Side by side
Byobu vs Herdr
Both stand on terminal multiplexers. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan LinuxMac
Byobu adds configurable shortcuts, status information, and persistent sessions over tmux or GNU Screen. It is a fit for terminal users comfortable with those backend requirements.
Visit Byobu Free plan APILinuxMac+2
Herdr focuses on persistent terminal sessions for coding agents across local and SSH-accessible machines. Its runtime is free, while the planned Herdr Cloud connection is described as coming soon.
Visit HerdrThe facts
| Byobu | Herdr | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Linux, Mac | API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | byobu.org | herdr.dev |
| On terminal multiplexers | #4 of 29 | #1 of 29 |
Byobu: what it does well
- Sessions retain windows, processes, and history.
- Each window supports up to 10,000 scrollback lines.
- Status indicators can be toggled individually.
- GPLv3-licensed and free.
What to know first
- Requires tmux version 1.5 or later and/or GNU Screen.
- Support is largely volunteer-led.
Herdr: what it does well
- Keeps panes and processes running after detachment
- Restores saved layouts after server restart
- Detects 22 agent CLIs out of the box
- Free and open source under Apache License 2.0
What to know first
- Herdr Cloud is not yet available
- Pane screen history is off by default
- Remote machine access uses SSH