ThreadlinesvsEmdash

An Emdash alternative with several agents in one thread

Emdash is a free, Apache-licensed app that runs dozens of coding agents, each task in its own Git worktree, and starts tasks from Linear, Jira or GitHub issues. Threadlines is free and MIT-licensed. It puts several agents in one thread, and an agent on one of your computers can start a thread on another.

Download Threadlines View the source on GitHub

Feature	Threadlines	Emdash
Price and license	Yes:Free, MIT	Yes:Free, Apache 2.0
Desktop	Yes:macOS, Windows, Linux	Yes:macOS, Windows, Linux
Agents	Codex, Claude Code and seven more, plus community agents	35 agent CLIs
Several agents in one thread	Yes:One can review the other's work	Partly:Several chats per task, one agent each
Your other computers	Yes:Agents start threads where the project is set up	Yes:Over SSH, with a server on the other machine
Scheduled and event tasks	Yes:On a schedule, a GitHub issue or a webhook	Partly:Schedules, and tasks from issue trackers
Git worktree per task	Yes:Per thread	Yes:Per task, on by default
Pull requests and CI	Yes:Beside the thread	Yes:A checks tab for GitHub Actions
Built-in browser	Yes:Built in	Yes:Built in, with remote ports
Accounts	Yes:None needed	Yes:None needed

Pick Threadlines if

You want two agents in the same thread.
You want Codex to check Claude's work without leaving the chat.
You want tasks that start from a webhook.

Pick Emdash if

You start most work from Linear, Jira or Asana issues.
You want schedules that keep running on a remote machine with the app closed.
You use one of the agents only Emdash runs.

Threadlines with a full sidebar of projects and threads, and two agents working on the same bug in one thread — Claude's Opus keeps working while Codex's GPT-6.1-Sol answers a question on the side.

Questions

Is Emdash open source?

Yes. Emdash is Apache 2.0 and Threadlines is MIT. Both are free and need no account.

Can I use both?

Yes. They're separate apps, and both run the agent CLIs already on your computer with your own sign-ins.

We checked these facts about Emdash on October 29, 2026, against Emdash's README, installation, tasks, providers, remote development, automations and CI checks. Something out of date? Open an issue and we'll fix it.

See every agent Threadlines runs, or Threadlines vs Conductor, or Threadlines vs T3 Code, or Threadlines vs Codex app, or Threadlines vs Claude Code desktop, or Threadlines vs Orca, or Threadlines vs Paradev.

Emdash is made by General Action. Threadlines is an independent open-source project and isn't affiliated with or endorsed by General Action.