Written by the team building Shepherd. Competitor capabilities are based on the official sources linked below, checked September 8, 2026; this is a documentation comparison, not a hands-on benchmark.
If you are looking for Paseo alternatives, start with what you need to do from your phone: read progress, answer a prompt, inspect changes, or operate a full terminal. Those are different tasks, and a product that handles one well may not match the others.
There is an immediate availability distinction: Shepherd’s public download page currently lists its iOS app as coming soon. Consider Shepherd for your Mac workspace today; do not choose it as an immediately available replacement for Paseo’s mobile client.
What are you replacing in Paseo?
Paseo offers clients for controlling coding agents across devices. Its getting-started guide describes a desktop app with a bundled daemon and a separate server/CLI installation. The agent still needs a machine on which to run.
Before comparing interfaces, identify that machine. A phone controlling a sleeping laptop and a phone controlling an always-on server are different arrangements. An app can make reconnection easier, but it cannot run a process on a powered-off host.
Three approaches to consider
| Option | Why put it on your shortlist? | What to check first |
|---|---|---|
| Orca | An agent workspace with a mobile companion | Whether its task and workspace model fits your projects |
| Mobile SSH client + tmux | Direct access to a terminal session you manage | Keyboard input, network access, and session navigation |
| Shepherd | An integrated Mac workspace for persistent agent terminals | Whether desktop work is your immediate requirement; iOS is coming soon |
Orca for a companion to an agent workspace
Orca advertises iOS and Android companions alongside its desktop workspace. It belongs on a mobile shortlist. Try a task that requires a decision, not just passive viewing: find a waiting agent, read enough context to understand the request, and return a useful response. That exercise reveals more than a screenshot of an agent list.
SSH and tmux for terminal continuity
tmux lets you reattach to a terminal session. Pair it with a mobile SSH client that suits your device. This route keeps the terminal interface central, but you choose and configure the client yourself. Test control keys, scrolling, copying file paths, and reading wide output on a small screen before committing to it.
Shepherd for the Mac side of the workflow
Shepherd brings persistent terminals and an agent overview into a Mac workspace, with files and review tools close to the task. It is a candidate when your main frustration is managing work at your desk. If phone access is a hard requirement today, keep a currently available mobile option on the shortlist instead.
Evaluate a complete phone handoff
Use one small task with a clear stopping point. Start it on the execution host, leave the desktop, find the task on the phone, and answer a harmless question. Return to the desktop and verify you are looking at the same project and conversation.
Repeat from the network where you actually intend to use it. A successful connection on home Wi-Fi does not establish that the same route works away from home. Paseo documents both relay and direct connection options in its connectivity guide; evaluate the option you would deploy.
Keep a short record: time to find the task, mistakes caused by cramped input, and whether you could inspect enough context to make the decision. These are useful selection criteria without inventing a universal winner.
When staying with Paseo makes sense
If Paseo already supports your devices and your provider workflow, changing tools may add little. Switch to solve a specific problem you can demonstrate. For a focused comparison of project organization and setup responsibilities, continue with Shepherd vs Paseo.
Your next workspace
Put it to work.
Try Shepherd on an Apple silicon Mac. The iOS app is currently listed as coming soon.
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