PortBayvsSuperset
Superset calls itself the code editor for AI agents: a fast-moving YC-backed desktop app where each agent works a branch in its own git worktree, with a PR-centric sidebar, built-in diff viewer and a preview button. PortBay organizes the same agents differently — as cards on a Kanban board — and runs the environment underneath them: managed PHP and Node, a per-project database, trusted HTTPS on a real .test domain and a one-click public tunnel. One is branch-first; the other is task-first with a running app behind every card.
Which one is right for you
You want the full stack, open source.
You think in tasks, not branches — you want cards you assign, comment on and move to Done, with an audit trail of what the agent did. And you want the environment handled: a database the agent can query, an HTTPS URL it can load, email capture, a tunnel to share. One open-source macOS app that's also your everyday local dev tool.
It already fits your workflow.
You think in branches and PRs — Superset's create-from-PR flow, CI/review status and built-in diff viewer make reviewing parallel agent output fast. You want the broadest agent roster (Amp, Droid, Pi, Mastra, Copilot and more), remote workspaces for offloading runs (beta, paid), or Linear integration for team flow. You're comfortable wiring your own stack via setup scripts.
Feature by feature
Every row sourced from the live product page. We mark partial support honestly — including where the other side wins.
Already using Superset?
Nothing to import — Superset manages workspaces, not projects. Point PortBay at the repository your Superset worktrees branch from, press play, and the runtime, database and HTTPS come up around it. Then dispatch the same Claude Code or Codex from a card that has a live application behind it. The two coexist cleanly: keep Superset for wide parallel branch work and PR review, use PortBay where the agent needs the app actually running — or where you want the task tracked as a card instead of a branch.
- Install PortBay and add the project folder your Superset workspaces branch from.
- Press play — PortBay provisions the runtime, database and HTTPS for that project.
- Create a card, assign Claude Code or Codex, move it to Todo, and the agent works against the running app.
PortBay vs Superset, in plain terms
What does PortBay do that Superset doesn't?
Two things. The board: PortBay tracks agent work as Kanban cards with comments, assignment and @mention dispatch — Superset organizes work as branches in a sidebar, with no task cards or comments. The environment: PortBay provisions managed PHP/Node runtimes, a per-project MySQL or PostgreSQL database, trusted HTTPS on a real .test domain, email capture and a one-click Cloudflare tunnel. Superset gives each workspace a port range and environment variables, and leaves runtimes, databases and HTTPS to your own setup scripts.
Is Superset open source?
Source-available, not open source. Superset's code is public on GitHub under the Elastic License 2.0, which is not an OSI-approved open-source license and restricts certain commercial uses. PortBay is open source under AGPL-3.0.
Can Superset really run 10+ agents in parallel?
Architecturally yes — each workspace is an isolated git worktree, so nothing stops you from opening many. The founders themselves have said the practical reliable range today is around 2–3 complex tasks or 5–7 simpler ones in parallel, with human review as the bottleneck. PortBay takes a different position: one agent per card, working against a real running environment, with a lease so two agents never claim the same card.
How much does each cost?
Both have free tiers. Superset is free for one user with local workspaces; Pro is $20 per user per month ($15 billed yearly) and adds remote workspaces (beta) and Linear integration. PortBay is free and open source for up to 6 local projects, including the agent task board; Pro is $10 per month and removes the project limit, adds custom Cloudflare tunnels and account sync.
Which should I choose?
Choose PortBay when the agent needs a real running environment — a database to query, a site to load over HTTPS, a tunnel to demo — and you want tasks tracked as cards in an open-source macOS app that's also your daily local dev tool. Choose Superset when your workflow is branch-and-PR-first, you want the widest agent roster and maximum parallel throughput, and you're happy scripting the environment yourself.
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