Code Airlock vs Baton

Detailed side-by-side comparison to help you choose the right tool

Code Airlock

🔴Developer

developer-tools

A thin CLI wrapper around Docker Sandboxes that runs Claude Code, Codex, or OpenCode in a disposable microVM against a clone of your repo, then brings the work back as ordinary git commits for review.

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Starting Price

$0 (self-hosted)
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Baton

🔴Developer

developer-tools

A macOS menu bar app that tracks every Claude Code and Codex session on your machine and tells you which AI coding agent is waiting on you right now.

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Starting Price

$0 (self-hosted)
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Feature Comparison

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FeatureCode AirlockBaton
Categorydeveloper-toolsdeveloper-tools
Pricing Plans1 listed plan1 listed plan
Starting Price$0 (self-hosted)$0 (self-hosted)
Key Features
  • • Runs coding agents in disposable Docker Sandbox microVMs, a boundary below the agent process rather than inside it
  • • Clone mode by default: the agent works in a private clone while your host repo stays read-only
  • • One-command task runs (code-airlock run "...") using each agent's non-interactive mode
  • • Menu bar count of AI agent sessions waiting on you, updated in under a second via FSEvents file watching
  • • Unified view of Claude Code sessions and Codex threads, grouped by waiting, working, and done
  • • Click-to-jump: raises the Claude session's Terminal.app tab or opens Codex threads via codex:// deep links

Code Airlock - Pros & Cons

Pros

  • ✓Real security boundary at the microVM level — not just agent-side prompts
  • ✓Host repo stays read-only; every change comes back as a reviewable git commit
  • ✓Multi-agent: swap between Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode with one flag
  • ✓Sandbox never needs GitHub creds — PRs push from the host
  • ✓MIT licensed with npm/Homebrew/curl installs and preflight `doctor` diagnostics

Cons

  • ✗Requires Docker Sandboxes and KVM/virtualization on the host
  • ✗No MCP integration — wraps agents but doesn't extend their tool surface
  • ✗Extra latency vs. running the agent directly on the host
  • ✗Small project (thin wrapper) — you're also depending on the underlying sbx CLI
  • ✗Adds cognitive load: another layer between you and the agent

Baton - Pros & Cons

Pros

  • ✓Free, open source (MIT), no telemetry, nothing leaves the machine
  • ✓Sub-second updates via FSEvents; negligible CPU/battery cost
  • ✓Handles both Claude Code and Codex in one unified view
  • ✓Click-to-jump saves the biggest actual cost of multi-agent work: finding the right window
  • ✓One-line install with an isolated venv — clean uninstall too

Cons

  • ✗macOS only; no Linux or Windows menu bar equivalent
  • ✗Requires Python 3.9+ on the host (3.11+ for Codex automation tracking)
  • ✗Only tracks Claude Code and Codex — other coding agents (Cursor, Cline, Aider) not supported
  • ✗No push notifications to phone / other devices; menu bar only
  • ✗Read-only by design — cannot send input back to sessions

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Review Code AirlockReview Baton