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lpm vs Overmind

An Overmind alternative for Mac — Procfile control, no tmux setup.

Overmind is a capable Procfile manager built around tmux. lpm trades its cross-platform CLI, scaling, and automatic PORT assignment for a native Mac workspace with per-service panes, multi-project switching, and AI-agent workflows.

Download for macOS (Apple Silicon)Intel Mac? Get the x86-64 build
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Facts checked July 26, 2026 against Overmind's official README.

How it compares

Where the two tools differ

Overmind brings Procfile control, scaling, and automatic ports to a cross-platform CLI built on tmux. lpm trades those CLI features for a Mac desktop workspace and multi-project sidebar.

  • Native desktop GUI
    lpm
    Yes
    Overmind
    No
  • Per-service live output
    lpm
    app panes
    Overmind
    tmux windows
  • Attach to a single process
    lpm
    click a pane
    Overmind
    overmind connect
  • Restart one service without the rest
    lpm
    Yes
    Overmind
    Yes
  • Proper SIGINT / signal propagation
    lpm
    Yes
    Overmind
    Yes
  • Runs without setting up or learning tmux
    lpm
    Yes
    Overmind
    No
  • Session survives terminal restart
    lpm
    Yes
    Overmind
    Yes
  • Remote dev over SSH
    lpm
    remote projects + port forwarding
    Overmind
    Yes
  • Multi-project sidebar and switcher
    lpm
    Yes
    Overmind
    No
  • Parallel AI coding agents per project
    lpm
    Yes
    Overmind
    No
  • Generates project config from your repo
    lpm
    Yes
    Overmind
    No
  • Uses an existing Procfile without conversion
    lpm
    No
    Overmind
    Yes
  • Runs on Linux, BSD, and macOS
    lpm
    No
    Overmind
    Yes
  • Scales multiple instances of a process
    lpm
    No
    Overmind
    Yes
  • Automatic PORT allocation
    lpm
    No
    Overmind
    Yes
Honest take

Pick the tool that matches how you actually work

Pick lpm

You want a GUI, multiple projects open at once, and room for AI agents.

  • You switch between two or more local projects during the day and want a visual sidebar, not separate terminal windows.
  • You run Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, or aider against the same codebase and want each agent's services visible without context-switching.
  • You don't want to set up or learn tmux just to run a Rails or Next.js stack.
  • You like the idea of clicking a service to attach to its pane with full scrollback and an interactive prompt.
  • Your whole team isn't on tmux and you want something a new hire can open on day one.
Pick Overmind

You live in tmux, stay on the CLI, and want native Procfile features.

  • You already have tmux muscle memory and prefer keyboard-driven window management.
  • You develop over SSH on a remote box and need the tmux server to survive terminal reconnects.
  • You want to use an existing Procfile directly, with automatic port allocation and process scaling.
  • Your workflow is one project at a time and you're happy driving everything from the shell.
  • Your team develops across Linux, BSD, and macOS rather than only on Macs.
See it in action

Projects, terminals, agents, a built-in browser — one click each

A recording of lpm booting a project and handing it to Claude Code — lpm is a macOS app, so the clickable demo runs on desktop.

lpm is a macOS app with a multi-pane terminal workspace. Open this page on your computer to try the interactive demo.

Get lpm for MacOr check your Macs from your iPhone
FAQ

Switching from Overmind

  • I already have a Procfile for Overmind — do I have to throw it away?
    You'll convert the lines, but the shape is the same. lpm keeps each project in a small per-project config file you can read, edit, and commit — each service is just a name and a command, exactly like your Procfile. Keep the Procfile in the repo if Foreman or Heroku still needs it; lpm just reads its own config alongside.
  • Do I have to set up tmux to use lpm?
    No — lpm manages the session layer for you. Your services run in persistent sessions that survive app and terminal restarts, and each one renders in its own pane in the desktop app; there's nothing to configure or attach to. The difference from Overmind is that you never touch tmux yourself: no .tmux.conf to write, no keybindings to memorize, no windows to attach to by hand — you just click a pane.
  • How do I attach to a single process the way overmind connect does?
    Click the service in the sidebar and its pane takes focus with full scrollback and an interactive prompt, so you can hit a debugger, run a pry session, or send input to just that one process.
  • Can I use lpm on a remote dev box over SSH?
    Yes — lpm supports SSH remote projects: connect to a dev box, run its services in panes beside your local ones, and forward remote ports to localhost from the app. If your entire session lives on the remote host and you only ever reach it from a terminal, Overmind on top of a remote multiplexer still fits that shape; lpm gives you the remote box managed from a local desktop app.
  • What does lpm add if I'm running Claude Code or Codex alongside my Rails stack?
    lpm treats each project as a group of services with its own sidebar entry, so you can run Claude Code against one project's running web + worker while Codex hits another — every agent's output visible at once in separate panes, with no tab juggling and no port collisions between projects.

Keep reading

Mac terminal for developers

Run your whole stack — services, logs, and agents — in one native Mac app.

lpm vs Foreman

How lpm compares to the original Procfile runner for Rails devs.

Keep Overmind's per-process control. Skip the tmux setup.

Install lpm, convert your Procfile lines into a small per-project config, and every service shows up as its own live pane in the desktop app. Sessions persist across app and terminal restarts — nothing to attach to. Free and open source on GitHub.

Download for macOS (Apple Silicon)Intel Mac? Get the x86-64 build
Developer ID signed · Notarized by AppleSafety, checksums & removal
View on GitHub