What Superset is
Superset calls itself “an agentic IDE to orchestrate 100+ coding agents in parallel” and “the workspace your agents run in, not a model provider”. Each task gets a git worktree with its own branch and terminals, plus code review and browser previews. It lists Claude Code, Codex CLI, Cursor Agent, Gemini CLI, Copilot, Amp, OpenCode and more, and “any other CLI agent”. The source is on GitHub under the Elastic License 2.0, which it notes “is not OSI-approved open source”. The desktop app is macOS first, with an experimental Linux build and no Windows yet.
Its own README is careful about what worktrees do: they “separate working files; they do not sandbox processes or prevent merge conflicts.”
What Chain is
Chain is a Mac app and CLI for a team on one repo. A co-work has a code; every member’s agents, on their own Macs, share one board of claims, tasks and log lines. A pre-tool hook refuses writes to paths another agent holds. When an agent calls done, Chain runs the tests in its worktree, merges if green, pushes and releases the claims. A real conflict pauses the merge for a person.
Side by side
| Chain | Superset | |
|---|---|---|
| Runs on | macOS | macOS; experimental Linux; no Windows yet |
| Agents | Claude Code, Codex CLI, Cursor, OpenClaw, any MCP agent | Claude Code, Codex, Cursor Agent, Gemini CLI, Copilot and ~20 more; any CLI agent |
| Isolation | A git worktree per agent | A git worktree per task |
| Stops two agents editing the same file | Yes: claims enforced by a hook | No: separate branches; conflicts found at merge |
| Teammates on other Macs | Yes: one board per co-work, shared by code | Pro adds unlimited users and remote access to a machine; no shared per-repo coordination described |
| Merging | Automatic when tests pass; pauses on conflict | Review the diff and merge yourself |
| Source | Closed; Enterprise can self-host the relay | Source available, Elastic License 2.0 |
| Price | Free for two people per co-work; €12 per member per month | Free desktop app; Pro $20 per user per month; Enterprise custom |
Superset details are from superset.sh, its pricing page and its GitHub README as of October 2026.
Pick Superset if
You run many agents yourself and want one window with a terminal, a diff and a preview for each, across a long list of agent CLIs.
Pick Chain if
Several people run agents on the repo and the thing you need enforced is “nobody else is in these files right now”. Superset and Chain are not exclusive: Chain only cares that the agent is started in a co-work worktree with the hook installed. The file claims guide explains what the hook does.