RMUX vs Shpool
RMUX
rmux.ioShpool
github.comSide by side
| Figure | RMUX | Shpool |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Terminal Multiplexers | 8.3 (#4) | 7.5 (#17) |
| Installation | Install options include package managers, prebuilt installers, and Cargo; the docs say quick installers verify SHA256. | The README documents installation through crates.io with Cargo and through Homebrew on macOS. |
| Integrations | The project documents a ratatui integration widget and a Claude Code teammate mode that runs Claude inside a local RMUX workspace. | The README documents SSH configuration and shell-function patterns for automatically attaching to sessions. |
| License | RMUX is dual-licensed under MIT or Apache License 2.0. | The GitHub repository identifies the project as licensed under Apache-2.0. |
| Platforms | RMUX documents native support for Windows, macOS, and Linux; Windows uses ConPTY and named pipes, while macOS and Linux use Unix PTYs and Unix-domain sockets. | Shpool runs on Linux and macOS; Linux is the primary supported platform, and some macOS tests do not pass. |
| Purpose | RMUX is a local terminal multiplexer for persistent, scriptable terminal sessions and terminal automation. | Shpool creates named persistent shell sessions that survive dropped connections. |
| Security | During Web Share, shells and PTYs stay on the local daemon while the browser decrypts encrypted terminal updates locally; tunnels carry encrypted frames. | The repository's Security and quality page reports zero advisories. |
Plans
In their own words
RMUX
RMUX is a local terminal multiplexer that keeps shells under a daemon on the user’s machine. Version 0.10.0 provides 90 tmux-compatible commands for persistent sessions that can be detached and reattached. Its automation SDKs let programs work with typed session, window, and pane handles, send keyboard and mouse input, wait for output, capture structured snapshots, and receive pane events. Official SDKs are available for Rust, Python, and TypeScript; the Python and TypeScript SDKs require the RMUX binary to be installed first.
Web Share creates browser links to a pane or session while its shell stays local. Links can allow read-write operation or read-only viewing, with separate pairing PINs enabled by default. The browser decrypts terminal updates locally. Sharing can use private Tailscale access, public SSH tunnel presets, or a user-provided ingress URL. RMUX says tunnels can see handshake metadata and encrypted frames, but not keystrokes, PINs, raw tokens, or terminal cells. The Web Share frontend can be self-hosted. RMUX is dual-licensed under MIT or Apache-2.0 and is available through package managers, prebuilt installers, or Cargo.
Shpool
Shpool is free, open-source software for keeping named shell sessions alive when connections drop. It targets users who want persistence without terminal multiplexing features such as split windows or tiled panes, preserving native terminal scrollback and copy-paste. For SSH, Shpool runs on the remote host and needs no additional client software. Users reconnect with `shpool attach`; the terminal state is redrawn after reattachment. The command line can list, detach, or kill sessions, and `--ttl` sets a session lifetime. Variables in session names and attach options can redirect terminals to newly named sessions when values change. Bash, zsh, and fish support automatic session-name prompt prefixes. The README documents SSH configuration, shell-function patterns, Cargo installation through crates.io, and Homebrew installation on macOS. Shpool supports Linux, macOS, SSH, and command-line shells. It is licensed Apache-2.0, reports zero advisories, and allows only one client per session.