saved SSH machines together, with a combined agent list and independent reconnects.
- herdr lets agents spawn panes, prompt each other and wait until another agent is blocked, through its CLI and socket API.
- herdr supports tmux-style prefix keys alongside mouse click, drag and split.
- herdr supports plugins that extend panes and workflows, and `herdr plugin update` updates plugins installed from GitHub.
- herdr restores the saved layout after a server or machine restart and can resume supported agent sessions.

### How it works

herdr is a single Rust binary that runs in your existing terminal. You start it with `herdr` where the work lives, then run agents in split panes. A background server keeps the terminals alive, so you can detach with `ctrl+b q` and reattach by running `herdr` again. herdr does not wrap or replace your agents. It owns their terminals. Agents can control herdr through its CLI and socket API.

## How to install herdr

**With the install script**

```
curl -fsSL https://herdr.dev/install.sh | sh
```

**With Homebrew**

```
brew install herdr
```

**On Windows**

```
powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -c "irm https://herdr.dev/install.ps1 | iex"
```

### Requirements

- herdr runs on macOS, Linux and Windows. Windows also has a separate guide for endpoint-protected machines.
- herdr needs SSH access to any remote machine you want to connect.

### First steps

1. Run `herdr` in the directory where your work lives.
2. Start your agents, such as Claude Code or Codex, and split panes as needed.
3. Press `ctrl+b q` to detach. The agents keep running in the background server.
4. Run `herdr` again to reattach to your running sessions.

## Who herdr is for

- Developers who run several coding agents in parallel and need to see which one is blocked.
- Developers who run agents on remote servers over SSH and want them to survive disconnects.
- Developers building agents that orchestrate other agents through a CLI or socket API.
- Developers who want tmux-style keys plus mouse support, without an Electron app.

### Limitations

- herdr restores layouts after a server or machine restart, but the original processes do not survive.
- herdr can resume only supported agent sessions after a restart.
- herdr detects whether Codex is working from the screen, because it no longer installs Codex turn hooks.
- An elevated Windows herdr server accepts only administrator clients by default.

## Usage data (the week of Oct 25–31, 2026)

- Board rank: #23 overall, #12 in Coding agents, momentum score 87
- New GitHub stars per week (last 12 weeks): Aug 9: 3.5k; Aug 16: 2.1k; Aug 23: 1.8k; Aug 30: 2.1k; Sep 6: 2.5k; Sep 13: 1.7k; Sep 20: 1.2k; Sep 27: 1.3k; Oct 4: 1.2k; Oct 11: 1.3k; Oct 18: 1.2k; Oct 25: 1.5k

## herdr alternatives

| Rank | Tool | Stars | Downloads/wk |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | [Cindy](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/makecindy-cindy/) | 8.8k | – |
| #2 | [OpenMausBot](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/milind-soni-openmausbot/) | 9.6k | – |
| #3 | [Orca](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/stablyai-orca/) | 111.7k | – |
| #4 | [OpenBot](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/copilotkit-openbot/) | 9.1k | – |
| #5 | [Agent Reach](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/panniantong-agent-reach/) | 107.2k | – |
| #6 | [Skill Recorder](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/microsoft-skill-recorder/) | 5.6k | – |

## herdr FAQ

### Is herdr free and open source?

Yes. herdr's source code is on GitHub (herdrdev/herdr) under the Apache 2.0 license, so you can use it for free.

### How do I install herdr?

Run `curl -fsSL https://herdr.dev/install.sh | sh`. The install section above has the other options from the project's README.

### Is herdr still maintained?

Yes. The herdrdev/herdr repository was last updated on Nov 1, 2026, and the latest release, v0.9.5 on GitHub, came out on Oct 14, 2026.

### How popular is herdr?

herdr has 47.1k GitHub stars as of Nov 1, 2026. It gained 1.5k new stars in the week of Oct 25–31, 2026, against a 12-week average of 1.8k a week. That made it #12 among AI coding agents on the Devtoolwatch Board.

### herdr vs Orca: how do they compare?

herdr and Orca are both tracked by Devtoolwatch as AI coding agents. herdr has 47.1k GitHub stars and Orca has 111.7k. Orca is a desktop agent development environment for running Claude Code, Codex, and other CLI coding agents in parallel, each in its own git worktree. [Orca review](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/stablyai-orca/)

### herdr vs OpenCode: how do they compare?

herdr and OpenCode are both tracked by Devtoolwatch as AI coding agents. herdr has 47.1k GitHub stars and OpenCode has 223.6k. OpenCode is an open source AI coding agent that helps you write and run code in a terminal, desktop app, or IDE extension. [OpenCode review](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/opencode/)

### What are the best alternatives to herdr?

Other AI coding agents on the Devtoolwatch Board in the week of Oct 25–31, 2026, by momentum: Cindy (#1), OpenMausBot (#2), Orca (#3), OpenBot (#4), Agent Reach (#5). The alternatives table above has their numbers.

### How do I use herdr with Claude Code?

Run `herdr`, then start Claude Code in a pane as you normally would. herdr does not wrap or replace Claude Code. It owns the terminal and shows whether the agent is working, blocked or idle.

### Does herdr run on Windows?

herdr runs on Windows. You install it with a PowerShell script, and there is a separate guide for endpoint-protected Windows. Windows notifications stay in Notification Center, and clicking one jumps to its pane.

### How do I use herdr with remote machines?

herdr connects to saved SSH machines and shows them in the same window as local work, with a combined agent list. Agents on a remote machine keep running there while your laptop sleeps or the app is closed.

## Sources

1. [herdrdev/herdr on GitHub](https://github.com/herdrdev/herdr)
2. [herdr README](https://github.com/herdrdev/herdr/blob/master/README.md)
3. [herdr website](https://herdr.dev)
4. [Release v0.9.5 (Oct 14, 2026)](https://github.com/herdrdev/herdr/releases/tag/v0.9.5)
5. [Release preview-2026-10-14-fbd2ae23927f (Oct 14, 2026)](https://github.com/herdrdev/herdr/releases/tag/preview-2026-10-14-fbd2ae23927f)
6. [Release v0.9.4 (Oct 13, 2026)](https://github.com/herdrdev/herdr/releases/tag/v0.9.4)
7. [Hacker News: Herdr: One terminal to rule them all](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48756578)
8. [Hacker News: Herdr has released native app](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50298436)
9. [Hacker News: Herdr is joining Y Combinator. The runtime stays open](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49201003)
10. [Devtoolwatch Board, the week of Oct 25–31, 2026](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/)