Rysh vs tmux
tmux is the de-facto terminal multiplexer — a tiny, rock-solid C program that has run on virtually every server since 2007. Rysh keeps that same tabs/panes/detach model but makes every pane an autonomous AI agent, adds real-time session sharing, and ships web, desktop and mobile clients.
What each one is
tmux (terminal multiplexer) lets one terminal host many sessions, windows and panes, and — crucially — detach and reattach so long-running work survives a dropped SSH connection. It’s keyboard-driven behind a prefix key, configured via ~/.tmux.conf, extended with TPM plugins, and famously lightweight and scriptable. It is free and open-source (ISC).
Rysh is an agentic terminal multiplexer written in Go. It has the same tabs, panes, splits, stacks and persistent detach/reattach sessions — but every pane is also a full AI agent workspace with 40+ built-in tools and a human-in-the-loop approval flow. On top of the local multiplexer it adds autonomous agents, real-time pane/tab sharing, external channels (Slack/email), pipelines, and web, desktop and mobile clients backed by an optional cloud server.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Rysh | tmux |
|---|---|---|
| Core multiplexing (tabs, panes, splits) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Persistent detach / reattach sessions | ✓ | ✓ |
| Runs over SSH on a remote box | ✓ (single binary) | ✓ (often pre-installed) |
| Language / footprint | Go — heavier (agent runtime) | C — tiny |
| Configuration | TOML + env vars | ~/.tmux.conf |
| AI agent inside every pane | ✓ (40+ tools, approvals) | ✗ |
| Autonomous / multi-agent workflows | ✓ | ✗ |
| Real-time collaboration (share pane/tab) | ✓ built-in | ~ via tmate |
| External channels (Slack, email) | ✓ (“humanoids”) | ✗ |
| Pipelines / event automation | ✓ | ~ scripting |
| Web terminal + desktop + mobile app | ✓ | ✗ |
| Extensibility | MCP client + Rysh Forge (API→tools) | TPM plugins |
| Maturity / ubiquity | Newer | ~18 years, everywhere |
| License / cost | Local CLI single-binary; paid cloud tiers | Free, open-source (ISC) |
Which should you choose?
Choose Rysh if…
- You want an AI agent in every pane — reading files, running commands, using git, with approvals.
- You want to share a live pane or tab with a teammate (or view it on the web/phone) without extra tooling.
- You’re building agent-driven or multi-agent workflows, pipelines, or channel-connected automations.
Choose tmux if…
- You want the smallest, most portable multiplexer with zero dependencies — and it’s already on the box.
- You work on locked-down or air-gapped servers where installing a new binary (or any AI/cloud) is a non-starter.
- You don’t want AI, a cloud account, or a heavier runtime — just fast, scriptable panes.
They’re not mutually exclusive. Many people run Rysh locally for the AI + collaboration and still ssh into servers that have tmux. Rysh doesn’t use tmux under the hood — it has its own actor/PTY engine — so your tmux config and muscle memory stay untouched on the remote side.
FAQ
Is Rysh a drop-in tmux replacement?
For the multiplexing itself — tabs, panes, splits, detach/reattach — yes, Rysh covers the same ground. It is not command-line-flag compatible with tmux, and it adds a lot on top (AI agents, collaboration, GUI clients), so it is better described as an AI-native successor than a byte-for-byte clone.
Does Rysh use tmux under the hood?
No. Rysh has its own Go actor system and PTY engine. You do not need tmux installed to run Rysh.
Does Rysh work over SSH like tmux?
Yes. Rysh installs as a single binary and runs on a remote host over SSH with persistent detach/reattach, just like tmux.
Is Rysh free?
The local CLI is a single binary you can run yourself (bring your own model API key). The hosted cloud features — remote sharing, workspaces, billing — are a paid product; see the pricing page.
Can I keep using tmux too?
Absolutely. Run Rysh locally and tmux on remote servers, or vice-versa. They don’t conflict.
Try Rysh
Every pane is a shell and an AI agent — see it in short videos or the written guides.
Get started free →