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Comparison: 2026 AI CLI Landscape

The terminal has become the center of AI-assisted development. Every major tool has shipped multi-agent capabilities. Here’s where PTY-for-AI sits in the landscape.

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Feature Matrix

Claude TeamsCodex Pluginclaude-squadWarpPTY-for-AI
Multi-agent✅ tmux/in-process❌ single call✅ tmux✅ panels✅ headless PTY
Cross-LLM❌ Claude only❌ Codex→Claude✅ any CLI✅ UI picker✅ any CLI
Headless❌ needs terminal❌❌ needs tmux❌ needs Warp✅ daemon
Daemon❌ session-scoped❌❌❌✅ launchd/systemd
Cross-machine❌❌❌❌✅ gateway + P2P
Remote upgrade❌❌❌❌✅
Sandbox✅ built-in✅ Landlock/Seatbelt❌❌✅ plugin
Worktree isolation✅ built-in❌✅ git worktree❌✅ plugin
Session persistence❌ dies with terminal❌❌ dies with tmux❌✅ survives reboot
Cost routingmodel only❌❌model only✅ LLM-level
Provider failover❌❌❌❌✅
Offline / local LLM❌❌✅❌✅
Plugin system✅ rich✅❌❌✅ SessionPlugin
Declarative config❌❌❌❌✅ connector.json
Meeting/mesh topologies❌❌❌❌✅ connector.json
Recursive agent trees❌❌❌❌✅ agents spawn sub-teams

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Architecture Comparison

Layer 4: Plugin      codex-plugin-cc (guest in someone's house)
Layer 3: App         Claude / Codex / Gemini / Aider (each house)
Layer 2: Terminal    Warp / tmux / iTerm2 (neighborhood)
Layer 1: OS          macOS / Linux (the land)

PTY-for-AI:
Layer 1.5: Daemon    Between OS and apps
                     Controls terminals, not lives inside them
                     Controls apps, not lives inside them
No other tool occupies Layer 1.5.

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The Scaling Problem

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Plugin Approach (N² integrations)

3 tools: Claude ↔ Codex, Claude ↔ Gemini, Codex ↔ Gemini = 3 plugins
5 tools: 10 plugins
10 tools: 45 plugins
Each plugin is a custom integration with its own protocol.

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PTY Approach (N integrations)

3 tools: Claude → PTY, Codex → PTY, Gemini → PTY = 3 connections
5 tools: 5 connections
10 tools: 10 connections
One interface. Any CLI that runs in a terminal connects the same way.