ClawIDE vs Emdash
A free Apache-2.0 desktop app with 20+ agents and many tracker integrations, versus a self-hosted browser app with gateways, tmux sessions and Symphony-compatible runs.
TL;DR
Emdash is a free, Apache-2.0 desktop app that runs 20+ coding agents in parallel, with integrations for Linear, GitHub, Jira, GitLab, Asana and Monday and support for SSH remotes.
ClawIDE is a self-hosted app you open from any browser. The local workspace is free; tracker sync and Symphony-compatible autonomous runs are Pro, for $5/mo. If free tracker integrations are what you need most, Emdash gives you more of them.
At a glance
- What it is
- Self-hosted web app served by a single Go binary
- License
- Closed source, free binary (EULA)
- Price
- Free for the whole local workspace; Pro $5/mo, $48/yr or $99 once
- What it is
- Open-source desktop app
- License
- Apache-2.0
- Price
- Free
ClawIDE
Emdash
| Capability | ClawIDE | Emdash |
|---|---|---|
| License | Closedfree binary | Apache-2.0 |
| Paid plan starts at | $5/mo | None |
| Unlimited projects on the free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Git worktree per task, free | Yes | Yes |
| Browser UI from any device, nothing to install on the client | Yes | No |
| Single binary or headless server | Yes | No |
| Sessions persist when you disconnect | Yestmux | Partial |
| Agent CLIs supported | Unlimited17 presets | 20+ |
| Model gateways (OpenRouter and others) | Yes13 + custom | No |
| File editor | Yes | Partial |
| Diff and merge review | Yes | Yes |
| AI code review | Pro | No |
| Markdown task board in your repo | Yes | No |
| Linear, Jira or GitHub Issues | Pro | Yes |
| Symphony WORKFLOW.md orchestration | Pro | No |
| Scheduled loops and automations | Pro | Yes |
| Usage and cost analytics | Yes | No |
| Checkpoints and rollback | Yes | No |
| Push notifications to your phone | Pro | No |
| MCP server manager and debugger | Yesdebugger is Pro | No |
| Embedded browser with an element picker | No | No |
| Detects when an agent is working, blocked or done | Partial | Partial |
| Plugin, socket or CLI API | No | No |
Checked September 2026 against github.com/generalaction/emdash. Out of date? Email support@clawide.app.
Who each is best for
Choose ClawIDE if
- You want to reach your agents from any browser, not a single desktop.
- You want tmux-backed sessions on a server that survive disconnects.
- You route agents through model gateways such as OpenRouter, LiteLLM or Ollama.
-
You want autonomous runs from a Symphony
WORKFLOW.md, or a file editor, checkpoints and usage analytics next to your agents.
Choose Emdash if
- You need an open-source (Apache-2.0) tool.
- You want tracker integrations at no cost, including GitLab, Asana or Monday.
- You prefer a desktop app and work on SSH remotes.
Moving from Emdash
- Install ClawIDE on the machine that holds your repos, then run
clawideand openhttp://localhost:9800. - In the setup wizard, import the repos you use in Emdash as projects.
- Your agent CLIs keep their existing config. Create a feature workspace (a git worktree) per task.
- On Pro, connect Linear, Jira or GitHub Issues with a personal token. GitLab, Asana and Monday aren’t supported yet.
ClawIDE doesn’t import Emdash tasks or settings, so finish or merge in-flight work in Emdash first.
Your agents, on your hardware, in any browser.
Install the binary, run clawide, and open localhost:9800. The setup wizard finds your agent CLIs and projects. Every install includes a 14-day Pro trial.
curl -fsSL https://www.clawide.app/install.sh | bash