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Dispatch is the closest documented alternative if you want a dedicated board for coordinating coding-agent tasks. If you want to stay in VS Code, Agent Kanban connects a board to agent sessions. Linear can delegate issues to a cloud coding agent, while GitHub Projects is a flexible work tracker—not, based on the documentation reviewed, an agent-dispatch tool.
These choices solve different problems. VS Code’s Agents window is an IDE interface for coordinating sessions across projects; a task tracker stores and organizes work; an agent board may also launch and supervise runs. The right fit depends on where you want task status to live, whether agents should work locally or in the cloud, and how you review their changes.
At a glance
| Name | Best for | Key difference | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Dispatch | A dedicated board for coding-agent runs | Tasks, milestones, runs, worktrees, and review in one workflow | Nov 2026 |
| 2. Agent Kanban | Adding task-board context to VS Code sessions | A VS Code extension connected to a separate board | Nov 2026 |
| 3. Linear | Teams that already manage issues in Linear | Delegates scoped issues to a cloud agent that can produce a draft pull request | Nov 2026 |
| 4. GitHub Projects | GitHub users who need general work planning and tracking | A flexible project tracker; the reviewed docs do not establish agent dispatch | Nov 2026 |
| 5. VS Code harnesses and session tools | Developers whose main concern is the agent runtime, not a separate board | Changes how agent sessions run inside VS Code rather than adding an independent tracker | Nov 2026 |
What is the VS Code Agents window, and what are you replacing?
VS Code’s Agents window is more than a static task board. Microsoft describes it as an “agent-first interface” for delegating and coordinating tasks across projects. It provides a session list and central interaction area, lets you start work against a chosen workspace, and supports switching among multiple sessions, responding to questions, reviewing changes, running checks, and integrating work.
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That distinction matters when comparing alternatives. A conventional tracker can tell you what needs doing without starting an agent. A task-first agent board may organize work and supervise runs. An IDE session interface centers on agent conversations and code review. Replacing the Agents window could mean replacing only its task visibility—or also its session management, execution, isolation, and review workflow.
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The Agents window can use different agent harnesses and execution targets. VS Code documents Copilot, Claude, and Codex harnesses, as well as cloud execution. Its local harness is deprecated and the documentation says it is scheduled for removal by February 2027; cloud sessions are described as experimental. Those statuses can change, so check the current Agents window documentation and harness guidance for your installed VS Code version.
Which alternative is closest to a dedicated coding-agent board?
Dispatch is the closest match in this comparison when you want a task-first board that also coordinates coding-agent runs. Its product page describes task ownership and status, definitions of done, board and milestone views, agent runs, isolated worktrees, and a review-and-merge workflow.
1. Dispatch: tasks, agent runs, and review in one place
Dispatch describes itself as a shared task board for AI coding agents. Its workflow starts with a task that has an owner, status, and definition of done; a team can then organize work using a board or milestone view. The vendor says Claude Code and Codex are built in, and other agents can connect through MCP or CLI configuration.
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Runs operate on the user’s machine and checkout, according to Dispatch. The product says each run gets its own branch and Git worktree, with changes moving through review and a merge queue. That arrangement is relevant if you want several agent tasks to be distinct from each other and want a human review step before integration. It is not proof of comparative safety or speed; the cited material is the vendor’s description, not an independent test.
The strongest reason to choose Dispatch is that it combines task tracking with documented agent-run coordination instead of asking a general project tracker to do both. It may suit developers who want to queue work, assign it to an agent, keep runs separated, and review the resulting changes. Before adopting it, verify that its supported agents match your setup, that the MCP or CLI configuration you need is available, and that its local workflow fits your repositories and team.
Dispatch’s vendor page lists macOS and Linux packages and describes the product as open core. It says the product is free for up to three people and that teams of four or more need a license key. These are vendor-stated terms, not a guarantee of current availability or total cost; confirm the live Dispatch product and licensing information before relying on them. The reviewed page does not establish Windows support.
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Questions to settle before moving a team board
- Where is task state stored? Confirm what persists if a developer changes machines, disconnects an agent, or stops using the board.
- Which agents are supported natively? Dispatch documents built-in Claude Code and Codex support, with other agents connectable through MCP or CLI configuration. That may require setup beyond selecting an agent in a menu.
- How does a run get reviewed? The vendor describes branches, worktrees, review, and a merge queue. Check that this flow aligns with your own branch protections and human approval practices.
- Does the team fit the current license terms? The stated three-person free allowance and license requirement for larger teams should be verified directly before rollout.
How can I add a task board without leaving VS Code?
Agent Kanban is the most directly VS Code-connected option here. Its Marketplace listing describes an extension tied to a separate board that can connect task details to agent sessions; it is not documented as a complete replacement for every feature in the Agents window.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware match2. Agent Kanban: connect board tasks to agent context
The extension can show boards and tasks, align the workspace with a selected task, and add the task title and instructions to a managed section of AGENTS.md. Its listing says it can resume context in Copilot or Claude sessions. That makes it a potential fit if your main problem is losing track of what an agent should be doing—or having task instructions separated from the repository workspace.
Turn capture is opt-in and off by default, according to the Marketplace listing. That is a useful distinction when deciding whether conversation context should be retained or passed along. Review the extension’s current settings and terms before enabling capture, and be clear with teammates about what information is included in task instructions or captured turns.
Agent Kanban depends on its connected board service, so there are two parts to assess: the VS Code extension and the service it connects to. Confirm that the service is available to your team, that the agents in your installed setup are supported, and that task context is written where you expect. The listing describes Copilot and Claude session continuity, but it does not establish support for every harness, agent version, or organization configuration.
Choose this path if you want to retain VS Code as the work surface and add a task-to-session bridge. Choose a separate tracker instead if your team needs a broader issue-management system, or a dedicated agent board if the priority is coordinating runs outside the editor. See the current Agent Kanban Marketplace listing for availability and setup details.
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Linear documents an issue-to-cloud-agent workflow. It is a sensible option for teams that already use Linear as their source of truth and want to assign a well-scoped coding issue to an agent, follow progress, add context, and review a draft pull request without treating the issue tracker as a local VS Code session manager.
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3. Linear: delegate an issue to a cloud coding agent
Linear’s documented coding agent takes a well-scoped issue and works in a cloud environment. Teammates can follow progress, steer the approach with added context, and review the diff in Linear; the agent can produce a draft pull request. Repository access is through Linear’s GitHub integration, so permissions and integration setup are part of the workflow, not an afterthought.
This is different from running an agent against a developer’s local checkout. A cloud environment can be useful when the team wants work tied to an issue and a pull-request review path, but it introduces environment setup, repository access, and cloud-use considerations. The reviewed material does not show that Linear replaces the VS Code Agents window’s local session list or interactive editor workflow.
Linear says use of the agent requires workspace AI credits and documents support on Free, Basic, Business, and Enterprise plans, excluding legacy plans. Sandbox charges are described in 20-minute increments and vary by size. Because plan eligibility, credit rules, and sandbox rates are volatile and no reliable current rate table is reproduced here, check the live Linear cloud coding agent documentation before estimating cost.
For a trial task, use an issue with a clear scope, acceptance criteria, and enough repository context for an agent to act. Verify the connected repository and its permissions, inspect the produced diff, and use your normal review process before merging. Do not assume that the presence of an AI feature on a workspace plan means every cloud run or sandbox cost is included.
Is GitHub Projects an agent task board?
GitHub Projects is documented as a flexible tool for planning and tracking work on GitHub, not as a specific agent-run board. It can be a practical choice when keeping tasks close to GitHub issues and repositories matters more than having an integrated interface for launching and supervising agents.
4. GitHub Projects: keep general work tracking in GitHub
GitHub calls Projects “an adaptable, flexible tool for planning and tracking work on GitHub.” That supports using it to organize work, but the reviewed documentation does not establish a built-in agent dispatch workflow or session monitor. Treat it as the place to plan and track coding work unless you have separately verified an agent integration that meets your requirements.
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This option is most compelling if the team already tracks work in GitHub and does not want another project-tracking system. It can keep project planning connected to GitHub work, but you may still need a separate tool or process to start agent sessions, monitor their conversations, preserve agent-specific context, isolate parallel runs, or review code. Those are separate capabilities; a project board alone should not be assumed to provide them.
Before choosing Projects as the center of an agent workflow, write down which actions must happen from the tracker itself. If the requirement is only to see status and organize tasks, a general project tool may be enough. If the requirement includes dispatching an agent, answering its questions, or inspecting a live run, verify that capability in the specific integration you plan to use. The GitHub Projects documentation explains the product’s work-planning role.
What if I only need a different agent runtime?
If the real problem is the agent implementation rather than task organization, you may not need a separate board at all. VS Code documents several harness choices and execution modes; changing the harness can alter how sessions run while keeping your work in the editor.
5. VS Code harnesses and session tools: change the runtime, not the tracker
VS Code documents Copilot, Claude, and Codex harnesses. The harness is the runtime through which an agent operates, so this choice is about how the agent session works—not a new system for storing project tasks. VS Code also describes local and cloud execution paths, with cloud sessions marked experimental in the reviewed documentation.
The local harness is documented as deprecated, with removal planned by February 2027. If your existing process depends on it, do not assume it will remain available: review the current migration guidance and identify a supported harness before the removal date. The harness documentation also notes that Copilot sessions can continue in the background while the Agent Host runs, while Claude and Codex use their respective runtimes and workflows. Check the current agent harness documentation and broader VS Code AI overview for changes to these details.
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How should I choose between these tools?
Start with the location of task state and the kind of work you expect the tool to do. The central question is not simply which interface looks most like a board; it is whether the tool tracks tasks, starts agents, runs them locally or in the cloud, and provides the review and context continuity your team needs.
| If you need… | Start with… | Why | Check before adopting |
|---|---|---|---|
| A board centered on coding-agent runs | Dispatch | Its vendor describes task status, milestones, runs, worktrees, and review | Agent compatibility, setup, OS support, team licensing, and where task data lives |
| Task details carried into VS Code agent sessions | Agent Kanban | The extension connects selected tasks to workspace and session context | Connected-service availability, supported agents, capture settings, and terms |
| Issue-based delegation in an existing tracker | Linear | Its cloud agent works from an issue and can produce a draft pull request | Plan eligibility, AI credits, sandbox charges, GitHub integration, and cloud environment |
| Planning and tracking without another tracker | GitHub Projects | GitHub documents flexible work planning and tracking | Whether a separate verified integration is needed to launch and monitor agents |
| A different agent runtime inside the editor | VS Code harnesses | Changes the agent execution path without adding a separate project board | Current harness support, local deprecation, and cloud feature status |
Use these seven checks for any candidate
- Task-state location: Is the authoritative task in a VS Code session, a connected board, a GitHub project, a Linear issue, or a dedicated agent board? Avoid creating two competing records of status unless the synchronization is explicit.
- Dispatch versus tracking: Can the product actually start and supervise an agent, or does it only record that work exists? This is the most important distinction between an agent board and a general project tracker.
- Agent compatibility: Identify whether the required agent is native, accessed through a harness, or requires MCP/CLI setup. Check your exact installed configuration instead of relying on a generic claim of compatibility.
- Execution location: Decide whether code should run in a local checkout or worktree, or a managed cloud environment. This affects repository access, environment configuration, and how the team can inspect ongoing work.
- Isolation and review: Check how parallel tasks are separated, how you see a diff, and where human approval happens. A branch, worktree, draft pull request, and merge queue are not interchangeable descriptions of the same workflow.
- Context continuity: Look for task instructions, repository guidance, conversation capture, and a clear way to resume work. Confirm what is saved and what is opt-in, especially when session turns may contain sensitive information.
- Collaboration and cost: Check team limits, licenses, AI credits, model usage, sandbox runtime, and plan eligibility. The software’s headline availability does not by itself tell you the cost of running agents at team scale.
How were these alternatives selected?
The options are ranked by how directly their documented capabilities address managing coding tasks and agent work, not by a performance score. Dispatch ranks first because its vendor describes a dedicated board with task status, milestones, agent runs, worktrees, and review. Agent Kanban ranks next for its direct connection between selected board tasks and VS Code session context. Linear follows for documented cloud delegation from issues; GitHub Projects is included for general work tracking but not represented as an agent dispatcher. VS Code harnesses are included as an adjacent alternative for readers who may need a different runtime rather than a different board.
The comparison uses the cited official documentation, vendor page, and Marketplace listing. It does not establish which product is faster, more productive, safer in practice, or best for every team. Product features, prices, operating-system support, plan availability, and preview status may change; check the linked primary pages before choosing.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use Dispatch with agents other than Claude Code and Codex?
Dispatch says other agents can be connected through MCP or CLI configuration, but the exact setup depends on the agent. Check its current documentation for compatibility and configuration details before committing to a workflow.
Does Agent Kanban save every agent conversation automatically?
The Marketplace listing says turn capture is opt-in and off by default. Review the extension’s current settings and privacy terms to understand what is captured if you enable it.
Can Linear’s coding agent work from a local checkout?
The documented workflow runs in a cloud environment and accesses repositories through Linear’s GitHub integration. It is not described as a replacement for an agent working interactively in a developer’s local VS Code session.
Do I need an agent board if I already use VS Code’s Agents window?
Not necessarily. If session management, agent conversations, and review in VS Code cover your needs, a separate board may add little; it becomes useful when the team needs a different shared task view or a distinct orchestration workflow.
