Leon vs Herdr.
Checked 2026-10-07. Sources below.
Herdr site: herdr.dev/
Herdr is a Rust runtime that keeps terminals alive in a background server across machines, with working, blocked and idle marks and an API agents drive. It does not isolate by worktree or review diffs. Leon is the workspace above that runtime idea: worktrees, session tree, history search and remote with a code. Choose Herdr if you want persistent terminals with an agent API. Choose Leon if you want the review-shaped workspace on top.
The table.
Leon: Rust, GPU-rendered UI, 23 to 27 MB download, macOS, Linux, Windows, Apache-2.0, open source.
| LEON | HERDR | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Native workspace for running coding agents in parallel. Rust, GPU-rendered, a 23 to 27 MB download. | Terminal workspace manager and runtime in Rust. Background server owns panes and process state; clients attach and detach. 22 agent CLIs detected. |
| Agent support | 43 built-in terminal agents plus custom agents. History search for Claude Code, Codex and opencode. | Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, opencode, Grok and the rest. Herdr owns their terminals rather than wrapping them. |
| Isolation | One tree for every session: projects, worktrees and machines side by side. Resume, no dupes, history, lights. | Workspaces own tabs and panes per repo or task. File isolation is yours to arrange, not automatic worktrees. |
| Terminals | Real terminals, split your way, with buffer and live output. | Real terminals with mouse, splits, tabs and plugins. Detach with ctrl+b q; server keeps agents working and restores layouts after restart. |
| Review flow | Review loop is planned, not shipped. Today you review in the terminal and with git, as usual. | Not listed (as of Oct 2026). No diff viewer, inline comments or pull-request flow. Review happens in git and your editor. |
| Remote | Add a server over SSH, or share a machine with a ten-symbol code. Relay at relay.getleon.dev is online. End-to-end encrypted. | Several machines in one window over SSH, with independent reconnects. Phone means an SSH client, not a companion app. No relay with a code. |
| Speed and footprint | 1-2 ms history search over about 14,700 messages; about 5 ms re-import with nothing new; about 6 s test suite. Measured on one M1 Pro. Your machine will differ. The download is 23 to 27 MB as of 0.9.0. | One Rust binary, no Electron, as listed (as of Oct 2026). No published search numbers. Closest in spirit to Leon on footprint. |
| Platforms | macOS, Linux and Windows. | One binary for macOS, Linux and Windows. Remote bridge limited on some paths; see their docs (as of Oct 2026). |
| Licence and price | Apache-2.0, open source. Free. Bring your own agent subscriptions. | Free and open source runtime with community plugins. Bring your own agent subscriptions. |
Beyond the table.
Where Leon is stronger
- Worktree-shaped isolation with resume, history and lights, not just panes.
- Searchable agent history and usage in the footer.
- Remote with a ten-symbol code over an encrypted relay, alongside SSH.
Where Herdr is stronger
- Always-on server: close the lid, drop the network, restart, agents keep going.
- Agent-native CLI and socket API: agents split panes, prompt each other and wait on real blocked state.
- Multi-machine SSH in one window with per-machine reconnects and plugins.
Honest limits of Leon here
- No socket API for agents to drive the workspace yet. Orchestration is planned.
- No plugin marketplace.
- Background service model is thinner than Herdr server today.
Choose honestly.
[ CHOOSE LEON ]
- You think in tasks and worktrees and want review-shaped supervision.
- You want history search and usage without plugins to assemble.
- You pair machines with a code instead of SSH config.
[ CHOOSE HERDR ]
- You want the runtime below everything: persistent panes with an API.
- Agents drive the layout themselves through CLI and socket.
- You extend behaviour with plugins today.
Switching takes minutes.
Both tools run the same repos and the same agent CLIs.
- Keep Herdr for shells and servers. Move agent sessions into Leon worktrees.
- Same repos and same CLIs. No export step.
- If you scripted Herdr over its socket API, keep those scripts. Leon orchestration is planned, not a replacement today.
Questions.
Can Leon and Herdr run together?
Yes. Herdr owns terminals well. Leon supervises agent tasks well. Run shells in Herdr and agent work in Leon on the same repos.
What about Vibe Kanban?
Vibe Kanban plans work on a kanban board and runs agents in workspaces with diffs, inline comments and a browser. Its README notes it is sunsetting (as of Oct 2026). If you arrive from Vibe Kanban, Leon covers the workspace half: parallel sessions, worktrees and remote. The board half stays in GitHub or Linear, which Leon plans to connect.
Which is more Rust?
Both. Herdr is one Rust binary with no Electron. Leon is Rust with a GPU-rendered UI, a 23 to 27 MB download. Pick on shape, not language.
Leon facts: the app README, CHANGELOG and brand book, via COPY.md. Leon is independent and unaffiliated with Herdr. Third-party names and marks identify compatibility and remain their owners' trademarks.
All comparisonsLeon vs OrcaLeon vs ConductorLeon vs Superset