What Vibe Kanban is
Vibe Kanban is an Apache-2.0 project, started with npx vibe-kanban, that runs locally as a web app. You plan work as kanban issues and create workspaces where an agent gets a branch, a terminal and a dev server, with worktrees created for you. It lists Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Cursor, Copilot and more. In April 2026 the company behind it, Bloop, shut down; the project continues as community maintained open source, and its hosted features for shared issues, projects and organisations were removed.
What Chain is
Chain is a Mac app and CLI for a team. A repo becomes a co-work with a code; every member’s agents share one board of tasks, claims and log lines across their Macs. A hook blocks writes to claimed paths, and Chain tests, merges and pushes a finished branch itself, pausing only on a real conflict. It is maintained by the team that builds it, with a free tier and a paid plan for teams.
Side by side
| Chain | Vibe Kanban | |
|---|---|---|
| Form | Mac app and CLI | Local web app via npx, built in Rust and Node |
| Agents | Claude Code, Codex CLI, Cursor, OpenClaw, any MCP agent | Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Copilot, Amp, Cursor, OpenCode and others |
| Isolation | A git worktree per agent | A git worktree per workspace |
| Stops two agents editing the same file | Yes: claims enforced by a hook | No: separate branches only |
| Teammates on other Macs | Yes, one board per co-work | Hosted team features removed after the 2026 shutdown |
| Merging | Automatic when tests pass; pauses on conflict | Review the diff and merge from the UI |
| Maintenance | Actively developed | Community maintained since April 2026 |
| License and price | Free for two people per co-work; €12 per member per month | Open source, Apache-2.0 |
Vibe Kanban details are from its GitHub README, website and shutdown announcement as of October 2026.
Pick Vibe Kanban if
You want a free, open-source board for your own agents, with built-in diff review and a dev server per task, and you are comfortable relying on a community-maintained project.
Pick Chain if
The board needs to be shared across people, not just across your own agents, and you want it enforced rather than advisory. The parallel agents guide explains the difference between a task board and a claims board.