MantaUI / website

# https://mantaui.com/claude-code-mobile

MantaMantaUI

        [Home](/)
        [Features](/#features)
        [Compare](/vs-orca)
        [How it works](/claude-code-remote)

        [GitHub](https://github.com/antoinedc/MantaUI)

    # Claude Code on your phone, with full parity

    Manta's iPhone app is a native client for the same box as the desktop, so you get the full Claude Code transcript on your phone, not a status viewer. Read the diff, approve the risky command, dictate what to do next.

          ethernal / feat-authbox-fra-1

            write tests for the new pairing flow
            Manta
            Adding tests for the pairing flow now. Reading the auth module first.
            › read src/server/auth.mjs
            › edit src/server/auth.test.mjs +52 −0
            awaiting permission…

            Permission needed
            Bash(rm -rf ./dist && npm run build)
            DenyAllow

            Reply to Manta…

      The client
      ## Talking to the same box

      The phone app is not a viewer for the desktop. It is a native client that talks to the same box and the same sessions, packaged for a phone.

      - ✓Full chat transcript. Every user turn, every assistant turn, every tool call. The same scrollback you see on the desktop, on a screen that fits in your hand.

      - ✓Live command output. Bash output streams at roughly four hertz, with the same context bar at the bottom.

      - ✓Permission cards with two buttons. The agent waits. You tap Allow or Deny. The work moves on.

      - ✓Voice dictation with a push-to-talk button. Hold it, speak, release. The classifier picks dictation from a spoken question.

      - ✓File upload from photos, files or paste. Pick a screenshot, attach a log, hand it to the agent as a path on the box.

      - ✓Real tmux terminal. Switch from chat to terminal in the same window, attach to the same session the chat talks to.

      Notifications
      ## Push that knows which device to use

      A phone client that cannot approve a permission also cannot unblock an agent. The work waits until you get back to your laptop, which defeats the point of carrying it around. Manta's notifications solve that, and route by what you are doing right now.

      - ✓Working at the desk, phone stays quiet. If the desktop app is foreground and active, the phone does not buzz. The notification surfaces where you are.

      - ✓Stepped away, desktop gets it first. The desktop rings first, the phone rings ninety seconds later. One or the other reaches you.

      - ✓Blocking asks hit every device at once. A permission request, a question, an error. The agent is stuck until you say so, so every device you have rings together.

      - ✓Native iPhone app. A real iOS app for push delivery and whole-client access, not a status screen.

      Where it works
      ## A native iPhone app

      A native iOS app that pairs straight to your box. No browser tab, no account form — the transcript and approvals live on your phone.

      - ✓Native iOS app. An iPhone client that talks to the same box as the desktop. Pair with a six-digit code, no account in between.

      - ✓The same session on every device. Pick up the phone, finish the thought on the laptop. Both devices show the same transcript, the same tool calls, the same approvals.

      - ✓No account required. Pairing is a six-digit code your box prints. The phone never signs up, never sees an account form, never talks to anyone but your box.

      FAQ
      ## Questions about the phone app

      Five questions, answered in full.

      ### Is the phone app a viewer or a real client?

A real client. The iPhone app is a native app that talks straight to the same box as the desktop. You get the full transcript, live tool output, approvals, dictation and file upload, not a status page that links out to your laptop.

      ### Is there a version for Android or other phones?

Not yet. The phone client is a native iPhone app; there is no browser client. The desktop app covers macOS and Windows, and your agents run on any Linux box or Mac you own. [The remote page](/claude-code-remote) covers running the agents on a box.

      ### Do notifications wake up the phone even when I am at my desk?

No. Manta's push routing only sends to the phone when the desktop is not foreground or active. At your desk, the desktop rings. Away from it, the phone rings. Blocking asks like a permission request ring every device at once, because the agent is stuck until you answer.

      ### Can I dictate a reply instead of typing on the phone keyboard?

Yes. Hold the mic, speak, release, and the transcript lands in the composer ready to send or edit.

      ### Does the phone talk to my laptop or straight to the box?

Straight to the box. The phone pairs with the box directly over HTTPS, the same way the desktop does. Your laptop does not need to be open. Closing the laptop does not drop the phone.

    ## Put it on your own box

    Free, open source, MIT. Runs on a Linux VPS or a Mac you already own.

        `$ curl -fsSL https://mantaui.com/install.sh | bash`
        this.textContent='Copy',1400)">Copy

      [Open the repo](https://github.com/antoinedc/MantaUI)
      [Back to the homepage](/)

        MantaMantaUI
        Self-hosted coding agents you can reach from anywhere.

      #### Product

        - [Features](/#features)
- [Mobile](/claude-code-mobile)

        - [Open source](/open-source)

        - [How it works](/claude-code-remote)

      #### Compare

        - [vs Orca](/vs-orca)

        - [vs Conductor](/vs-conductor)

        - [vs SSH and tmux](/vs-ssh-tmux)

      #### Download

        - [macOS](/#download)

        - [Windows](/#download)

        - [iPhone](/claude-code-mobile)

      #### Resources

        - [GitHub](https://github.com/antoinedc/MantaUI)

        - [Pricing](/pricing)

        - [Privacy](/privacy)

        - [Terms](/terms)

      MIT licensed. Built for people who pair with agents.
      llms.txt · llms-full.txt · /.well-known/agent-skills


---

# https://mantaui.com/claude-code-remote

MantaMantaUI

        [Home](/)
        [Features](/#features)
        [Compare](/vs-orca)
        [How it works](/claude-code-remote)

        [GitHub](https://github.com/antoinedc/MantaUI)

    # Run Claude Code on a server you control

    Manta runs Claude Code on your own VPS, home server or Mac. The agent outlives the laptop because it lives in real tmux on the box, and you reach it from any device with the same session on every one.

      box-fra-1· manta-server · systemd --user

          ### The box is the source of truth

```
   Desktop      Phone
       │            │
       └──── HTTPS ─┘
                │
   <box_id>.boxes.mantaui.com
   or your tailnet, if Tailscale is up
                │
        YOUR BOX (VPS / Mac)
   manta-server ── owns tmux, files, secrets
        ├── tmux ── your sessions
        │       (keep running with 0 clients)
        └── opencode ── chat + agent tools
```

          ### How the box reaches you

            Auto
            The installer detects and picks. Tailnet when Tailscale is already running, public hostname otherwise. You do not choose.

            Tailnet
            HTTP at a tailnet IP. Caddy, public DNS and Let's Encrypt are skipped entirely. Devices reach the box at http://<tailnet-ip>:8787.

            Public
            HTTPS at a per-box hostname. <box_id>.boxes.mantaui.com, with a Let's Encrypt certificate. Caddy terminates TLS, proxies to the box.

            Force
            Either, on demand. Set MANTA_INGRESS=public or MANTA_INGRESS=tailnet at install time if you want a specific path regardless of detection.

      Self-hosted
      ## On a VPS, a home server, or a Mac you own

      Manta is the box. There is no hosted control plane, no seat count, and no account. You bring the hardware and the model provider. Everything else lives on the machine you control.

      - ✓Linux VPS. The installer runs on Debian, Ubuntu and the other usual suspects. Caddy and a Let's Encrypt certificate when you need public ingress.

      - ✓Home server. A Mac mini, a NUC, anything with a static IP and an open port. Tailnet if you already have Tailscale up.

      - ✓A Mac you own. The same server runs on macOS, with public TLS skipped because there is no need to terminate it for a laptop.

      - ✓No account required. Pairing is a six-digit code the box prints. Devices exchange tokens, and that is the only credential in the loop.

      - ✓Telemetry optional, no hosted control plane. The box talks to your model provider and to APNs for push fanout. The repo's log-shipper sends nothing unless you set a token.

      Ingress
      ## The installer chooses how devices reach the box

      There is one decision to make before you install: do you want a tailnet, a public hostname, or whatever the installer picks. Most people pick the third option and forget about it.

      - ✓Default is auto. The installer checks whether Tailscale is already running on the box with an IPv4 address. If it is, the box listens only on the tailnet and skips Caddy, public DNS and Let's Encrypt.

      - ✓Otherwise, a public hostname. The installer registers <your-box>.boxes.mantaui.com, provisions the certificate, and writes the per-box Caddy vhost.

      - ✓Decision persists. The chosen path is written to ~/.manta/ingress.json, so subsequent installs on the same box do not re-decide.

      - ✓Forceable at install. Set MANTA_INGRESS=public or MANTA_INGRESS=tailnet to override detection. Useful for boxes you always want reachable on the public hostname.

      - ✓Pairing works either way. The six-digit code the box prints travels over whatever transport the installer chose. Devices pair once and the token rotates by signing out.

      Persistence
      ## The agent outlives every client

      The whole point of running Claude Code on a server is that the work keeps going when you are not there. Manta is built around that. Close every client, lose the network, reboot the laptop. When you come back, the session is exactly where you left it.

      - ✓Real tmux underneath. The server owns tmux and the agent runs in a tmux session. The chat panel talks to tmux. You can SSH in and attach to the same window, any time.

      - ✓A system service. The server runs as a systemd user unit. Reboots do not kill it. There is nothing to keep alive by hand.

      - ✓A worktree per session. New sessions in a git repo branch their own sibling worktree, so several agents work in parallel without standing on each other.

      - ✓Schedules between turns. The agent can schedule a recurring task, wake on a webhook, and use a secret by file path. The box is a long-running environment, not a request handler.

      FAQ
      ## Questions about running Claude Code on a server

      Five questions, answered in full.

      ### Can I run Claude Code on a VPS?

Yes. The installer runs on Debian, Ubuntu and the usual Linux suspects, with Caddy and a Let's Encrypt certificate when you need public ingress. The agent runs in a real tmux session on the box, so it outlives every device that connects to it.

      ### Do I have to forward a port?

No. If Tailscale is already running on the box, devices connect over your tailnet and nothing is published to the internet. If Tailscale is not running, the installer provisions a hostname and a certificate, which is the only public surface. You never forward a port by hand.

      ### What happens when I close my laptop?

The agent keeps running, because it lives in a tmux session on the box. The box is a system service. When you pair your phone again, the same session is there with the full history. [The mobile page](/claude-code-mobile) covers what the phone sees when this happens.

      ### Does this work without a public DNS record?

Yes. Pick the tailnet path at install time and the box has no public DNS, no certificate, and no open port. Devices reach it over your tailnet at a private IPv4.

      ### Is this self-hosted Claude Code?

Yes, and the install script is auditable before you pipe it into bash. The repository is MIT licensed and the server runs on hardware you control. [The open source page](/open-source) covers what that means in practice.

    ## Put it on your own box

    Free, open source, MIT. Runs on a Linux VPS or a Mac you already own.

        `$ curl -fsSL https://mantaui.com/install.sh | bash`
        this.textContent='Copy',1400)">Copy

      [Open the repo](https://github.com/antoinedc/MantaUI)
      [Back to the homepage](/)

        MantaMantaUI
        Self-hosted coding agents you can reach from anywhere.

      #### Product

        - [Features](/#features)
- [Mobile](/claude-code-mobile)

        - [Open source](/open-source)

        - [How it works](/claude-code-remote)

      #### Compare

        - [vs Orca](/vs-orca)

        - [vs Conductor](/vs-conductor)

        - [vs SSH and tmux](/vs-ssh-tmux)

      #### Download

        - [macOS](/#download)

        - [Windows](/#download)

        - [iPhone](/claude-code-mobile)

      #### Resources

        - [GitHub](https://github.com/antoinedc/MantaUI)

        - [Pricing](/pricing)

        - [Privacy](/privacy)

        - [Terms](/terms)

      MIT licensed. Built for people who pair with agents.
      llms.txt · llms-full.txt · /.well-known/agent-skills


---

# https://mantaui.com/

MantaMantaUI

        [Home](/)
        [Features](/#features)
        [Compare](/vs-orca)
        [How it works](/claude-code-remote)

        [GitHub](https://github.com/antoinedc/MantaUI)

      # Run every coding agent you pay for on your own server

      Manta puts Claude Code, Codex and opencode on a Linux box or Mac you own: your existing subscriptions, running side by side, reachable from your desktop and your phone. Setup takes two minutes.

        [Download for macOS](/downloads/Manta-latest.dmg)
        [Download for Windows](/downloads/Manta-latest-x64.exe)

      Manta UI on macOS: a workspace sidebar listing projects and their sessions, next to an agent transcript, a completed task checklist and the reply composer.
      Manta UI on macOS: a workspace sidebar listing projects and their sessions, next to an agent transcript, a completed task checklist and the reply composer.

      Bring your own subscriptions

        Claude CodeCodexopencode
        Kimi+ any CLI agent

        ### All your subscriptions, remote

        Claude Max, ChatGPT Pro, Kimi: logged in once on the server and running side by side, in one searchable place.

        ### Runs on hardware you own

        A VPS, a spare Mac mini, a home server. Your code, your keys and every transcript stay on the box. Nothing routes through us.

        ### Open source, MIT

        Client and server, every line readable on GitHub. No account to create and no hosted tier waiting to upsell you. Telemetry is optional: the box sends nothing unless you set a token.

        ### Two-minute setup

        Point the app at a server, it installs itself and hands you a six-digit code. Type the code on your phone and you are done.

        Setup
        ## Two minutes, and you never touch it again

        No terminal, no keys to copy, no tunnel to configure, no ports to forward. The desktop app does the whole install over SSH.

          1
            ### Enter your server

              Pick a machine from your SSH config, or type a host. Any always-on Linux box or Apple Silicon Mac works.

          2
            ### It installs and pairs itself

              Its own runtime, a system service, a certificate: no system packages touched. Ends with a six-digit code.

          3
            ### Connect your subscriptions

              Log each agent CLI into the plan you already pay for, once. Every device you pair sees all of them.

          Install on a fresh VPS takes about two minutes, start to finish

        #### Where should your agents run?

          Manta found these in your SSH config. It installs everything itself.

          hetzner-box  Ubuntu 24.04, always on
          157.90.224.92

          mac-mini  macOS, Apple Siliconlocal network

          Another machinehost or IP

          &check; runtime installed node 24, no system packages touched
          &check; manta-server running 127.0.0.1:8787
          &check; reachable over HTTPS certificate issued
          &rsaquo; waiting for a device&hellip;

            Pairing code
            419207

          Type it on your phone to add it too.

      What you get
      ## A real client, not a status screen

      Everything below works the same on the desktop app, in a browser, and on the iPhone app.

      ### Readable transcripts

        Diffs inline, tool calls collapsed, live command output as it streams. Not a terminal you have to squint at.

      ### Approve from anywhere

        When an agent asks to run something, you get a button: on whichever device you happen to be holding.

      ### Notifications that find you

        Desktop while you are at the machine, phone push once you walk away. Never both, never for something you are watching.

      ### Real tmux underneath

        Every session is a genuine tmux window. SSH in alongside Manta whenever you want; it is the same box.

      ### Parallel worktrees

        Delegate long jobs to background agents, each in its own git worktree and branch. They never touch your checkout.

      ### Search every session

        One query across the full history of every conversation on the box, whichever agent produced it.

      ### Voice, files and screenshots

        Dictate a prompt, drag a file onto a session, paste a screenshot. It lands on the server, not in a cloud bucket.

      ### Scheduled and triggered work

        Run a prompt on a cron, or let CI wake a session by webhook. Work that starts without you being there.

      ### Secrets stay secret

        Hand an agent a token by reference, never by value. It uses the credential without it entering the transcript.

        Open source
        ## Nothing to trust us with

        Manta is MIT licensed, client and server. There is no Manta account and no hosted tier. Telemetry is an optional log-shipper that sends nothing unless you set a token. Read the code, build it yourself, and run it with no connection to us at all.

          - &check;Your transcripts, uploads and secrets never leave the box

          - &check;The only outbound traffic is your agent calling its own provider

          - &check;No per-seat pricing, because there are no seats

          [Read the source](https://github.com/antoinedc/MantaUI)
          [Why it matters](/open-source)

          antoinedc/MantaUI

            TypeScript & SwiftMIT

            Desktop, server & iOSone repo

            Self-updating boxesno lock-in

        $ curl mantaui.com/install.sh | bash

      FAQ
      ## Questions people actually ask

      ### Can I use my existing Claude and Codex subscriptions?

Yes. You log each agent CLI into your own plan once on the server, and Manta runs them side by side. No Manta account, no proxy, no per-seat fee.

      ### How long does setup actually take?

About two minutes. Point the desktop app at a server and it installs the runtime, starts the service, gets a certificate and shows a six-digit pairing code for your other devices.

      ### Does the agent keep running if I close my laptop?

Yes. Agents live in tmux sessions on the box as system services. Clients are disposable; close them all and the work continues, with full history when you reconnect.

      ### What kind of server do I need?

Any always-on Linux box or Apple Silicon Mac. A five dollar VPS is enough. The installer touches no system packages and brings its own runtime.

      ### Does my code leave my box?

No. Transcripts, uploads, secrets and config stay on the machine. The only outbound traffic is your agent talking to its own provider.

      ### Do I need Tailscale, a VPN or port forwarding?

No. If Tailscale is already running, devices connect over your tailnet. If not, the box gets its own hostname and certificate. Either way, nothing to port-forward.

      ### Is Manta really open source?

Yes: MIT licensed, client and server both. Read every line, build it yourself, run it with no connection to us. No account, no hosted tier. Telemetry is optional and sends nothing unless you set a token.

      ### Is this an alternative to Conductor or Orca?

They overlap on a different bet. Those run agents on your Mac; Manta runs them on a server you own and gives every device the same window onto the work.

      Get started
      ## Install the app, point it at a box

      The desktop app sets the server up for you. If you would rather do it yourself, one command does the same thing.

      macOS
        Manta-latest.dmg
        Apple Silicon, macOS 13 and up. Signed and notarised.

        [Download](/downloads/Manta-latest.dmg)
      Windows
        Manta-latest-x64.exe
        Windows 10 and 11, 64-bit.

                [Download](/downloads/Manta-latest-x64.exe)

      iPhone
        TestFlight
        Native app. Pairs with the six digits the desktop shows.

        [Available on iPhone](https://testflight.apple.com/join/x84dvX76)

    ## Go to bed. It will be done.

    Free, open source, and it runs on hardware you already own.

    [Download for macOS](/downloads/Manta-latest.dmg)

        MantaMantaUI
        Self-hosted coding agents you can reach from anywhere.

      #### Product

        - [Features](/#features)
- [Mobile](/claude-code-mobile)

        - [Open source](/open-source)

        - [How it works](/claude-code-remote)

      #### Compare

        - [vs Orca](/vs-orca)

        - [vs Conductor](/vs-conductor)

        - [vs SSH and tmux](/vs-ssh-tmux)

      #### Download

        - [macOS](/#download)

        - [Windows](/#download)

        - [iPhone](/claude-code-mobile)

      #### Resources

        - [GitHub](https://github.com/antoinedc/MantaUI)

        - [Pricing](/pricing)

        - [Privacy](/privacy)

        - [Terms](/terms)

      MIT licensed. Built for people who pair with agents.
      llms.txt · llms-full.txt · /.well-known/agent-skills


---

# https://mantaui.com/open-source

MantaMantaUI

        [Home](/)
        [Features](/#features)
        [Compare](/vs-orca)
        [How it works](/claude-code-remote)

        [GitHub](https://github.com/antoinedc/MantaUI)

    # Open source and self-hosted

    Manta is MIT licensed and self-hosted. No account, no vendor, no hosted control plane. Telemetry is optional and off by default. You can read every line of the server, the desktop client and the install script before you pipe it into bash. We would rather you did.

      antoinedc / MantaUI
      Open-source, self-hosted Claude Code and opencode client. Agents run in real tmux on your own Linux box or Mac, and you drive them from the desktop app or the native iPhone app over HTTPS.

        MIT licenceTypeScriptNode on the boxElectron desktopReact renderer

      Licence
      ## MIT, with a working install script you can read

      Open source in this product is not a marketing line. The repo carries a working [MIT licence](https://github.com/antoinedc/MantaUI/blob/main/LICENSE), the install script is in the repository, and every line of the server, the desktop app and the phone client is on GitHub.

      - ✓MIT licensed. Permissive, friction-free, matches Orca. Fork it, run your own gateway, write your own client, ship a derivative.

      - ✓The install script is in the repo. Read [install.sh](https://github.com/antoinedc/MantaUI/blob/main/install.sh) before you pipe it into bash. It is plain bash with a checksum-verified download.

      - ✓The server is open source. A plain Node HTTP server: the tmux and opencode proxies, push, schedules, webhooks, secrets, peer sessions. Every line.

      - ✓The desktop app is open source. Electron, xterm.js, React. The renderer is a normal npm package. Build it from source if you prefer.

      - ✓The phone app is open source. A native Swift (SwiftUI) iPhone client, source in the repo.

      Self-hosted
      ## No account, no seat count, telemetry optional

      The product runs on hardware you own. There is no hosted control plane to sign up for, no seat count to grow into a bill. Telemetry is an optional log-shipper that sends nothing unless you set a token.

      - ✓Nothing to sign up for. Pairing is a six-digit code your box generates. Devices exchange tokens, and that is the only credential in the loop.

      - ✓Telemetry optional. The repo ships a log-shipper that sends nothing unless you set a token. The box talks to your model provider and to APNs for push fanout. Nothing else.

      - ✓Your code stays on your box. Transcripts, uploads, secrets and configuration live on your machine. The only outbound traffic is your agent talking to its model provider.

      - ✓No hosted control plane. There is no workspace limit, no seat count, no Pro tier. The product is one binary plus a directory of state.

      - ✓You can fork the box. Want a different default model, a different push provider, a different default port. Fork the repo, edit the manifest, run the install.

      Auditability
      ## The install is auditable end to end

      The single sharpest difference between an open source product and a "self-hosted" one is whether the install can be read before it runs. Manta's can.

      - ✓Source on GitHub. Every commit, every change, every reviewer. The repo is the source of truth for what ships.

      - ✓Checksum-verified download. The manifest on the website lists a sha256 for each tarball. The script refuses to run if the bytes do not match.

      - ✓No silent install of unrelated packages. The privileged section installs Caddy and registers a hostname. Both are visible, both are reversible, both leave a trail.

      - ✓Reproducible from the manifest. A clean box, the manifest, and a known tarball reproduce the same install every time.

      FAQ
      ## Questions about the licence and the install

      Five questions, answered in full.

      ### Where is the source code?

On GitHub at [github.com/antoinedc/MantaUI](https://github.com/antoinedc/MantaUI). The server, the Electron desktop app, the React renderer, the phone client and the install script all live in the same repository.

      ### What is the licence?

MIT. The full text is in the [LICENSE](https://github.com/antoinedc/MantaUI/blob/main/LICENSE) file at the root of the repository. It is permissive: fork it, modify it, ship a derivative, keep the copyright notice.

      ### What stays on my box?

Everything. Transcripts, uploads, secrets, configuration, schedules, peer metadata, ingress choice. The only outbound traffic is your agent talking to its model provider, and a small push payload carrying the session name when you turn on phone notifications.

      ### Can I run my own gateway or push provider?

Yes. Fork the repo, point the push routing at your own gateway, edit the manifest. The push and webhook modules are designed to be replaced. The same goes for the install script, the installer, and the desktop app.

      ### Does the box phone home?

Only to your model provider and to APNs, when you have phone notifications turned on. Telemetry is an optional, token-gated log-shipper — nothing leaves the box unless you set a token. [The pricing page](/pricing) covers what you actually pay for.

    ## Put it on your own box

    Free, open source, MIT. Runs on a Linux VPS or a Mac you already own.

        `$ curl -fsSL https://mantaui.com/install.sh | bash`
        this.textContent='Copy',1400)">Copy

      [Open the repo](https://github.com/antoinedc/MantaUI)
      [Back to the homepage](/)

        MantaMantaUI
        Self-hosted coding agents you can reach from anywhere.

      #### Product

        - [Features](/#features)
- [Mobile](/claude-code-mobile)

        - [Open source](/open-source)

        - [How it works](/claude-code-remote)

      #### Compare

        - [vs Orca](/vs-orca)

        - [vs Conductor](/vs-conductor)

        - [vs SSH and tmux](/vs-ssh-tmux)

      #### Download

        - [macOS](/#download)

        - [Windows](/#download)

        - [iPhone](/claude-code-mobile)

      #### Resources

        - [GitHub](https://github.com/antoinedc/MantaUI)

        - [Pricing](/pricing)

        - [Privacy](/privacy)

        - [Terms](/terms)

      MIT licensed. Built for people who pair with agents.
      llms.txt · llms-full.txt · /.well-known/agent-skills


---

# https://mantaui.com/pricing

MantaMantaUI

        [Home](/)
        [Features](/#features)
        [Compare](/vs-orca)
        [How it works](/claude-code-remote)

        [GitHub](https://github.com/antoinedc/MantaUI)

    # Manta is free. You supply the box.

    Manta is free and open source. No tiers, no seats, no usage caps, no upgrade prompts. You pay your model provider and you supply the hardware Manta runs on. Both competitors 404 on this page. Manta does not.

        ### Manta

        $0forever
        The server, the desktop client, the phone client, the install script. MIT licensed, self-hosted.

          - ✓No seat count

          - ✓No workspace limit

          - ✓No hosted control plane

          - ✓Optional telemetry — sends nothing unless you set a token

          - ✓No future paid tier

        ### Your model

        you pay
        Anthropic, OpenAI, DeepSeek, Groq, or any other provider your agent already supports. Billed by them, on their pricing.

          - ✓Claude via your Max subscription or API key

          - ✓OpenAI via your API key

          - ✓Any provider with an OpenAI-compatible API

          - ✓You set the spend cap on their end

        ### Your box

        you own it
        A Linux VPS, a home server, or a Mac you already have. The installer runs on hardware you control.

          - ✓From a $5 VPS and up

          - ✓Mac mini or laptop running at home

          - ✓Tailnet, public hostname, or both

          - ✓Stops costing the day you stop paying for the box

      What's free
      ## The whole product, with nothing locked

      The version on GitHub is the version you install. There is no separate "free" tier and no feature that lives behind a paywall in a different binary.

      - ✓The server. tmux, opencode, push, schedules, webhooks, secrets, peer sessions, the per-device pairing flow. All of it.

      - ✓The desktop client. Electron, xterm.js, the React chat panel, the file upload and screenshot detection, voice dictation.

      - ✓The phone client. A native iPhone app, full parity with the desktop, push delivery, dictation.

      - ✓Updates. Pull from the repo or wait for the in-app update. Both work, both are free.

      - ✓Future features. Anything that lands in main lands in your box when you update. There is no Pro feature in the roadmap.

      What you actually pay for
      ## Two things, and both are yours to choose

      Manta does not bill you. It also does not bill your model provider. The only money that leaves is what you spend on the model and on the hardware the box runs on.

      - ✓Your model provider. Anthropic via a Max subscription or an API key, OpenAI, DeepSeek, Groq, or any provider with an OpenAI-compatible API. You set the spend cap on their side, not in Manta.

      - ✓Your hardware. A Linux VPS from any provider you already use. A Mac mini at home. A laptop you leave on. The hardware you control, not a managed service.

      - ✓Optional. A domain name, if you want one. Otherwise the installer provisions a free <your-box>.boxes.mantaui.com hostname for you.

      Why the box is yours
      ## Self-hosted is the price too

      The reason Manta is free is that you bring the box. The product runs on hardware you control, and you can stop paying for the box the day you stop using Manta. The install is reversible.

      - ✓Reversible. Uninstalling stops the server and removes the Caddy vhost. There is nothing to migrate off, no data export to run.

      - ✓No lock-in. The transcripts are plain text on the box. The configuration is JSON. The install script is in the repo.

      - ✓Forkable. If you want a different default model, a different push provider, or a different default port, you can fork the repo and run your own version. The licence allows it.

      FAQ
      ## Questions about the price

      Five questions, answered in full.

      ### Is Manta really free?

Yes. The server, the desktop client, the phone client and the install script are MIT licensed and free. There is no paid tier and no per-seat fee. A native iPhone app is planned, but the server you self-host stays free. You pay your model provider and you supply the box.

      ### What does it cost to run?

Whatever you spend on the model and whatever you spend on the box. A $5 VPS is enough to host a single agent for a single user. Most teams reuse hardware they already have, which means the marginal cost is the model spend.

      ### Will there be paid tiers in the future?

No. The product is the binary on GitHub. Anything that lands in main lands in your box when you update. There is no paid feature in the roadmap, and there are no plans to add one.

      ### Does Manta take a cut of my API spend?

No. Manta does not bill you, does not see your API spend, and does not sit between you and your model provider. You give the agent your key, the agent talks to the provider directly, and the bill comes from the provider.

      ### What happens if I stop paying for the box?

The server stops. The data is plain text on the disk, so a reinstall on a new box picks up where the old one left off, and a permanent shutdown is just an uninstall. There is nothing to migrate off and no vendor to call. [The open source page](/open-source) covers the part that makes this possible.

    ## Put it on your own box

    Free, open source, MIT. Runs on a Linux VPS or a Mac you already own.

        `$ curl -fsSL https://mantaui.com/install.sh | bash`
        this.textContent='Copy',1400)">Copy

      [Open the repo](https://github.com/antoinedc/MantaUI)
      [Back to the homepage](/)

        MantaMantaUI
        Self-hosted coding agents you can reach from anywhere.

      #### Product

        - [Features](/#features)
- [Mobile](/claude-code-mobile)

        - [Open source](/open-source)

        - [How it works](/claude-code-remote)

      #### Compare

        - [vs Orca](/vs-orca)

        - [vs Conductor](/vs-conductor)

        - [vs SSH and tmux](/vs-ssh-tmux)

      #### Download

        - [macOS](/#download)

        - [Windows](/#download)

        - [iPhone](/claude-code-mobile)

      #### Resources

        - [GitHub](https://github.com/antoinedc/MantaUI)

        - [Pricing](/pricing)

        - [Privacy](/privacy)

        - [Terms](/terms)

      MIT licensed. Built for people who pair with agents.
      llms.txt · llms-full.txt · /.well-known/agent-skills


---

# https://mantaui.com/privacy

MantaMantaUI

        [Home](/)
        [Features](/#features)
        [Compare](/vs-orca)
        [How it works](/claude-code-remote)

        [GitHub](https://github.com/antoinedc/MantaUI)

    # Privacy

    Last updated 17 July 2026 · Plain-language summary of what Manta UI stores where, who can read it, and how to delete it.

    Manta UI is a thin client. The interesting data lives on your Linux box; the push gateway only sees the parts that have to cross our infrastructure to deliver a native APNs push.

    ## What runs where

    Manta UI is three surfaces:

      - The desktop app (Electron, macOS and Windows) and the phone client (native iPhone app) are thin clients — chat, terminal, and file browser over HTTPS.

      - The server runs on your own Linux box. It owns your `tmux` sessions, your `opencode` chat sessions, your file uploads, your schedules, your secrets, your webhooks, and your notifications. Everything lives under `~/.manta/` on that box.

      - The push gateway (`gateway.mantaui.com`) is the ONLY thing we still operate. It holds the Apple APNs key (which structurally cannot live on your box) and fans out native pushes on your box's behalf. Devices connect directly to your box at `https://<box_id>.boxes.mantaui.com` — there is no relay in the path for chat, terminal, or file traffic.

    ## What's on your box

      - Box identity — a random `box_id` (32 hex chars), a `box_token` (HMAC key), and a `gateway_token` (bearer credential for the push gateway) under `~/.manta/auth.json` (`0600`). The token never leaves the box.

      - Pairing codes — short-lived (5 min), loopback-only, one-time. Mints when you run `npm run pair` or hit `GET /auth/pair` from the box itself.

      - Device tokens — issued to each paired desktop / phone. Stored locally in each app's `config.json`. The box keeps a per-device registry (id, name, last-seen) and the APNs tokens it needs to push to each device.

      - Your work — every `tmux` session, every opencode chat, every uploaded file (`~/.manta-uploads/`, hourly auto-clean), every scheduled prompt, every webhook, every secret, every published page.

    Delete any of this by deleting the file. The installer's only hard rule is: never regenerate `~/.manta/auth.json` — that would unpair every device.

    ## What's on the push gateway

    The push gateway holds the minimum it needs to deliver native APNs notifications. It does not see your chat, terminal, or file traffic at all — that flows directly between device and box over HTTPS.

      - Box row — `box_id`, `gateway_token` (HMAC-bearer), first-seen IP, last-seen IP, registered public hostname (`<box_id>.boxes.mantaui.com`), first/last-registered timestamps.

      - OVH DNS record id — so we can update the per-box A record on re-registration (IP changed) without searching.

      - APNs device tokens — stored on the box, not the gateway. The gateway is stateless about which devices exist — the box owns its token store and the gateway just fans out the pushes the box asks for, reporting back which tokens to prune.

      - The Apple APNs key (`.p8`) — the single piece of state that structurally cannot live on your box. Stays in `/etc/manta-gateway/` on the prod box.

    Retention: the box row stays until your box unregisters (it can't — the gateway doesn't expose unregister). To wipe: SSH into the prod gateway host and remove the row from `/var/lib/manta-gateway/boxes.json`. We never store anything about you beyond what's needed to fan out APNs deliveries.

    ## What crosses the wire

      - Device → box: chat prompts, terminal keystrokes, file uploads. Direct HTTPS to `https://<box_id>.boxes.mantaui.com`. Authenticated with your device token; the box checks HMAC + expiry on every request.

      - Box → push gateway: native push payloads, sent over HTTPS to `https://gateway.mantaui.com/push` with a `Bearer <gateway_token>` header. The gateway signs the APNs JWT and forwards; the payload body (title, body, deep link) is opaque to the gateway.

      - Push gateway → APNs: standard HTTPS to `api.push.apple.com`, signed with the gateway's APNs key. Apple sees the push envelope.

    ## Push notifications

    When you have the phone client open in the background (or installed as a native app later), Manta may send a push when an agent needs you — a permission prompt, a question, an error, or a long-running task finishing. The push body carries the session name and a short snippet of the question. We do not include the full transcript in the push body.

    ## Cookies and analytics on this site

    This website (the one you're reading right now) does not set cookies, does not run analytics, does not embed trackers, and does not fingerprint your browser. The only outbound requests are to Google Fonts for typography.

    ## Third parties we use

      - Google Fonts — typography CSS, loaded from `fonts.googleapis.com`. Google sees your IP. If you want to avoid that, the page degrades gracefully to system fonts.

      - Apple Push Notification service (APNs) — for native push on the iOS app. Apple sees the push envelope and your IP.

      - OVH DNS API — the gateway uses our OVH account to manage the `boxes.mantaui.com` A records. OVH sees the box's public IP at registration time.

    ## Open source

    Manta UI is open source and MIT licensed. The server, push gateway, desktop app, and native iPhone app are all on [GitHub](https://github.com/antoinedc/MantaUI). The distributed iPhone binary is published through the App Store, but its source is open.

    ## Your choices

      - Run the server yourself. Every user runs their own server on their own hardware. Chat, terminal, and file traffic never crosses our infrastructure — only native APNs pushes do, and only because Apple's key model makes that structurally necessary.

      - Use the push gateway. When the iOS app is open in the background, native pushes fan out through `gateway.mantaui.com`. There is no web/browser client — push reaches the desktop app and the native iPhone app.

      - Delete your data. Uninstalling the desktop or phone app removes its local config. Wiping `~/.manta/` on the box removes identity + work. Asking us to forget a box drops the gateway row.

---

    ## Contact

    Questions, deletion requests, or reports: [antoine@mantaui.com](mailto:antoine@mantaui.com).

    Manta UI is open source; the canonical implementation of everything described here lives in the [README](https://github.com/antoinedc/MantaUI) and [server source](https://github.com/antoinedc/MantaUI/tree/main/src/server).

        MantaMantaUI
        Self-hosted coding agents you can reach from anywhere.

      #### Product

        - [Features](/#features)
- [Mobile](/claude-code-mobile)

        - [Open source](/open-source)

        - [How it works](/claude-code-remote)

      #### Compare

        - [vs Orca](/vs-orca)

        - [vs Conductor](/vs-conductor)

        - [vs SSH and tmux](/vs-ssh-tmux)

      #### Download

        - [macOS](/#download)

        - [Windows](/#download)

        - [iPhone](/claude-code-mobile)

      #### Resources

        - [GitHub](https://github.com/antoinedc/MantaUI)

        - [Pricing](/pricing)

        - [Privacy](/privacy)

        - [Terms](/terms)

      MIT licensed. Built for people who pair with agents.
      llms.txt · llms-full.txt · /.well-known/agent-skills


---

# https://mantaui.com/terms

MantaMantaUI

        [Home](/)
        [Features](/#features)
        [Compare](/vs-orca)
        [How it works](/claude-code-remote)

        [GitHub](https://github.com/antoinedc/MantaUI)

    # Terms

    Last updated 17 July 2026 · The short version. Manta UI is open source, your box is yours, and we don't warranty anything — but we'll do our best.

    These terms cover the desktop app (macOS and Windows), the phone client (native iPhone app), and the operated push gateway at `gateway.mantaui.com`. They do not cover anything your AI agent does inside your `tmux` session — that's between you and your model provider.

    ## Your box is yours

    Manta UI is software you run on hardware you own. The server runs under your user account on your Linux box; the desktop app runs on your Mac; the phone client runs on your phone. You are responsible for what runs on those machines and what your agents do with that access.

    We do not host your code, your sessions, your files, or your transcripts. Everything you produce lives in `~/.manta/` on your box.

    ## The push gateway is our service

    Devices connect directly to your box at `https://<box_id>.boxes.mantaui.com` — Caddy on your box terminates TLS and reverse-proxies to the loopback server. The ONLY thing we still operate is the push gateway at `gateway.mantaui.com`, which holds the Apple APNs key (which structurally cannot live on your box) and fans out native pushes on your box's behalf. See the [Privacy](/privacy) page for what we store there.

      - The push gateway accepts authenticated `POST /push` from your box and delivers APNs notifications for the device tokens it has stored.

      - It does not inspect, log, or index the contents of your traffic.

      - It does enforce a per-box rate limit on `/register` calls — abuse will get a box rate-limited or dropped.

    ## Acceptable use

    Don't use Manta UI to:

      - Abuse the push gateway — no scanning, fuzzing, or volumetric traffic; we rate-limit per box.

      - Impersonate another box — registration is by 32-hex box_id; a box presenting a forged id loses its slot.

      - Reverse-engineer the gateway to extract other users' traffic. (You can read the gateway source — it's open source — but you cannot MITM another user's APNs delivery.)

      - Use the push gateway as a general-purpose notification proxy for non-Manta traffic.

      - Violate the law in any jurisdiction you operate from.

    ## No warranty

    Manta UI is provided as is, without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to the warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and noninfringement. In no event shall the authors or copyright holders be liable for any claim, damages, or other liability arising from, out of, or in connection with the software or the use or other dealings in the software.

    The desktop app is signed and notarized. On macOS, Gatekeeper does not block a standard download — right-click → Open is not required.

    ## No paid tier

    Free to use. The desktop app, the native iPhone app, and the push gateway are free to use, and the self-hosted server is open source (MIT). Manta has no paid tier, no per-seat fee, and no in-app purchase. You pay only your model provider for usage on your own box.

    ## Changes to the service

    We may change, suspend, or discontinue the push gateway with reasonable notice (a release note on the GitHub repo and an in-app banner). Self-hosted servers are unaffected — they don't depend on the gateway for the desktop or iPhone paths (only for native APNs push).

    ## Data

    What we store, what crosses the wire, and how to delete it: see the [Privacy](/privacy) page.

    ## Governing law

    These terms are governed by the laws of the United States of America, without regard to conflict-of-law provisions. Any dispute arising from these terms or your use of the push gateway will be resolved in the courts of the United States.

    ## Contact

    Questions, takedown requests, abuse reports: [antoine@mantaui.com](mailto:antoine@mantaui.com).

        MantaMantaUI
        Self-hosted coding agents you can reach from anywhere.

      #### Product

        - [Features](/#features)
- [Mobile](/claude-code-mobile)

        - [Open source](/open-source)

        - [How it works](/claude-code-remote)

      #### Compare

        - [vs Orca](/vs-orca)

        - [vs Conductor](/vs-conductor)

        - [vs SSH and tmux](/vs-ssh-tmux)

      #### Download

        - [macOS](/#download)

        - [Windows](/#download)

        - [iPhone](/claude-code-mobile)

      #### Resources

        - [GitHub](https://github.com/antoinedc/MantaUI)

        - [Pricing](/pricing)

        - [Privacy](/privacy)

        - [Terms](/terms)

      MIT licensed. Built for people who pair with agents.
      llms.txt · llms-full.txt · /.well-known/agent-skills


---

# https://mantaui.com/vs-conductor

MantaMantaUI

        [Home](/)
        [Features](/#features)
        [Compare](/vs-orca)
        [How it works](/claude-code-remote)

        [GitHub](https://github.com/antoinedc/MantaUI)

    # Manta UI vs Conductor

    Conductor runs coding agents on your Mac and gives you a polished Mac app to steer them. Manta runs the same agents on a box you own and gives every device the same window. Both target someone who wants parallel agents. Here is the honest difference.

      ## Verdict

        - Pick ConductorIf you live on macOS, want a polished Mac-native IDE with diff review and inline comments back to the agent, and the lack of a phone app is fine. Conductor's Mac app, diff review and PR/merge tail are the strongest parts of the product.

        - Pick MantaIf you want agents on a Linux box that outlives the laptop, a phone app that can approve a command, and self-hosted open source with no seat count.

        - OverlapBoth run Claude Code in chat panels with isolated worktrees for background jobs. The trade-off is where the work lives and what happens when you close the lid.

      Side by side
      ## What is the same, and what differs

      Conductor is the better-known Mac app. Manta is the box that outlives the laptop. Here is the row-by-row.

          Manta UI
          Conductor

          Agents run onYour box (Linux or macOS)Your Mac
          ArchitectureBox is the source of truthMac is the source of truth
          Keeps running with every client closedYes (default, free)Conductor Cloud, paid beta
          Phone clientThe full appNone shipped
          Approve a command from your phoneOne tapNo
          Tells you when the agent is blockedPush to the right deviceNo
          Remote accessDetected and set upConductor Cloud (beta, Pro, GitHub-only, 10-workspace cap)
          PlatformsLinux or macOS box, macOS and Windows desktop, iPhone appmacOS only. not available for Windows or Linux yet. conductor.build/docs
          Permissions modelExplicit permission cards, yolo opt-inAgents run without sandboxing
          SandboxingCommands ask firstWorkspace isolation is development isolation, not a security boundary
          Diff review / inline annotationNoYes, with inline comments back to the agent
          Built-in code editorTerminal + chat onlyMac-native, polished
          Agent runtimes supportedClaude Code, Codex, Kimi, opencode, plus any CLI agent2 (Claude Code)
          Git worktree per sessionBg jobs, opt-in per sessionYes
          Real tmux underneathYes, you can SSH inNo
          Agent scheduling, webhooks, secretsYesNo
          Linear / GitHub integration depthBasicDeep
          CONDUCTOR_PORT style dev port routingNoYes
          Account requiredNoYes
          LicenceMITProprietary, closed source
          FundingSoloMelty Labs, YC S24, $24M raised
          MaturityNewMore mature, polished
          PriceFreeFree, plus Pro tier (no published prices)

      Conductor is the better Mac IDE. Manta is the box that outlives it. The trade-off is not subtle.

      Where Conductor is better
      ## The five things we concede plainly

      Conductor's strongest surface is the editor and the diff review. We are not pretending otherwise.

      - ›Diff review with inline comments back to the agent. Review a change, leave a comment, and the agent reads it. Manta has none of this.

      - ›The PR/merge/checks tail. The whole pipeline is in the same window. Manta leaves you to do that in your normal git host.

      - ›Linear and GitHub depth. Conductor's first-party integration with both is real. Manta does not match it.

      - ›CONDUCTOR_PORT-style dev port routing. Routing and exposing a local dev server is built in. Manta has a public-page tool for the agent, not a per-process port system.

      - ›Polish and funding. Conductor is YC S24 and has raised $24M. The Mac app looks the part. Manta is solo and rougher.

      Conductor on its own security stance: Agents run directly on your system without sandboxing. And on the related boundary: Workspace isolation is development isolation, not a security boundary.
      conductor.build/docs/security

      Where Manta is better
      ## The architectural difference

      Conductor sells the same outcome Manta gives you by default, but only as a paid beta.

      - ›The agent outlives the laptop for free. Conductor pitches close your laptop during a task and the agent keeps going as the reason to buy Conductor Cloud. conductor.build/cloud Manta does that by default, on your own box, with no Pro tier.

      - ›A phone app that can actually approve a command. Conductor ships no phone app at all. Manta's phone app is the same code as the desktop: full transcript, live output, dictation, upload, and one-tap approvals.

      - ›Self-hosted, MIT, no Pro tier. Conductor is closed source, Pro-gated, GitHub-only and capped at 10 workspaces on Cloud. Manta is MIT, runs on any hardware you own, and has no workspace cap.

      Architecture
      ## Where the work actually lives

      Conductor's Mac app is the source of truth. Manta's box is. The shape of the failure modes follows from that.

        ### Conductor: the Mac app is the source of truth

```
   Conductor Mac app   ← owns agents, files, diffs
        │
   Conductor Cloud (paid beta)
     GitHub-only, 10-workspace cap
     no phone app, no browser client

  close the Mac and the agents
  stop, unless you are paying
  for Cloud.
```

        ### Manta: the box is the source of truth

```
   Linux box or Mac      ← owns tmux, files, agents
        │      │
   desktop   phone
  (full app) (full)

  close every client and the
  work continues, on free,
  open source, MIT.
```

      Coexistence
      ## Can I use both?

      Yes. They do not share state, and they target different surfaces.

    Conductor runs on your Mac for editor-heavy work with diff review. Manta installs on the same Mac (acting as its own box) or on a Linux VPS for long-running tasks that have to outlive the laptop. They use different ports, different tmux sessions and different project files. The Conductor Mac app does not talk to the Manta box; the Manta box does not read the Conductor workspace.

      FAQ
      ## What people ask before they switch

      Five questions, answered in full.

      ### Is Manta a fork of Conductor?

No. They are separate products from separate teams. Manta is MIT and solo. Conductor is closed source, YC S24, and has raised $24M. Both run Claude Code in a chat panel.

      ### Why is Conductor macOS only?

Per Conductor's own docs: not available for Windows or Linux yet. conductor.build/docs Manta's box runs on Linux or macOS today, which is the path to running agents on a server.

      ### Does Conductor's "Cloud" beta do what Manta does?

It tries to, with restrictions. Conductor Cloud is in beta, requires the Pro tier, supports GitHub only, and caps you at 10 workspaces. Manta runs on your own box, is free, supports any agent runtime that ships a CLI, and has no workspace cap.

      ### Is Conductor more secure than Manta?

No, and Conductor says so itself: Agents run directly on your system without sandboxing and Workspace isolation is development isolation, not a security boundary. conductor.build/docs/security Manta's default is that every command shows up as a permission card you answer.

      ### Which one should I pick if I edit heavily and run on macOS?

Conductor. Its Mac-native editor, diff review with inline comments back to the agent, and Linear/GitHub depth are the strongest parts of its product. Manta is for when the work has to outlive the laptop, or when you want a phone client.

    ## Try Manta on your own box

    Free, open source, MIT. Runs on a Linux VPS or a Mac you already own.

      [Open the repo](https://github.com/antoinedc/MantaUI)
      [Back to the homepage](/)

        MantaMantaUI
        Self-hosted coding agents you can reach from anywhere.

      #### Product

        - [Features](/#features)
- [Mobile](/claude-code-mobile)

        - [Open source](/open-source)

        - [How it works](/claude-code-remote)

      #### Compare

        - [vs Orca](/vs-orca)

        - [vs Conductor](/vs-conductor)

        - [vs SSH and tmux](/vs-ssh-tmux)

      #### Download

        - [macOS](/#download)

        - [Windows](/#download)

        - [iPhone](/claude-code-mobile)

      #### Resources

        - [GitHub](https://github.com/antoinedc/MantaUI)

        - [Pricing](/pricing)

        - [Privacy](/privacy)

        - [Terms](/terms)

      MIT licensed. Built for people who pair with agents.
      llms.txt · llms-full.txt · /.well-known/agent-skills


---

# https://mantaui.com/vs-orca

MantaMantaUI

        [Home](/)
        [Features](/#features)
        [Compare](/vs-orca)
        [How it works](/claude-code-remote)

        [GitHub](https://github.com/antoinedc/MantaUI)

    # Manta UI vs Orca

    Orca runs coding agents on your desktop and gives you a window onto them. Manta runs the same agents on a box you own and gives every device an equal window. Both target the same buyer. Here is the honest difference.

      ## Verdict

        - Pick OrcaIf you want 34 agent runtimes, a Monaco-based editor with Design Mode, and you only need your laptop. Orca is the more mature IDE today, and the only one of the two with a Linux desktop.

        - Pick MantaIf your agent should keep running after you close the laptop, your phone should be able to approve a command, and you want one self-hosted box rather than a desktop app you have to keep open.

        - OverlapBoth give you an agent chat panel, isolated worktrees for background jobs, and a real terminal. The trade-off is where the work lives.

      Side by side
      ## What is the same, and what differs

      Rows we lose are kept in. Honest tables get quoted, rigged tables get ignored.

          Manta UI
          Orca

          Agents run onYour box (Linux or macOS)Your desktop
          ArchitectureBox is the source of truthDesktop is the source of truth
          Keeps running with every client closedYesNo
          Phone clientThe full appRead-mostly view
          Approve a command from your phoneOne tapLimited
          Tells you when the agent is blockedPush to the right deviceNo
          Remote accessDetected and set up (Tailscale supported, not required)Tailscale required
          Permissions modelExplicit permission cards, yolo opt-in`--dangerously-skip-permissions` pre-filled by default
          SandboxingCommands ask first; trust-a-session for speedPermission-bypass flag ships pre-checked
          Diff review / inline annotationNoYes
          Built-in code editorTerminal + chat onlyMonaco with Design Mode
          Agent runtimes supportedClaude Code, Codex, Kimi, opencode, plus any CLI agent34
          Desktop OS coveragemacOS and Windows desktop, iPhone app (box runs on Linux or macOS)macOS, Windows, Linux
          Git worktree per sessionBg jobs, opt-in per sessionYes
          Real tmux underneathYes, you can SSH inNo
          Agent scheduling, webhooks, secretsYesNo
          Account requiredNoFor mobile pairing
          LicenceMITMIT
          MaturityNew29.6k GitHub stars, YC-backed
          Open issuesFewer2,310
          PriceFreeFree

      Rows we lose stay in. Diff review, the built-in editor and 34 agent runtimes are the three things Orca does that Manta does not, and they are real.

      Where Orca is better
      ## The three things we would not want to fake

      Stated plainly. If any of these is what you need, Orca is the right answer.

      - ›Agent runtime count. Orca ships 34. Manta ships Claude Code, Codex, Kimi and opencode natively (plus any CLI agent in terminal mode). If you want Cursor, Codex, Aider and the rest of the field on the same desktop, Orca is the answer.

      - ›Built-in editor. Monaco with Design Mode lets you edit, preview and let the agent touch the same file. Manta gives you a terminal and a chat panel; your editor stays your editor.

      - ›Diff review and inline annotation. Orca's PR/merge tail and inline comments back to the agent are the strongest part of the product. Manta has none of it.

      - ›A Linux desktop. Orca ships one; Manta does not. Manta's desktop is macOS and Windows, and the box itself runs on Linux or macOS.

      - ›Maturity. 29.6k GitHub stars, YC-backed, widely deployed. Manta is new and ships less surface.

      Orca's own description of the mobile app: The mobile app is intentionally not a full editor — it's a remote control for the desktop you already have running.
      onorca.dev/docs/mobile

      Where Manta is better
      ## What the desktop-first model cannot give you

      The architectural difference, not a list of features we both ship.

      - ›The agent outlives the client. Close the desktop and the work keeps going. Orca's own docs say Closing the desktop app drops the connection — there is no cloud relay. onorca.dev/docs/remote

      - ›The phone app is a real client. Same code as the desktop: full transcript, approvals, live command output, dictation, file uploads. Orca calls the mobile app a remote control.

      - ›Yolo is not the default. Every command shows up as a permission card. Orca ships `--dangerously-skip-permissions` pre-filled for every agent, which is a different stance than ours.

      Architecture
      ## Where the work actually lives

      Both products have a server process and a client. They disagree about which one is the source of truth.

        ### Orca: the desktop is the source of truth

```
   Orca desktop app     ← owns tmux, files, agents
        │      │
   phone client   browser
  (read-mostly)   (read-mostly)

  close the desktop and the
  phone loses its session.
```

        ### Manta: the box is the source of truth

```
   Linux box or Mac      ← owns tmux, files, agents
        │      │
   desktop   phone
  (full app) (full)

  close every client and the
  work continues anyway.
```

      Coexistence
      ## Can I use both?

      Yes. They are not exclusive, and they do not share state.

    Orca runs on your laptop. Manta installs on the same Mac (acting as its own box) or on a Linux box on your tailnet. They use different ports, different tmux sessions and different project files. The most common setup we expect is Orca on the laptop for editor-heavy work and Manta on a VPS for long-running tasks that have to outlive the laptop.

      FAQ
      ## What people ask before they switch

      Five questions, answered in full.

      ### Is Manta a fork of Orca?

No. They are separate products with separate codebases. Both are MIT, both run Claude Code in a terminal, and the similarity ends there. Orca is desktop-first and ships 34 agent runtimes; Manta is box-first and ships a handful of CLI runtimes.

      ### Does Manta run on any of Orca's agent runtimes?

No. Manta runs Claude Code, Codex, Kimi and opencode in real tmux sessions on your box. Orca's runtime count comes from packaging many agent CLIs into the desktop app; Manta does not do that today and would not benefit from the same approach because it does not own the editor.

      ### Can Manta and Orca share a machine?

Yes, on a macOS box. They use different ports and different tmux sessions, so they do not interfere. On a Linux box the same applies; the desktop piece of Orca simply has no Linux desktop binary to launch there.

      ### Why is Orca so much more mature?

Orca is older, has 29.6k stars on GitHub, and is YC-backed. Manta is a solo project and is younger. Maturity buys you a larger surface today (diff review, an editor, more runtimes, a Linux desktop) and a smaller backlog. We concede the comparison on maturity plainly.

      ### Which one should I pick if my work runs locally?

Orca. Manta is for when the work needs to outlive the laptop, or when you want a phone client that can approve a command. If neither matters and your editor matters most, Orca's Monaco integration is the answer.

    ## Try Manta on your own box

    Free, open source, MIT. Runs on a Linux VPS or a Mac you already own.

      [Open the repo](https://github.com/antoinedc/MantaUI)
      [Back to the homepage](/)

        MantaMantaUI
        Self-hosted coding agents you can reach from anywhere.

      #### Product

        - [Features](/#features)
- [Mobile](/claude-code-mobile)

        - [Open source](/open-source)

        - [How it works](/claude-code-remote)

      #### Compare

        - [vs Orca](/vs-orca)

        - [vs Conductor](/vs-conductor)

        - [vs SSH and tmux](/vs-ssh-tmux)

      #### Download

        - [macOS](/#download)

        - [Windows](/#download)

        - [iPhone](/claude-code-mobile)

      #### Resources

        - [GitHub](https://github.com/antoinedc/MantaUI)

        - [Pricing](/pricing)

        - [Privacy](/privacy)

        - [Terms](/terms)

      MIT licensed. Built for people who pair with agents.
      llms.txt · llms-full.txt · /.well-known/agent-skills


---

# https://mantaui.com/vs-ssh-tmux

MantaMantaUI

        [Home](/)
        [Features](/#features)
        [Compare](/vs-orca)
        [How it works](/claude-code-remote)

        [GitHub](https://github.com/antoinedc/MantaUI)

    # Manta UI vs Termius + SSH

    If you already run Claude Code on a VPS and reach it with Termius, you have already solved the part most tools get wrong, which is keeping the agent alive when you walk away. Manta runs on the same box beside Termius. Here is the honest difference.

      ## Verdict

        - Keep SSHIf Termius, iTerm or Blink already gets you a tmux window on the box, your agent runs there, and the only thing you wish was different is smaller. You are using a battle-tested stack that costs nothing and runs anywhere.

        - Add MantaFor the parts SSH does not cover. A readable transcript on a phone instead of a terminal UI on a phone keyboard, one-tap approvals instead of typing into a TUI, a push the moment the agent blocks, dictation, file upload, and tools the agent can use to act between turns.

        - OverlapBoth share the box, the tmux session and the SSH transport. Manta adds a UI layer and a server process. Termius stays.

      Side by side
      ## What is the same, and what differs

      The Termius + SSH column describes the common incumbent stack. Rows we lose stay in.

          Termius + SSH
          Manta UI

          Agents run onYour VPSYour VPS (same box)
          ArchitectureTerminal + tmux on the boxServer + clients, real tmux underneath
          Keeps running with every client closedYes, that is the point of tmuxYes
          Phone clientTermius app shows terminalThe full app, with a transcript
          Approve a command from your phoneType into the TUIOne tap
          Tells you when the agent is blockedNo. You go and lookPush to the right device
          Remote accessSSH keys, by handDetected and set up (Tailscale or public hostname)
          Platforms (the box)Anywhere SSH runsLinux or macOS
          Permissions modelApprove at the terminalPermission cards in the chat panel
          Diff review / inline annotationYour normal git hostNo
          Built-in code editorYour editor over SSHTerminal + chat only
          Agent runtimes supportedAnything that runs in a terminalClaude Code, Codex, Kimi, opencode, plus any CLI agent
          Git worktree per sessionBy handBg jobs, opt-in per session
          Real tmux underneathYesYes
          Agent scheduling, webhooks, secretsNoYes
          Account requiredTermius sync is account-bound; SSH itself is notNo
          LicenceTermius: proprietary. Claude Code: proprietaryMIT
          MaturityBoth are mature and widely deployedManta is new
          PriceTermius has a free tier and a paid plan. Claude Code is API costFree. You still pay Claude

      The Termius + SSH stack already keeps the agent alive. The cost is that the only way to interact with it from a phone is through a terminal UI.

      Where Termius + SSH is better
      ## The incumbent gets a lot right

      Conceding first and plainly. The hard part is already solved.

      - ›It keeps the agent alive. That is the hard part, and tmux has done it for two decades. Closing the lid never stops the work.

      - ›It is mature. Termius, iTerm, Blink, the GNOME terminal, Windows Terminal, and PuTTY all do this. Whichever you use is well-understood by the people who maintain it.

      - ›It runs anywhere SSH runs. Every desktop OS, every phone, every tablet. If SSH works there, your agent works there.

      - ›It costs nothing extra. OpenSSH is on every Unix box. Termius has a free tier. Adding Claude Code is just an API key.

      - ›You already know how it works. There is nothing to learn. The same key, the same config, the same muscle memory.

      - ›It is general purpose. SSH gets you to anything on the box. Edit a file, run a deploy, check a log. The agent is one of many things you do there.

      Where Manta is better
      ## The five things SSH does not give you

      Specific. None of these attack the SSH stack; they are things the stack is the wrong shape for.

      - ›A real phone client. A readable transcript instead of a terminal UI, one-tap approvals instead of typing into a TUI, dictation, and file upload. Reading an agent's terminal output on a phone keyboard is miserable; this is the actual client.

      - ›A push the moment the agent is blocked. Today, you have to go and look. Manta's phone app wakes up when the agent needs a decision, with the same routing it has on desktop.

      - ›Tools the agent can use between turns. Schedules, webhooks, secrets by reference, notify, peers. The agent extends its own capabilities. SSH gives the agent the terminal; Manta gives it those tools too.

      Reading a terminal UI on a phone keyboard is miserable. This is the actual client.

      Architecture
      ## The same box, one extra process

      Manta installs a server on the same box. SSH still works. tmux still works. The agent still lives in tmux.

        ### Termius + SSH: terminal + tmux

```
   Your VPS          ← owns the work
     ├── tmux ── agent sessions
     └── sshd ── termius, iTerm, etc.

        │              │
   termius (phone)   termius (desktop)

  the only way to interact
  with the agent is through
  a terminal window.
```

        ### Manta: server + clients, tmux still underneath

```
   Your VPS          ← owns the work
     ├── manta-server ── chat, schedules, secrets
     ├── tmux ── agent sessions (same)
     └── sshd ── still there

        │      │
   desktop   phone
  (full app) (full)

  termius, ssh, tmux all
  still work.
```

      Coexistence
      ## Can I use both?

      Yes. This is the page's whole point.

    Manta installs on the same box and does not take SSH away. The same tmux session that Termius attaches to is the one Manta's chat panel talks to. SSH still works, tmux still works, Termius still works. The chat panel and the phone client are the parts that change. Most setups we expect are exactly that: Termius for terminal-heavy work, Manta for chat and phone.

      FAQ
      ## What people ask before they add Manta

      Five questions, answered in full.

      ### Does Manta replace SSH?

No. SSH still works on the same box. You can ssh into the box, attach to the same tmux session Manta is steering, and continue from the terminal.

      ### Do I need to give up Termius?

No. Termius keeps connecting to the same box. The chat panel and the phone client are the parts that change. Most people we expect to talk to run both: Termius for editor-heavy work, Manta for chat and phone.

      ### Does Manta work alongside Claude Code?

Yes. Manta runs Claude Code in a tmux session on the box. The same session can be attached from Termius or steered from Manta's chat panel. The model provider stays the same.

      ### Will Manta's installer break my existing SSH setup?

No. The installer adds a system service (manta-server) and either opens no public port (Tailscale path) or one HTTPS port (Caddy + LE on a per-box hostname). It does not change your SSH config, your authorized keys, or your sshd settings.

      ### Should I add Manta or stick with my current setup?

If your current setup covers your needs, keep it. Manta is for the cases SSH does not cover: a phone app that can actually approve a command, a notification when the agent gets stuck, dictation, file upload, and tools the agent can use between turns.

    ## Install Manta on the same box

    One curl command. SSH and tmux keep working alongside it.

      [Open the repo](https://github.com/antoinedc/MantaUI)
      [Back to the homepage](/)

        MantaMantaUI
        Self-hosted coding agents you can reach from anywhere.

      #### Product

        - [Features](/#features)
- [Mobile](/claude-code-mobile)

        - [Open source](/open-source)

        - [How it works](/claude-code-remote)

      #### Compare

        - [vs Orca](/vs-orca)

        - [vs Conductor](/vs-conductor)

        - [vs SSH and tmux](/vs-ssh-tmux)

      #### Download

        - [macOS](/#download)

        - [Windows](/#download)

        - [iPhone](/claude-code-mobile)

      #### Resources

        - [GitHub](https://github.com/antoinedc/MantaUI)

        - [Pricing](/pricing)

        - [Privacy](/privacy)

        - [Terms](/terms)

      MIT licensed. Built for people who pair with agents.
      llms.txt · llms-full.txt · /.well-known/agent-skills