# Tools to monitor multiple coding agents on Mac

Canonical: https://quietmachines.fyi/perch/alternatives/monitor-coding-agents-on-mac/
Updated: 2026-11-09

Keep terminal tabs if you usually review one agent at a time. Use notifications when you only need a cue to return. Consider a local monitor such as Perch when several sessions are active and you want to see which one needs you now. A shared dashboard makes more sense when other people need visibility from their own devices.

## Compare four ways to watch agents

Quiet Machines makes Perch. This guide compares workflows and documented Perch capabilities. Start with the problem you have when switching between projects.


Options for tracking coding agents on a Mac

| Approach | What you can check | Where you respond | When to use it |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Terminal or editor tabs | Full output, command, and project context in each session | In the original session | One active agent or a review that needs the complete transcript |
| Agent or desktop notifications | An event when your integration sends it | Usually in the agent’s app | You want to know when a specific task finishes or needs you |
| Perch | Supported working, waiting, and completed states together on your Mac | In Perch for supported opt-in actions, or back in the original app | You run several local sessions and want to check what is waiting |
| Shared dashboard | Whatever its integrations expose to teammates | Depends on the tool and permissions | You need remote visibility, shared history, or team coordination |

## Try the same three-session exercise

Use a disposable project or read-only tasks. In one session, run a longer search. In a second, let an agent finish a short task. In a third, set up a harmless tool request that requires your approval. Label the sessions by project so you can distinguish them without reading their transcripts.

1. Open a separate app and see whether your setup tells you which task finished and which needs a decision.
2. Wait for another event, then check whether an earlier request is still easy to find. This is where a list of current states can differ from notification history.
3. Open the right session and review the exact request. Write down how many switches it took and whether you could tell which project was asking before responding.

## Check the action your agent supports

Perch monitors supported Claude Code, Codex CLI, and Cursor local Agent activity. With answering enabled, Claude Code supports tool approvals, questions, plan review, and replies. Codex CLI supports approvals and replies. Cursor supports a reply after a turn. Cursor’s passive hooks do not expose the awaiting-permission event, so check Cursor itself for those requests.

Answering is off by default. Perch gives you a two-second undo before sending a supported answer. For a risky command or a change that needs more context, open the original session and read it there.


[Check the current Perch compatibility table](https://quietmachines.fyi/perch/guides/agent-compatibility/)

## Decide where the information should live

Perch is for sessions on your own Mac. The app keeps status and notes locally and has no account or server. For a team dashboard, check who can see session data, what gets uploaded, how long it is stored, and whether you can view a session running on another device.

If your problem is agents editing the same files, decide who owns each task and where changes get reviewed before choosing a monitor. Seeing that several agents are active gives you visibility into the work. Coordination requires a separate workflow.


[Read what Perch stores and which permissions it needs](https://quietmachines.fyi/perch/guides/privacy-and-permissions/)

## Common questions

### Can I monitor Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor together?

Perch shows supported activity for Claude Code, Codex CLI, and Cursor local Agent in the same Mac shelf. Waiting events and answering vary by integration.

### Do I need a dashboard if I use a single coding agent?

A terminal or editor tab may be enough. Use the exercise above to see whether a monitor saves switches in your own workflow.

## Related reading
- [Perch or checking your terminal tabs?](https://quietmachines.fyi/perch/alternatives/terminal-tabs/)
- [Perch or agent notifications?](https://quietmachines.fyi/perch/alternatives/notifications/)
- [A local Perch shelf or a shared agent dashboard?](https://quietmachines.fyi/perch/alternatives/agent-dashboards/)
- [Monitor multiple coding agents from one place](https://quietmachines.fyi/perch/use-cases/parallel-agents/)