Codex CLI vs Conductor in 2026

Q: Is AgentHydra free to use?

AgentHydra is free, with no account or subscription . It is open source under the MIT License . On Windows it installs with a one-line PowerShell script, a build from GitHub Releases, or from source with Bun . The facts here give no other price for AgentHydra.

Codex CLI and Conductor compared on what each does, what each costs, and what to check before you choose one to manage AI coding sessions.

By SupaKeeper · 2026-10-26

SupaKeeper is published by LunarWerx, which makes some of the tools compared here.

Codex CLI and Conductor are two ways to run AI coding work, and AgentHydra is a third option. Codex CLI works in the terminal, letting a developer inspect code, make changes, run commands, and automate repeatable work without leaving the terminal ^[1]. Conductor lets a team run a team of coding agents in the cloud ^[2]. AgentHydra shows Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode sessions on your machine in one searchable list, updated live while they run ^[3]. Pick by where you want the work to happen: in the terminal, in the cloud, or on your own machine across accounts.

Option	What its sources say it does	Cost	Account or install
Codex CLI	Inspect code, make changes, run commands, and automate repeatable work without leaving the terminal ^[1]; codex --search switches a run to live web search for current releases or documentation ^[1]; codex --image passes an image with the first prompt ^[1]	not published	not published in the facts
Conductor	Lets teams run a team of coding agents in the cloud ^[2]; trusted by 100k+ builders ^[2]; available on macOS, iOS and via API ^[2]	not published	not published in the facts; available on macOS, iOS and via API ^[2]
AgentHydra	Shows Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode sessions in one searchable list, updated live ^[3]; shows cost at API list prices by day, model, project and account ^[3]	free, with no account or subscription ^[3]	no account or subscription ^[3]; the tray app needs Windows ^[3]

The short answer

Codex CLI works in the terminal, letting a developer inspect code, make changes, run commands, and automate repeatable work without leaving the terminal ^[1]. Conductor lets a team run a team of coding agents in the cloud ^[2], and it can be used from macOS, iOS or via API ^[2]. AgentHydra shows Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode sessions on your machine in one searchable list that updates live while they run ^[3]. The three meet different needs. For work that stays in a terminal, Codex CLI's page describes commands that inspect and change code ^[1]. For work that runs in the cloud with a team, Conductor's page describes a team of coding agents in the cloud ^[2]. For anyone running sessions across several machine accounts, AgentHydra lists them and shows cost ^[3] ^[3].

What Codex CLI, Conductor is built for

Codex CLI works in the terminal. By its own page, a developer inspects code, makes changes, runs commands, and automates repeatable work without leaving the terminal ^[1]. For work tied to current versions, codex --search switches a run to live web search when a task depends on current releases, documentation, or external behavior ^[1]. For visual context, codex --image passes an error screenshot, architecture diagram, or design reference with the first prompt ^[1]. Conductor runs agents in the cloud. Its page says teams run a team of coding agents in the cloud ^[2], and it is available on macOS, iOS and via API ^[2]. Its page also says it is trusted by 100k+ builders ^[2]. The two meet different needs: Codex CLI's facts describe terminal work, and Conductor's facts describe cloud work with teams. Where either tool does more, the facts here do not say, so check its own pages.

What AgentHydra is built for

AgentHydra is made by the team that publishes this site. It helps a developer who runs AI coding sessions across accounts on one machine. It shows Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode sessions on your machine in one searchable list, updated live while they run ^[3]. You can type a reply into a Claude session's own desktop chat, or send one message to several sessions ^[3]. It moves a Claude chat, history included, to another of your accounts ^[3]. It splits a task's pieces across Claude Code CLI sessions on your accounts, and moves a worker to another account when one nears its limit ^[3]. It shows cost at API list prices by day, model, project and account ^[3], and prints the same numbers as JSON from the command line ^[3]. It pairs each failed shell command with the command that fixed it, and can copy those pairs out as a rules file for your agents ^[3]. It lists each Claude and Codex account with its plan and 5-hour and weekly quota, and can open, focus, quit, create and delete Claude Desktop instances ^[3]. It exposes its features as MCP tools, including whoami and usage checks so an agent knows which account it is on and how much quota is left ^[3]. It packs a task and its repository into a Markdown file, leaving out common secret files, then copies a prompt and opens ChatGPT for you to send yourself ^[3].

Pricing and fees

The facts here give no price for Codex CLI or for Conductor, so no price for either is published here. AgentHydra is free, with no account or subscription ^[3]. No source here describes a trial, a discount or a paid tier for any of the three, so none is stated. The only price in the facts is free for AgentHydra ^[3]. If you need the cost of Codex CLI or Conductor for your own use, check their own pages, since the facts here state none.

Setting it up and daily use

For Codex CLI, the facts here describe terminal use without an install step. In daily use, codex --search switches a run to live web search when a task depends on current releases, documentation, or external behavior ^[1], and codex --image passes an error screenshot, architecture diagram, or design reference with the first prompt ^[1]. Conductor is available on macOS, iOS and via API ^[2], and teams run coding agents with it in the cloud ^[2]. For AgentHydra on Windows, install with a one-line PowerShell script, or download a build from GitHub Releases or run from source with Bun ^[3]. The tray app needs Windows; macOS and Linux builds exist but have not been verified ^[3]. It is open source under the MIT License ^[3]. The facts here give no other setup detail for the rivals, so check their own pages.

Things to check before you choose

Ask where you want the work to run. Codex CLI's facts describe terminal work ^[1], Conductor's facts describe cloud work with a team ^[2], and AgentHydra describes work on your own machine across accounts ^[3]. If you use sessions on several accounts, ask whether you can manage all of them from one list, as AgentHydra does ^[3]. For the rivals, ask how they handle more than one account. The facts here give no price for Codex CLI or Conductor ^[2], so ask what each charges. For a cloud tool, ask what runs your agents, as Conductor describes cloud agents ^[2] and AgentHydra describes sessions on your own machine ^[3]. Ask where your data stays, since AgentHydra runs on your machine ^[3] and Conductor runs in the cloud ^[2].

How to choose

Choose by where you want the work to happen and what you need to track. For work that stays in the terminal, Codex CLI's page describes inspecting code, making changes, running commands and automating repeatable work without leaving the terminal ^[1]. For a team running agents in the cloud, Conductor's page describes a team of coding agents in the cloud ^[2], usable from macOS, iOS and via API ^[2]. For managing sessions across several accounts on one machine, AgentHydra shows them in one live list ^[3], shows cost by day, model, project and account ^[3], and is free with no account or subscription ^[3]. Match the need to the tool whose source states it, and check the tools' own pages where the facts here are silent.

Frequently asked questions

Is AgentHydra free to use?

AgentHydra is free, with no account or subscription ^[3]. It is open source under the MIT License ^[3]. On Windows it installs with a one-line PowerShell script, a build from GitHub Releases, or from source with Bun ^[3]. The facts here give no other price for AgentHydra.

Does Codex CLI cost anything?

The facts given here do not state a price for Codex CLI, so none is published here. Its page describes using it in the terminal to inspect code, make changes, run commands and automate repeatable work ^[1], but says nothing about a fee. Check its own pages if you need the cost.

Does Conductor cost anything?

The facts given here do not state a price for Conductor, so none is published here. Its page says teams run a team of coding agents in the cloud with it ^[2], but gives no fee. Check its own pages if you need the cost.

What does Codex CLI do?

Codex CLI works in the terminal, letting a developer inspect code, make changes, run commands, and automate repeatable work without leaving the terminal ^[1]. Codex CLI can also switch a run to live web search when a task depends on current releases, documentation, or external behavior ^[1].

What does Conductor do?

Conductor lets a team run a team of coding agents in the cloud ^[2]. It is available on macOS, iOS and via API ^[2]. Its page says it is trusted by 100k+ builders ^[2]. The facts here say nothing about its price, so check its own pages for that.

Free, with no account or subscription. ^[3]

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