Comparison with Alternatives

How muxa compares to other tools for running multiple processes.

Quick Comparison

Feature	muxa	concurrently	mprocs	npm-run-all	turbo
Simple CLI	✅	✅	❌	✅	❌
Interactive features	✅	❌	✅	❌	❌
Monorepo support	✅	❌	❌	⚠️	✅
Clean output	✅	⚠️	✅	⚠️	✅
Zero config	✅	✅	❌	✅	❌
Process naming	✅	✅	✅	❌	✅

vs concurrently

concurrently is the most popular tool for running multiple commands.

Advantages of muxa

• Preserves interactivity - Vite shortcuts, Expo QR codes work
• Better output - Clean terminal UI with mprocs
• Monorepo native - Built-in workspace support
• Simpler syntax - Cleaner command structure

When to use concurrently

• Simple CI pipelines
• Basic parallel execution
• Existing scripts using it
• No interactive features needed

Migration Example

# concurrently
concurrently -n "api,web" \
  "cd packages/api && npm run dev" \
  "cd packages/web && npm run dev"

# muxa
muxa -s api dev api -s web dev web

vs mprocs (direct usage)

mprocs is what powers muxa's terminal UI.

Advantages of muxa

• No config files - Pure CLI interface
• Simpler syntax - More intuitive commands
• Workspace aware - Understands monorepos
• Auto shell wrapping - Handles complex commands

When to use mprocs directly

• Need advanced mprocs features
• Want config file control
• Complex process dependencies
• Custom keybindings

Example Comparison

# mprocs.yaml
procs:
  api:
    cmd: cd packages/api && npm run dev
  web:
    cmd: cd packages/web && npm run dev

# muxa (no config needed)
muxa -s api dev -s web dev

vs npm-run-all

npm-run-all runs npm scripts in parallel or series.

Advantages of muxa

• Any package manager - Not just npm
• Mixed commands - Not limited to npm scripts
• Better output - Terminal UI vs interleaved logs
• Workspace support - Cross-package scripts

When to use npm-run-all

• Only running npm scripts
• Need series execution
• Pattern matching scripts
• Existing npm-run-all setup

Example Comparison

# npm-run-all
npm-run-all --parallel lint:* test:*

# muxa (explicit but flexible)
muxa -c 'npm run lint:js' \
     -c 'npm run lint:css' \
     -c 'npm run test:unit' \
     -c 'npm run test:e2e'

vs Turbo

Turbo is a build system for monorepos.

Different Use Cases

muxa and Turbo solve different problems:

• muxa - Process runner for development
• Turbo - Build system with caching

When to use each

Use muxa for:

• Development servers
• Watch modes
• Mixed commands
• Simple parallel execution

Use Turbo for:

• Build pipelines
• Task caching
• Complex dependencies
• CI optimization

They work together

# Use Turbo for builds
turbo build

# Use muxa for development
muxa -s web dev -s api dev

vs Nx

Nx is a build system and monorepo tool.

Different Philosophy

• muxa - Lightweight process runner
• Nx - Full monorepo solution

Complementary Tools

# Nx for builds and tests
nx build myapp
nx test myapp

# muxa for development
muxa -s myapp serve -s api serve

vs PM2

PM2 is a production process manager.

Different Purposes

• muxa - Development tool
• PM2 - Production deployment

Key Differences

• muxa focuses on developer experience
• PM2 handles production concerns
• muxa has interactive features
• PM2 has monitoring/clustering

vs Docker Compose

Docker Compose orchestrates containers.

Can Work Together

# Start services with Docker Compose
# Run apps with muxa
muxa -c 'docker-compose up' services \
     -s frontend dev \
     -s backend dev

Different Scopes

• Docker Compose for containerized services
• muxa for local development processes

Feature Comparison Matrix

Basic Features

Feature	muxa	concurrently	mprocs	npm-run-all
Run commands	✅	✅	✅	✅
Named processes	✅	✅	✅	❌
Color output	✅	✅	✅	✅
Exit on failure	✅	✅	✅	✅

Advanced Features

Feature	muxa	concurrently	mprocs	npm-run-all
Split terminal UI	✅	❌	✅	❌
Interactive stdin	✅	❌	✅	❌
Workspace scripts	✅	❌	❌	❌
Config files	❌	❌	✅	❌

Developer Experience

Feature	muxa	concurrently	mprocs	npm-run-all
Zero config	✅	✅	❌	✅
Simple syntax	✅	✅	❌	✅
Good errors	✅	⚠️	⚠️	⚠️
Monorepo aware	✅	❌	❌	⚠️

Choosing the Right Tool

Decision Tree

1. Need interactive features? → muxa
2. Working in a monorepo? → muxa
3. Just CI/CD pipelines? → concurrently
4. Need build caching? → Turbo/Nx
5. Production deployment? → PM2/systemd
6. Want config files? → mprocs directly

Summary

muxa fills a specific niche:

• Better than concurrently for development
• Simpler than mprocs to use
• Focused on running, not building
• Designed for modern monorepos

Choose muxa when you want the best developer experience for running multiple processes during development.