Comparison
Onda vs tmux
tmux is the canonical terminal multiplexer — persistent, remote-friendly, keyboard-driven. Onda is a GUI macOS terminal with native split panes, workspaces, and AI integration. They overlap in pane management but serve different use cases.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Onda | tmux |
|---|---|---|
Primary use case | Local AI-assisted dev | Remote persistent sessions |
Environment | GUI app | CLI, works over SSH |
Session persistence tmux survives disconnects | Partial | Yes |
Works over SSH | No | Yes |
Mouse-driven splits tmux mouse mode needs config | Yes | Partial |
MCP / AI integration | Yes | No |
Built-in Git panel | Yes | No |
File browser | Yes | No |
Configuration files needed tmux needs .tmux.conf for most UX | No | Yes |
Split panes (arbitrary layouts) | Yes | Yes |
Tabs / windows | Yes | Yes |
Workspaces tmux sessions are similar | Yes | Partial |
Plugin system tmux has TPM ecosystem | Yes | Yes |
Copy-paste UX | Native macOS | Keyboard-driven |
Open source | Partial | Yes |
Pick Onda when
- You want GUI-driven split panes with mouse support
- You use Claude Code, Codex CLI, or Gemini CLI locally and want MCP integration
- You prefer workspaces over tmux sessions + configuration files
- You want a Git panel and file browser next to your terminal
Pick tmux when
- You SSH into remote servers and need persistent sessions across disconnects
- You manage servers, run long-running processes, or do sysadmin work
- You prefer keyboard-only, configuration-as-code workflow
- You work on Linux / BSD without a GUI
Common questions: Onda vs tmux
Does Onda replace tmux?
Only for local work. Onda has GUI split panes, workspaces, and tabs that cover most local-tmux use cases without configuration. For SSH and remote persistent sessions, tmux is irreplaceable — run it inside an Onda pane the same way you would inside iTerm2. Onda and tmux are complementary, not competitors.
Can I run tmux inside Onda?
Yes, tmux works inside Onda like any other shell tool. Split an Onda pane, SSH to your server, run `tmux attach`, and you are back in your session. Mouse mode, copy-mode, and key bindings all work. Onda does not implement tmux control mode (where the GUI draws tmux panes natively), which iTerm2 has.
Why use Onda if I already know tmux?
If your workflow is mostly local and AI-assisted, Onda removes configuration overhead. You get split panes, Git, file browser, and MCP for Claude Code without touching .tmux.conf. If tmux is muscle memory and you mostly work remote, keep tmux — Onda adds no SSH value.
Can tmux talk to Claude Code or Codex CLI?
Only by running the CLI inside a pane — there is no MCP layer. Claude Code cannot create tmux panes programmatically or detect interrupted sessions. Onda exposes 21 MCP tools so AI agents can drive the terminal. For AI-native workflows, that gap matters.
Does Onda survive a crash like tmux?
Onda restores the last window layout and pane buffer on relaunch — terminal processes still exit when the app crashes or restarts. tmux runs as a background daemon, so tmux sessions survive client disconnects and crashes indefinitely. If survivability is critical, wrap long-running work in tmux inside an Onda pane.
Which is faster?
tmux is lighter on CPU and memory (it is a small C program). Onda is a GUI app with higher baseline resource use. For interactive work neither is a bottleneck on a modern Mac; for very long-running terminal sessions on a constrained remote box, tmux is the right choice.
How do I migrate tmux sessions to Onda workspaces?
Manually, one-time. Create an Onda workspace per project, split panes to mirror your tmux layout, and set the cwd per pane. There is no import tool. Because Onda saves workspaces visually from the UI, most users prefer recreating from scratch over automating migration.