Verdict: choose Conductor when the problem is running several existing coding agents in parallel, keeping each task in an isolated workspace, and reviewing their branches from a focused Mac board. Choose Factory when the company wants Droid as its standardized autonomous runtime, formal specs, managed or owned computers, model policy, enterprise deployment, and telemetry. Conductor is the smaller adoption. Factory is the broader platform commitment.
- Conductor orchestrates existing agents. Factory sells Droid plus the platform around it.
- Conductor's central primitive is an isolated workspace or worktree. Factory's central primitive is a Droid session, computer, or Mission.
- Conductor has a free local Mac tier. Factory starts at $20 a month.
- Conductor Pro costs $50 a month and lists long-running cloud workspaces, collaboration, API access, and mobile access; the homepage still marks iOS as coming soon.
- Factory has the deeper enterprise control and deployment story, including hybrid and fully airgapped patterns.
- Conductor wins focused multi-worktree supervision. Factory wins when autonomy becomes governed organization infrastructure.
Verdict and criteria matrix
The quickest decision test asks who should own the agent. If the team already standardizes Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, or OpenCode and wants a better way to run them side by side, Conductor fits. If the team wants one vendor to supply the agent runtime, model policy, formal planning, remote computers, telemetry, and enterprise deployment, Factory fits.
Public product and pricing pages checked 10 August 2026.
| Criterion | Factory AI | Conductor | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Product class | Enterprise autonomy stack | Multi-agent worktree orchestrator | Depends on scope |
| Agent ownership | Factory Droid | Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenCode | Conductor for provider independence at agent level |
| Parallel local work | Multiple Droids and sessions | Core Mac board workflow | Conductor |
| Workspace isolation | Selected session and computer workflow | One isolated workspace per task | Conductor |
| Formal spec approval | Specification Mode | Prompt and agent-native planning | Factory |
| Long cloud work | Managed Droid Computers | Conductor cloud workspaces on Pro | Tie |
| Persistent owned host | BYOM Droid Computer | Local Mac workspaces and cloud product | Factory |
| Model policy and routing | Enterprise controls and Factory Router | Model choice through connected agents | Factory |
| Team collaboration | Enterprise organization platform | Pro multiplayer and team plans | Depends on team size |
| Mobile | Browser platform for remote work | Listed on Pro; homepage marks iOS soon | Conductor when generally available |
| Free tier | No | Free local tier | Conductor |
| Enterprise deployment | Cloud, hybrid, airgapped | Hosted and local product model | Factory |
Board orchestration against agent platform
Conductor is purpose-built for the moment when one developer starts several coding-agent tasks against the same repository. Each task gets an isolated workspace and branch. The board keeps chat, files, terminal, diff, and status visible without manual folder and terminal management. The agent can be Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, or OpenCode, so model and agent choice remain upstream.
Factory starts with Droid. The product covers interactive CLI sessions, desktop work, headless execution, SDK integrations, local and cloud background agents, Specification Mode, persistent Droid Computers, Missions, model routing, identity, policy, and telemetry. The board is one surface inside a larger autonomy architecture.
| Team statement | Likely fit |
|---|---|
| We already like Claude Code and Codex; parallel branches are messy | Conductor |
| We need one governed agent runtime across the company | Factory |
| One developer wants four isolated tasks on a Mac today | Conductor |
| Security needs model, tool, network, identity, and telemetry policy | Factory |
| We want to compare agents on the same ticket | Conductor |
| We want a multi-day project decomposed under one autonomy system | Factory |
The surface area matters operationally. Conductor can be adopted as a developer tool with a narrow blast radius. Factory adoption can change model purchasing, environment architecture, telemetry, identity, and workflow governance. The broader change can create broader value, and it needs an owner with the authority to operate it.
Worktrees and branch isolation
Conductor's strongest honest win is worktree supervision. Parallel agents need separate working directories and branches or they overwrite each other, invalidate tests, and make diffs impossible to attribute. Conductor turns that git requirement into the product interface. A developer sees the task lanes rather than managing raw git worktree commands and terminal tabs.
Factory can isolate work through its session, computer, source-control, and Mission workflows, yet its commercial identity is broader. It focuses on what Droid does, where it runs, and how the organization governs it. A team whose entire pain is local branch collisions can solve that pain with Conductor without adopting a new agent platform.
| Parallel-work concern | Conductor response | Factory response |
|---|---|---|
| Two agents edit the same checkout | Separate workspaces by default | Configure separate sessions, branches, or computers |
| Developer needs one board for all lanes | Core product | Factory desktop and session surfaces |
| Agents should use different vendors | Select Claude, Codex, Cursor, or OpenCode | Use Droid with model choice inside Factory |
| One task requires a persistent service | Cloud workspace or local environment setup | Persistent Droid Computer |
| A parent goal should spawn workers | Start and manage workspaces | Mission decomposition |
| Review capacity is full | Pause creation of new lanes | Limit Droid or Mission concurrency |
Local and cloud execution
Conductor Free runs local workspaces on macOS under the user's existing agent subscriptions and keys. Pro adds long-running cloud workspaces, collaboration, the Conductor API, and lists mobile access. The homepage still marks iOS as coming soon. Cloud workspaces keep agents active away from the local Mac and move chat storage into Conductor's service, which changes the data flow and belongs in review.
Factory Droid CLI runs locally on common platforms. BYOM registers Linux, macOS, or Windows machines as Droid Computers. Managed Computers persist the development environment and can continue after the laptop closes. Enterprise deployments can place the runtime and model traffic into cloud-managed, hybrid, or fully airgapped designs.
| Execution requirement | Factory | Conductor |
|---|---|---|
| Free local Mac fleet | Paid Factory account required | Free |
| Use existing Claude and Codex subscriptions directly | Droid uses Factory model routes and BYOK options | Core local design |
| Long-running managed cloud work | Droid Computers | Cloud workspaces on Pro |
| Register an owned Linux or Windows host | BYOM | No equivalent core path |
| Fully airgapped runtime | Enterprise deployment | No equivalent public product |
| Mobile control of cloud work | Factory browser session surfaces | Listed on Pro; iOS marked soon |
Conductor's free local tier is the cleanest way to learn whether a multi-worktree board solves the actual problem. Factory needs a paid account and a broader setup. A Factory pilot should therefore test platform-specific value, such as Specification Mode, persistent computers, model policy, or telemetry, rather than reproduce a free local board.
Agent and model choice
Conductor preserves the official agent products. A Claude Code lane remains Claude Code with its own subscription, behavior, instructions, and limits. A Codex lane remains Codex. This makes it useful for comparing agents, routing tasks by preference, and avoiding a single agent identity. It also leaves the team with several accounts, quota systems, configuration formats, and cost records.
Factory standardizes work through Droid, then offers model selection and routing inside that agent platform. The organization can control allowed models and providers, connect gateways, use BYOK, and route work through Factory Router. This reduces surface variation for developers and moves more integration and policy into Factory.
| Preference | Pick |
|---|---|
| Keep the official Claude Code and Codex agent behaviors | Conductor |
| Give every developer one standardized agent runtime | Factory |
| Race two agent products on the same task | Conductor |
| Route one agent across model providers under central policy | Factory |
| Keep agent subscriptions and keys as the commercial rail | Conductor Free |
| Buy autonomy as an integrated enterprise platform | Factory |
There is no universal version of provider independence. Conductor is independent at the agent layer because it runs several agent products. Factory is independent at the model layer because Droid can route across providers. Decide which layer the organization wants the freedom to replace.
Collaboration, mobile, and enterprise controls
Conductor Pro adds collaboration with other Pro users and lists mobile access, while the product homepage still marks iOS as coming soon. Team plans add administration and shared operation around the workspaces. This is valuable when several developers want to see, reassign, or discuss agent tasks inside the same focused board. The product remains centered on engineering workspaces.
Factory sells a broader enterprise program: SSO and SCIM, role and model controls, tool policy, zero-data-retention options by plan, audit trails, deployment architecture, customer gateways, data residency, and OTEL telemetry. It is designed to become part of the company's software-production infrastructure.
- Conductor wins for a small group collaborating directly on parallel agent workspaces with minimal platform ceremony.
- Factory wins for regulated rollout, deployment choice, central model policy, and telemetry connected to company observability.
- Conductor is easier to reverse. The underlying agent subscriptions and repositories remain independent.
- Factory can standardize more. The company also becomes more dependent on Factory's runtime and control plane.
A team plan and an enterprise platform solve different coordination problems. The first helps people share work. The second defines who may run which agent, model, tool, network route, and environment, then produces evidence for the organization. Pay for the narrower layer unless the broader governance requirement is already funded.
Pricing and what the bill buys
Conductor Free runs several local coding agents in parallel on a Mac using existing subscriptions and keys. Pro costs $50 a month and adds cloud workspaces, collaboration, API access, and a mobile-access listing whose iOS client is still marked coming soon on the homepage. Team and enterprise tiers add administrative and contract features. Cloud workspaces introduce their own included capacity and service terms.
Factory has no public free plan. Pro is $20 a month, Plus is $100, and Max is $200. Factory charges for access to Droid and the platform usage rail, with rolling five-hour, weekly, and monthly limits. Extra Usage and Droid Core define continued work after standard usage. Team and enterprise prices require a quote.
| Commercial question | Factory | Conductor |
|---|---|---|
| Cost for local multi-agent trial | $20 minimum | $0 plus existing agent plans |
| Entry paid plan | $20 Pro | $50 Pro |
| What the paid plan buys | Droid and Factory platform usage | Cloud workspaces, collaboration, API, listed mobile access |
| Upstream model or agent spend | Inside Factory allowance, routing, or BYOK terms | Existing agent subscriptions or keys |
| Heavy individual tier | $100 Plus or $200 Max | Pro plus applicable cloud capacity |
| Enterprise price | Quote | Quote |
When to pick each
| Pick Factory when | Pick Conductor when |
|---|---|
| Droid should become the standard agent runtime | Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, and OpenCode should remain distinct |
| Formal specs and Missions matter | Parallel worktree supervision is the core need |
| Owned remote hosts or persistent computers matter | Local Mac workspaces or Conductor cloud are enough |
| Enterprise deployment and OTEL are requirements | A focused developer tool is the desired scope |
| Model routing belongs to central policy | Agent selection should stay with the developer |
| The company is funding an autonomy platform | An individual or small team wants value this afternoon |
Try Conductor first when the problem statement says terminal sprawl, branch collisions, and poor visibility across four agents. Try Factory first when the problem statement says agent governance, deployment, model policy, persistent environments, or autonomous program management. The cheaper test is useful only when it tests the real problem.
Migration notes
Moving from Conductor to Factory requires selecting a standard Droid workflow for each agent lane. Preserve repository instructions, worktree branch naming, setup scripts, task templates, and accepted diffs. Rebuild isolation with distinct sessions or computers. Decide which upstream agent-specific behaviors will disappear. Configure Factory models, policies, identity, telemetry, and execution targets before moving cloud work. Keep Conductor until the new path handles a complete multi-task batch.
Moving from Factory to Conductor requires choosing the official agents that replace Droid workflows. Translate specs, skills, and instructions into each agent's repository format. Recreate each task as a local or cloud workspace. Keep model and quota ownership with the selected upstream accounts. Replace Factory telemetry with provider dashboards and an owned cost record. Identify workflows that depended on Missions, persistent BYOM hosts, hybrid deployment, or central policy, because Conductor alone may not cover them.
Export the task-routing map
List task class, agent, model, repository, environment, branch, approval, evidence, and review owner.
Keep git conventions stable
Reuse branch names, base-branch rules, worktree paths, commit requirements, and merge checks during the pilot.
Rebuild two parallel lanes
Choose tasks that touch adjacent code and verify both isolation and final integration.
Rebuild one long remote lane
Test environment setup, disconnect behavior, mobile access, spend, artifacts, and pull-request handoff.
Remove the old tool after the queue drains
Archive transcripts and specs, land or close open branches, revoke service credentials, and document the new source of operational truth.
Questions people ask
Factory is stronger as a governed autonomy platform with Droid, specs, persistent computers, deployment choice, model policy, and telemetry. Conductor is stronger as a focused Mac board for parallel official agents in isolated workspaces.
Yes. Conductor Free runs multiple coding agents in local workspaces on a Mac using subscriptions and keys the user already has. Pro costs $50 a month and adds cloud workspaces, collaboration, API access, and lists mobile access; the homepage still marks iOS as coming soon.
Factory can isolate branches and sessions through its workflows, while Conductor makes isolated workspaces the central product primitive. For pure worktree supervision, Conductor is more focused.
Conductor publicly emphasizes Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, and OpenCode. Factory Droid is its own platform runtime. Check current provider support before assuming direct integration.
Conductor supports several distinct official agent products. Factory standardizes on Droid and offers model-provider flexibility inside that runtime. The answer depends on whether agent choice or model choice matters more.
Conductor Pro offers long-running cloud workspaces attached to its board. Factory offers persistent managed Droid Computers and BYOM hosts plus enterprise deployment options. Choose based on persistence, provider choice, and infrastructure ownership.
Conductor is usually the smaller and cheaper first step, especially on its free local tier. Factory makes sense when the small team already needs formal specs, persistent remote environments, or enterprise-style policy and telemetry.
Possible, though the overlap is significant. Conductor can supervise official agents while Factory runs selected Droid workflows. Define task routing and cost ownership so the team does not create duplicate boards and review queues.
Sources
Every figure above was read from these pages on August 2026. Vendors reprice without notice; if you find a stale number, tell us.