Maestro vs Nimbalyst (formerly Crystal): compared

If you used Crystal: its repository now says it "is deprecated and replaced by Nimbalyst". Crystal still runs, but new work happens in Nimbalyst, which describes itself as "the visual workspace for Codex and Claude Code", with editors for markdown, mockups, diagrams, and code next to your agent sessions.

	Maestro	Nimbalyst
Platforms	macOS (Apple Silicon), Windows 10/11, Linux (x86_64 AppImage)	macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel), Windows 10+, Linux (Debian/Ubuntu, AppImage)¹
Coding agents	Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenCode, Kimi Code, Grok Build, plain shell	Claude Code, Codex; OpenCode and GitHub Copilot in alpha¹
Isolation	Every workspace gets its own git worktree and branch	Any session can opt into its own git worktree with one click¹
Beyond code	Monaco editor with Jupyter notebooks; integrated browser preview with freeze-frame annotations	Visual editors for markdown, mockups, and diagrams; task tracking¹
From your phone	Maestro Web: installable web app, works on iPhone and Android	Native iOS app: session dashboard, text or voice replies, diff review, task queue, push notifications¹
Remote projects	SSH remotes, incl. ProxyCommand/ProxyJump	Not covered on its site
Teams	Single-user app	Teams plan with real-time collaboration, $20/user/mo, free during beta¹
License	Source-available (BSL-1.1)	Open source (MIT), desktop and iOS apps¹
Price for individuals	Free	Free, "no feature limits or trial period"¹

1. Per nimbalyst.com, its pricing page, and the Nimbalyst README, checked September 25, 2026.

Where Nimbalyst is the better pick

You want real open source. Nimbalyst's desktop and iOS apps are MIT licensed. Maestro publishes its source under BSL-1.1, which is source-available, not open source.
You plan in documents and diagrams. Specs, mockups, and diagrams live in the same app as the agent sessions working from them. Maestro is focused on code, diffs, and pull requests.
You want a native iPhone app. Nimbalyst's iOS companion supports voice replies. Maestro's phone companion is a web app you add to your home screen.
You are on an Intel Mac. Nimbalyst ships Intel builds; Maestro's macOS download is Apple Silicon only.
You collaborate live with teammates. Nimbalyst has a Teams plan for shared documents and boards, with a self-hosted collaboration server on Enterprise.

Where Maestro is the better pick

You use more than Claude Code and Codex. Cursor, OpenCode, Kimi Code, and Grok Build are built in, not alpha, and any other CLI runs in a plain shell workspace.
You work on remote machines. Add an SSH host as a project, including hosts behind a bastion via ProxyCommand or ProxyJump.
You test web apps. Open your dev server in Maestro's browser preview, freeze a frame, annotate it, and send it to the agent.
You are on Android. Maestro Web runs in the phone browser, so it works on Android as well as iPhone, free: live turns, steering, diffs, screenshots, and push notifications. Agents keep running on your own machine, which must stay awake.
You start from tickets or PRs. A workspace can start from a branch, a pull request, a GitHub issue, or a Linear issue, and ends with a PR opened from the app.

Switching from Crystal or Nimbalyst

All three apps keep agent work in ordinary git branches, so moving is mostly a matter of pointing Maestro at the same repository.

Commit the work you want to keep Make sure each session's changes are committed to its branch.

Install Maestro and add the repository Free for macOS, Windows, and Linux. Your Claude Code and Codex logins carry over because Maestro runs the same CLIs.

Create workspaces "From branch" Maestro cuts a fresh worktree from each branch and starts the agent there. The old worktrees are left alone.

FAQ

Is Crystal still maintained?

Its repository says Crystal is deprecated and replaced by Nimbalyst, and points users to nimbalyst.com.

Do both run on Windows and Linux?

Yes. Both ship desktop builds for macOS, Windows, and Linux. See Maestro for Windows and Maestro for Linux.

Do both use git worktrees?

Yes. In Maestro every workspace is a worktree on its own branch. In Nimbalyst a session can opt into its own worktree.

What do they cost?

Both are free for individuals, and with both you bring your own agent subscriptions or API keys. Nimbalyst's Teams plan is listed at $20 per user per month, free during its beta.

What else should I compare?

See our overview of tools to run coding agents in parallel, or the step-by-step guide to running Claude Code in parallel.

Sources (checked September 2026)

nimbalyst.com: description, platforms, agents, worktree option, iOS app, MIT license
nimbalyst.com/pricing: individual, Teams, and Enterprise plans
github.com/Nimbalyst/nimbalyst: platform versions, agents, iOS companion features
github.com/stravu/crystal: deprecation notice

Maestro is an independent project, not affiliated with Nimbalyst, Crystal, or Stravu. Nimbalyst details come from its public site and repository as of September 25, 2026; if something is out of date, check their site.