Key takeaways
- Spawns parallel coding agents (Claude Code, Codex, Aider) with isolated git worktrees per agent — no branch conflicts
- Autonomous CI handling — when builds fail, agent gets the logs and fixes; when reviewers comment, agent addresses them
- Plugin architecture with 8 swappable slots — runtime, agent, workspace, tracker, notifier all replaceable
- 3,288 tests and active development from Composio, the team behind 18K-star agent tooling platform
FAQ
What is Agent Orchestrator?
An open-source tool by Composio that manages parallel AI coding agents — spawning agents, monitoring from one dashboard, and handling CI failures and code reviews autonomously.
Which coding agents does it support?
Claude Code, Codex, Aider, and OpenCode out of the box. The plugin architecture allows adding others.
How does it handle CI failures?
When CI fails, Agent Orchestrator automatically sends the logs to the agent, which attempts to fix the issue. Configurable retry limits and escalation after timeout.
Is Agent Orchestrator open source?
Yes — MIT license, 467 stars, 3,288 tests. Built by Composio, makers of the 18K-star agent tooling platform.
Executive Summary
Agent Orchestrator by Composio manages fleets of AI coding agents working in parallel on your codebase. Each agent gets its own git worktree, its own branch, and its own PR. When CI fails, the agent fixes it. When reviewers leave comments, the agent addresses them. You only get pulled in when human judgment is needed.
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Company | Composio |
| Launched | February 2026 |
| Funding | Composio (18K stars, 128+ customers) |
| GitHub Stars | 467 ★ |
| License | MIT |
Product Overview
Agent Orchestrator solves the coordination problem: running one AI agent in a terminal is easy — running 30 across different issues, branches, and PRs is hard.
Without orchestration, you manually create branches, start agents, check if they're stuck, read CI failures, forward review comments, track which PRs are ready to merge, and clean up when done.
With Agent Orchestrator: ao spawn and walk away. The system handles isolation, feedback routing, and status tracking. You review PRs and make decisions — the rest is automated.
Key Capabilities
| Capability | Description |
|---|---|
| Parallel Agents | Spawn multiple agents across issues with isolated worktrees |
| Auto CI Fix | CI fails → agent gets logs → agent fixes → auto-retry |
| Review Handling | Reviewer comments → agent addresses them automatically |
| Dashboard | Web UI at localhost:3000 + CLI status view |
| Plugin Architecture | 8 swappable slots for runtime, agent, tracker, etc. |
Workflow
ao spawn my-project 123
- Workspace creates isolated git worktree with feature branch
- Runtime starts tmux session (or Docker container)
- Agent launches Claude Code (or Codex/Aider) with issue context
- Agent works autonomously — reads code, writes tests, creates PR
- Reactions auto-handle CI failures and review comments
- Notifier pings you only when judgment is needed
Technical Architecture
Plugin Architecture
Eight slots, every abstraction swappable:
| Slot | Default | Alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| Runtime | tmux | docker, k8s, process |
| Agent | claude-code | codex, aider, opencode |
| Workspace | worktree | clone |
| Tracker | github | linear |
| SCM | github | — |
| Notifier | desktop | slack, composio, webhook |
| Terminal | iterm2 | web |
| Lifecycle | core | — |
Reaction System
reactions:
ci-failed:
auto: true
action: send-to-agent
retries: 2
changes-requested:
auto: true
action: send-to-agent
escalateAfter: 30m
approved-and-green:
auto: false # flip to true for auto-merge
action: notify
Key Technical Details
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Language | TypeScript |
| Tests | 3,288 test cases |
| Prerequisites | Node.js 20+, Git 2.25+, tmux, gh CLI |
| Dashboard | localhost:3000 (web) |
| Open Source | Yes (MIT) |
Strengths
- Parallel isolation — Each agent gets its own git worktree, branch, and PR; no merge conflicts during development
- Autonomous CI handling — Failed builds automatically routed to agent with logs; configurable retries
- Review automation — Reviewer comments forwarded to agent; escalation after timeout
- Agent-agnostic — Claude Code, Codex, Aider supported; plugin architecture for others
- Composio backing — Built by team with 18K-star platform, 128+ customers, proven track record
Cautions
- New project — Only 467 stars, launched February 2026; limited production validation
- tmux/Docker required — Default runtime needs tmux; Docker option available but adds complexity
- GitHub-first — Linear support via plugin, but GitHub is the primary integration
- No enterprise features — No SSO, audit logs, or air-gapped deployment yet
- CLI-focused — Dashboard exists but CLI is primary interface
Pricing & Licensing
| Tier | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Open Source | Free | Full functionality |
| Agent Costs | Variable | Claude Code, Codex, Aider subscriptions |
Licensing: MIT — use commercially, modify freely.
Hidden costs: You pay for underlying agent subscriptions (Claude Max, ChatGPT Pro, etc.).
Competitive Positioning
vs Other Orchestrators
| Aspect | Agent Orchestrator | Gastown | Metaswarm | Ralph |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parallel agents | ✅ | ✅ 20-30 | ✅ 18 | — |
| Auto CI fix | ✅ | — | — | — |
| Plugin architecture | ✅ 8 slots | — | — | — |
| Cross-model review | — | — | ✅ | — |
| Quality gates | — | — | ✅ | — |
| Complexity | Medium | High | High | Low |
When to Choose Agent Orchestrator
- Choose Agent Orchestrator when: You want parallel agents with automated CI/review handling and plugin flexibility
- Choose Gastown when: You need maximum parallelism (20-30 agents) and sophisticated role-based orchestration
- Choose Metaswarm when: You want cross-model adversarial review and enforced quality gates
- Choose Ralph when: You prefer radical simplicity (bash loop until done)
Ideal Customer Profile
Best fit:
- Teams running multiple parallel coding tasks
- Projects with CI/CD pipelines that can benefit from auto-fix
- Developers wanting Slack/webhook notifications on agent status
- Users who want to extend with custom plugins
Poor fit:
- Solo developers with single-agent needs
- Enterprise requiring SSO/audit logs
- Teams without GitHub as primary SCM
- Those who prefer GUI over CLI
Viability Assessment
| Factor | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Financial Health | Strong (Composio: 128+ customers) |
| Market Position | New entrant in orchestration |
| Innovation Pace | Active (61 merged PRs) |
| Community | Growing (467 stars in first week) |
| Long-term Outlook | Positive — Composio ecosystem support |
Agent Orchestrator benefits from Composio's broader platform (18K stars, 78K+ developers). The company has proven execution and customer traction, reducing single-project risk.
Bottom Line
Agent Orchestrator is the most practical parallel agent orchestrator — focused on the coordination problem without overcomplicating it. The auto CI fix and review handling are genuinely useful; the plugin architecture allows customization without forking.
Recommended for: Teams running parallel coding agents who want automated CI/review handling and a dashboard to monitor everything.
Not recommended for: Enterprise requiring compliance features, or solo developers who don't need orchestration.
Outlook: Strong position in the emerging orchestrator category. Composio's backing and the practical feature set (auto CI fix) differentiate it from more experimental alternatives like Gastown.
Research by Ry Walker Research • methodology