Short answer. Agentbox and Vakr are the two closest tools on this site. Both are Mac apps where you hand small pieces of work to Claude Code or Codex and deal with what returns. Agentbox is free, open source and available now, and if a clean inbox is what you want, start there. Vakr adds checks on the work and reaches across Machines, and it has a waitlist. I make Vakr, so weigh this accordingly.
What Agentbox is, and what it does well
Agentbox's line is "Give your agents an inbox." You file work, each task gets its own git worktree, and you pick Claude Code or Codex for each one. The result comes back as a row in your inbox with what it did and what it needs from you. It is free for Mac and open source under GPL 3.0. There is no account to make, and agents run on the plan you already pay for.
Things I think Agentbox does well:
- One clear idea. The inbox is the whole app. You are never asked to manage a chat window.
- List or board. You can see the work as an inbox or as a board.
- Priority. Tasks are tagged Urgent, High, Medium or Low.
- Recurring tasks. A task can repeat on a schedule, such as every Monday at 8am. Vakr only has this in its planned Pro tier.
- Review beyond code. You can review code changes, designs and docs in the app, and agents ask for decisions such as whether to merge into main.
- No server. The README says "No server, no account, no extra subscription."
Agentbox and Vakr side by side
| Agentbox | Vakr | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | An inbox for your coding agents: file work, each task runs in its own worktree, results return to the inbox | A Mac app that tracks your Projects and agents, and checks agent work before you merge |
| Price | Free | Free on your own Machines. Pro $99 a year, not on sale yet. Founding licence $149 once. Everything unlocked during early access |
| Licence | GPL-3.0-or-later, open source | Not open source. Early access builds only |
| Platforms | The site offers a Mac download. The README also describes a browser mode and running on Linux | macOS 15 or later. A Linux VPS can join as a Machine |
| Agents | Claude Code and Codex | Claude Code and Codex natively, and about 22 more over ACP, OpenCode among them |
| Where your code goes | It stays in worktrees and a folder on your disk. No server and no account | It stays on your Mac. Paired Machines talk directly over your own network. No account |
| Checks on agent work | You review the changes beside the row and approve, choose an option or send it back. I couldn't find automated checks of the agent's claims or tests on the site | Tests first with tamper detection, claims checked against what ran, and, when you ask for it, an agent from another vendor trying to break the diff (on every run with Pro) |
| Across several computers | I couldn't find remote machines or a phone app on the site or in the README | Pair another Mac or a Linux VPS with a code |
Pick Agentbox if…
- You work on one Mac with Claude Code or Codex and want a tidy inbox for the tasks you hand off.
- You want open source. Agentbox is GPL and you can build it yourself.
- You want recurring tasks in a free tool.
- You read the diffs yourself and do not want extra machinery around review.
Pick Vakr if…
- You hand off enough work that reading every diff is no longer realistic.
- You want the agent to write failing tests first, approve a few short tests, and have tampering with them detected.
- You want "all tests pass" compared with what ran, and the merge held when they disagree.
- You want an agent from another vendor to try to break the diff before you look at it.
- You run agents on a second Mac or a Linux VPS and want their questions in the same list.
What Vakr does not do
- It is in early access. There is a waitlist, and you cannot download it today. Agentbox you can.
- It is not open source. Agentbox is.
- It needs a Mac. macOS 15 or later. A Linux VPS can join as a Machine, but the app itself runs only on a Mac.
- There is no iPhone app. Your phone gets a page over Tailscale.
- It is for one person. No team features.
If you want the checks, the waitlist is at vakr.app.
Checked on 10 October 2026. Sources for Agentbox: agentbox.ac and the GitHub repository.
Questions
Is Vakr an Agentbox alternative?
Yes, more directly than any other tool I compare Vakr with. The core loop is the same: small task in, agent runs in a worktree, you review.
Agentbox is free and open source. What does Vakr add that is worth waiting for?
Proof: tests the agent cannot change, its claims checked against the commands it ran, and a second agent trying to break the diff. If you do not need those, Agentbox is the simpler choice.
Does either one need an account or a server?
No. Agentbox says no server and no account. Vakr has no account, and its small background service runs on your own Mac.
Guides to working with coding agents, with or without Vakr: the blog.