How indie hackers keep agent work separated by branch in 2026

Q: Is AgentHydra free for indie hackers?

AgentHydra is free, with no account or subscription. It is open source under the MIT License. Free use does not change how you should check branches, so keep the same checks in place whatever tool you use. Review each branch's changes on its own before merging, and keep your task list up to date as sessions start and finish.

Keep agent work separated by branch with one folder per task, clear session names, and a single list of sessions to check.

By SupaKeeper · 2026-10-24

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

Give each task its own branch and its own folder, and start each agent session inside that folder. Keep a short list of which session works on which branch, then check and merge one branch at a time. AgentHydra can show Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode sessions in one list. ^[1]

Option	What it can do	What to check
AgentHydra	Shows Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode sessions on your machine in one searchable list, updated live while they run. ^[1]	Check whether each entry shows the branch its session is working on.
Separate folders and branch names	Keeps each task's files apart by giving it its own branch and its own folder.	Check that each agent session starts in its own folder before you begin.
A separate session tool	A tool you choose after reviewing what it covers.	Check which sessions and branches it shows before choosing it.

What you need before you start

Before you start, have your project in a git repository with the branches you plan to use. Each branch should have its own folder on disk, so an agent working on one branch never edits files in another.

Decide which branch each agent task belongs to before the agent starts. Write the branch name into the task itself, so the agent and you both know where the work belongs.

Keep a short list of the tasks running at the same time, with the branch each one uses. When several agent sessions are open, it is easy to lose track of which one is on which branch, so the list is the reference you return to.

Know how you will check the work before merging it. That usually means running the tests and reading the changes for each branch on its own. Have those commands ready, so every check follows the same steps.

Decide how many agent sessions you can follow at once. Fewer open sessions are easier to keep straight, especially when you work alone and have no one to review the changes for you.

Step by step

Create one branch for each task before the agent starts. Name the branch after the task, so the name says what it holds.
Make a separate checkout for each branch, such as a second copy of the project, so each agent edits only its own folder.
Start each agent session inside its own folder, never inside the main copy.
Give each session a clear name that includes its branch, so it is easy to find later.
Record which session is on which branch in your task list as soon as you start it.
Look at the changes for one branch at a time before you merge anything.
Run the tests on each branch by itself, not on a mix of branches, so a failure points to one change.
Merge one branch at a time, and recheck the remaining branches after each merge, since they may now conflict with the change you just merged.
Remove the extra folder and the finished branch once the work is merged, so old copies do not pile up and get confused with active work.

Tools that can do it

AgentHydra is made by the team that publishes this site.

AgentHydra shows Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode sessions on your machine in one searchable list, updated live while they run. ^[1] Naming each session after its branch makes that list easier to scan.

AgentHydra lets you type a reply into a Claude session's own desktop chat, or send one message to several sessions. ^[1]

AgentHydra is free, with no account or subscription. ^[1]

AgentHydra is open source under the MIT License. ^[1]

The tray app needs Windows; macOS and Linux builds exist but have not been verified. ^[1]

Another option is plain git, using separate branches and separate folders for each task, with your own task list to track which session is where. A third option is any session tool you choose after checking which sessions and branches it shows.

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid starting several agent sessions in the same folder. Two sessions editing one folder can change the same files, and the branch you think you are on may not match what is on disk.

Avoid vague session names such as 'test' or 'fix'. A name that includes the branch makes the list much easier to scan later.

Avoid merging before you have checked each branch's changes on its own. A mix of branches makes it hard to tell which change caused a failing test.

Avoid leaving finished branches and their folders in place. Old copies are easy to confuse with active work.

Avoid assuming every session list shows the branch for each session. Check that before you rely on it.

Frequently asked questions

How do indie hackers keep agent work separated by branch?

Give each task its own branch and its own folder, then start each agent session inside that folder. Name each session after its branch, and keep a short list of which session works on which branch. Check each branch's changes separately before merging, and run the tests on that branch alone. Merge one branch at a time and recheck the rest afterward, since the other branches may now conflict with the change you just merged.

Can AgentHydra show which branch each agent session is on?

AgentHydra shows Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode sessions on your machine in one searchable list, updated live while they run. ^[1] Because that description covers the list itself, check whether each entry shows the branch its session is working on before you rely on it. Open two or three sessions from the list and confirm that the branch name matches your task list.

Is AgentHydra free for indie hackers?

AgentHydra is free, with no account or subscription. ^[1] It is open source under the MIT License. ^[1] Free use does not change how you should check branches, so keep the same checks in place whatever tool you use. Review each branch's changes on its own before merging, and keep your task list up to date as sessions start and finish.

Does AgentHydra run on macOS or Linux?

The tray app needs Windows, and macOS and Linux builds exist but have not been verified. ^[1] On Windows, the install can be done with a one-line PowerShell script, or by downloading a build from GitHub Releases. ^[1] If you work on macOS or Linux, test the build on your own machine first before relying on it for branch work.

Can AgentHydra send one message to several agent sessions?

AgentHydra lets you type a reply into a Claude session's own desktop chat, or send one message to several sessions. ^[1] This can help when one instruction needs to reach several agent sessions at once. Before sending, confirm each session's branch in your task list so the message reaches the right work, and check the result in each session afterward.

Free, with no account or subscription. ^[1]

Try AgentHydra

Sources

AgentHydra's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)