Best Factory Alternatives in 2026
The best alternatives to Factory and its Droid agents for running coding agents in parallel, including Paradev, Google Antigravity, Devin, Codex, and Conductor.
Factory is an agent-native software development platform built around its own agent, Droid. Its desktop app for macOS and Windows runs many Droids at once in Git worktrees, on your machine or on Droid Computers, with automations from schedules, Slack, and GitHub, and plans from $20 per month up to on-prem Enterprise. You might want an alternative if you use agents from other vendors, want model costs on your own subscriptions, or want a native mobile app. Here are the best Factory alternatives in 2026.
Our recommendation: choose Paradev if you want to run the CLI agents you already use in parallel worktrees, with review, a browser, automations, and remote and cloud workspaces in one place. The alternatives below cover other preferences.
Download Paradev to try a small task, or read Paradev vs Factory for the direct comparison. This guide is published by Paradev; recommendations describe workflow fit rather than benchmark results.
The Short Version
| Alternative | Best for | Agents | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paradev | Any CLI agent in parallel workspaces, on machines you own or in the cloud | Any CLI agent, including Droid | Free tier; Pro $20, Team $60, Ultra $200 per user per month |
| Google Antigravity | Google's free agent-first desktop app | Antigravity's agent | Free; Google AI plans for more |
| Devin | An autonomous cloud engineer | Devin | Paid tiers from $20 per month |
| Codex | OpenAI's agent, locally or in the cloud | Codex | Included in ChatGPT plans |
| Conductor | A focused Mac app for a few agents | Claude Code, Codex, and more | See Conductor's pricing |
Why Look for a Factory Alternative?
Factory's platform is built on Droid. You choose the model, but not the agent, and its documentation does not describe running Claude Code or Codex. Usage is metered on Factory's plans with per-model multipliers and rolling windows, rather than on your own model subscriptions, though the CLI and desktop app accept your own keys. There is no Linux desktop app, and mobile access is through the web.
The Best Alternatives
1. Paradev
Paradev is a local-first desktop workspace that runs any CLI agent in parallel Git worktrees: Claude Code, Codex, Cursor Agent, OpenCode, Gemini CLI, Copilot, Muse Code, Antigravity's agy, and Factory's own Droid. Each agent runs on your own subscription or key, and Paradev never proxies model calls. The Changes pane commits, pushes, and opens PRs, the Pull Requests view shows CI checks and sends line comments back to agents, and Remote Access adds a macOS or Linux machine as a host so workspaces keep running when your laptop sleeps. Cloud workspaces run in the cloud without keeping your own computer connected. Scheduled automations, a CLI, a TypeScript SDK, an MCP server, and a Slack bot cover unattended work, and the iPhone and iPad app shows terminals and diffs.
Best for: teams that want every agent, Droid included, on their own subscriptions, on machines they own or in cloud workspaces.
For the direct comparison, see Paradev vs Factory.
2. Google Antigravity
Antigravity 2.0 is Google's agent-first desktop app, CLI, and SDK. It runs Antigravity's agent on Gemini, Claude, and gpt-oss models, gives each agent a worktree, and is free to start on macOS, Windows, and Linux.
Best for: developers who want a free, single-vendor agent app on any platform.
See Paradev vs Google Antigravity.
3. Devin
Devin is Cognition's autonomous AI software engineer. Each session runs in its own cloud VM, you assign work in chat, Slack, or from Linear, and Devin opens and reviews pull requests. Paid tiers start at $20 per month.
Best for: teams that want to hand whole tickets to a cloud engineer.
See Paradev vs Devin.
4. Codex
OpenAI's Codex is a CLI, IDE extensions, a coding surface in the ChatGPT desktop app with worktree mode, and a cloud agent that runs tasks in OpenAI-managed environments.
Best for: developers on ChatGPT plans who want OpenAI's agent.
See Paradev vs Codex App.
5. Conductor
Conductor is a macOS app that runs Claude Code, Codex, and other agents in parallel, each in an isolated worktree, with a review-and-merge flow.
Best for: Mac developers who want a simple multi-agent app.
See Paradev vs Conductor.
How To Choose
- For any agent, Droid included, on your own subscriptions, locally or in cloud workspaces: Paradev.
- For a free single-vendor app on any platform: Google Antigravity.
- To hand whole tickets to a cloud engineer: Devin.
- For OpenAI's agent: Codex.
- For a simple Mac app: Conductor.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best Factory alternative?
For running agents from any vendor, Droid included, in parallel workspaces on your own machines or in the cloud, Paradev. It keeps model costs on your own subscriptions and takes work through to pull requests.
Can I keep using Droid without Factory's desktop app?
Yes. Droid's CLI runs on macOS, Linux, and Windows, and Paradev runs it as a built-in agent in its own worktree.
How much does Factory cost compared to Paradev?
Factory's Pro plan is $20 per month, Plus $100, and Max $200, with team plans from $60 per month plus $40 per seat. Paradev has a free tier, Pro at $20 per user per month, and Team ($60) and Ultra ($200) plans with cloud workspaces, and you bring your own agent subscriptions.