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OVERVIEW · OKTO NEXUS VS SHEP
Okto Nexus Source available · Elastic License 2.0 · Local-first · Free to run · Cross platform Shep Open source · MIT · Local-first · Free, no paid tier · Cross platform

Okto Nexus vs. ShepShep runs your agents in parallel branches. Nexus is what happens when they need to work together

Git worktrees keep agents from colliding. They don't coordinate agents once running: no messaging, no ownership, no mid-build approval. Okto Nexus covers that.

Install Okto Nexus See how it works View on GitHub ↗
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MCP tools (46 w/ memory)
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Database tables
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Opt-in feature flags
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Cloud accounts required
01 · WHAT EACH IS

Spec and merge approvals, coordination during execution

Shep answers where an agent's code lives and adds optional requirements and plan approvals. Nexus answers who owns it, who checked it, and who approved it, throughout the build.

Shep

Open source (MIT) CLI and local dashboard from Shep AI. Runs Claude Code, Cursor CLI, Gemini CLI, or any terminal-launchable agent, each feature in its own isolated git worktree.

  • One command (shep feat new) cuts a branch and worktree
  • Optional spec mode: a YAML plan you approve before code starts
  • Commits, pushes, opens a draft PR, watches CI, auto-fixes on failure (3 retries)
  • You hold the merge button unless you pass --allow-merge
  • Fully local: state lives in ~/.shep/, no Shep servers
  • No agent identity, messaging, or cross-feature ownership

Okto Nexus

Local first coordination hub. Installs with pip, runs as a local hub every agent connects to over MCP.

  • Durable identity, presence, and inbox per agent
  • Atomic handoff_claim: one winner, no duplicate work
  • Separate verifier role, executor can't self-verify
  • Policies and human in the loop approval gates, active during execution
  • Opt-in memory + immutable, replayable event log
  • 43 MCP tools by default (46 with memory), 34 tables
> pip install "okto-nexus[serve]"

Shep makes sure agents can't collide on files, with a real CI-watch-and-fix loop and a draft PR waiting at the end. Nexus makes sure they know who owns what, someone independent checked it, and a human signed off on anything risky, while the work is still happening.

How each workflow actually moves

Shep · feature lifecycle

01New feature
02Spec approval
03Isolated worktree
04Draft PR
05CI watch & fix
06Review & merge

Okto Nexus · real MCP tool calls

handoff_create()handoff_claim()memory_put()memory_search()handoff_complete()

02 · HOW IT'S JUDGED

A verifier gate, not a habit

Shep's checkpoints sit at the edges, before code starts and at CI. Nexus enforces its gate mid-build.

Verifier gate
separate from the executor
VERIFYING
acceptance_criteria attached set · required
executor verifying its own result barred
verdict from a separate agent required to advance
status: a failed verdict returns the handoff with recorded feedback

Governance policy actions

versioned · plus byte limits
Deny
Blocked
The call never executes at all.
Quota
Capped
A ceiling enforced per agent or scope.
Max open handoffs
Limited
Caps how much work one agent can hold at once.
Require approval
Paused
Execution waits for a human decision.
agent claims → handoff (atomic, single winner)
handoff verified_by → validator (never the executor)
handoff depends_on → handoff (blocked until complete)
action requires_approval → human (paused until a decision)
Shep · spec approval & CI watch
# before code starts
> requirements and plan approval gates
spec planapproved before implementation
risky action, mid-buildno equivalent policy documented

Shep documents requirements, plan, and merge approval gates. These differ from policies on individual coordination actions.

Okto Nexus · require_approval policy
# sensitive action requested
> handoff_create(...) · policy-gated
require_approval policyintercepted
human decisionmust approve or reject first

The action does not execute until a person says yes.

03 · AT A GLANCE

Where each capability lives

15 capabilities, classified by how each product actually handles them.

Native Built in and enforced automatically. Partial Present, but manual, opt-in, or external. Not supported Not something the product does today.
CapabilityOkto NexusShep
Coordination & governance
Agent to agent coordination Native

Durable identities + 7 routing strategies (direct, capability, role, tag, broadcast, mixed, fallback).

 Not supported

Agents in separate worktrees can't message each other; you watch the dashboard instead.
Single owner task claims Native

handoff_create + atomic handoff_claim: exactly one winner.

 Not supported

You create each feature manually; nothing prevents overlapping scope.
Verification and separation of duties Native

Completed work enters VERIFYING; executor barred from self-verify.

 Not supported

CI and your own PR review are real, but no separate party is enforced.
Task dependencies Native (opt in)

depends_on blocks claiming until the dependency completes.

 Not supported

No dependency concept between features; sequencing is manual.
Governance and human approval on execution Native

Versioned policies (deny, quota, limits, require_approval) active throughout execution.

 Partial

Optional requirements and plan approvals, plus review before merge; no equivalent per-action coordination policy documented.
Durable cross-session memory Native (opt in)

memory_put / memory_get / semantic memory_search across sessions.

 Not supported

Feature state persists in SQLite; no cross-feature recall or search.
Communication standardization Native

Versioned presets set tone, structure, and verbosity per role.

 Not supported

Each agent talks however its own model defaults to.
Audit trail and replay Native

Immutable, monotonic event log; CLI NDJSON replay export.

 Partial

Per-feature logs are real; no unified, replayable log or export format.
Presence and session tracking Native

Heartbeat-based presence within a configurable window.

 Partial

shep agent ls shows running sessions; no explicit presence model.
Observability dashboard Native

Agent graph, message threads, 6-column handoff Kanban, event timeline, health metrics.

 Native

A live local dashboard shows every repo, feature, status, diff, and chat.
Deployment, pricing & license
Platform support Cross platform

Anywhere Python 3.11+ runs.

 Cross platform

Requires Node.js 22+, pnpm 10+, Git, the GitHub CLI, and an authenticated agent.
Core pricing Free today

No published paid tier.

 Free, no tier

MIT-licensed, no Shep servers, no usage meter.
License Source available

Elastic License 2.0 + addendum; no hosted/multi tenant resale.

 Open source

MIT license, including commercial use subject to its terms.
Extensibility Native

7 opt-in feature flags + 12 versioned MCP reference resources.

 Native

Agent-agnostic through a generic executor interface, not a fixed list.
Enterprise readiness Partial

Policies, guardrails, and audit log exist; built for single tenant use.

 Not supported

No enterprise tier, SSO, or compliance certifications mentioned.

Shep workflow checked on September 22, 2026 against shep.bot and its official README. Capability availability depends on version and configuration. Nexus's tool/table/flag counts confirmed unchanged through release 0.1.9.

04 · BEST FIT

Isolation, coordination, or both

Reach for Shep when

The problem is spatial

Several agents touch the same codebase and you want the most permissively licensed, fully free option: real worktree isolation, a CI-watch-and-fix loop, and an optional spec plan up front.

Reach for Okto Nexus once

You have more than one feature to coordinate

Two agents risk overlapping features, a finished feature needs a second party to verify it, or a risky action needs a human to say yes mid-build, not just a plan approved beforehand.

Using both is reasonable

Not a compromise

Build with Shep's worktrees and CI loop; let Nexus own identity, verification, and approval on top. No official integration exists today.

05 · WHAT ISOLATION MISSES

What isolation alone does not catch

Worktrees solve one problem: two agents can't edit the same file at once. Shep solves that cleanly, with a real CI loop, but not what shows up once a team scales past two or three.

Two agents building overlapping features

handoff_claim prevents two agents from claiming the same handoff. Teams still need to identify overlapping scope between separate handoffs.

A feature passes CI and still isn't right

CI only checks what the test suite covers. The VERIFYING state requires a separate verifier to confirm it.

A risky action, mid-build, unaware

Shep provides workflow approval gates. Nexus can require human approval for policy-covered coordination actions during execution.

A decision from three features ago, gone

Shep persists feature state in SQLite. Nexus offers an optional shared memory API and event history for coordination across sessions.

06 · FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Q1

    Is Okto Nexus a replacement for Shep, or something you would run alongside it?

    Alongside. Shep handles where agents run, how files stay separate, and gives you a real CI-watch loop and draft PR at the end, for free under MIT. Nexus handles who owns the work, who verified it, and who approved anything risky, none of which Shep tracks once a feature is being built.

  2. Q2

    Doesn't Shep's spec mode already do what Nexus does?

    Not quite. Shep offers optional requirements and plan approval gates, plus review before merge. Nexus's governance runs throughout execution: policies, guardrails, and human approval on specific risky actions as they come up.

  3. Q3

    Does Okto Nexus run on the same agents as Shep?

    Yes, on the connection side. Nexus's dashboard generates MCP connection snippets for Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf, and Cline. Shep names Claude Code, Cursor CLI, and Gemini CLI explicitly, plus any terminal-launchable agent.

  4. Q4

    Is Okto Nexus open source like Shep?

    Not quite. Shep is fully open source under MIT, with no restriction on reselling it as a hosted service. Nexus is source available under the Elastic License 2.0 with an addendum restricting hosted, multi tenant, or white label resale.

  5. Q5

    Which one costs more to run?

    Neither costs anything at the core. Nexus has no published paid tier at the time of this comparison. Shep is the same: free, MIT-licensed, no Shep servers, no usage meter.

Isolated worktrees don't know what the other worktrees are doing

Free to run locally, no account required, works with the coding agent you already have.

Install Okto Nexus Read the docs ↗

Shep and Shep AI are trademarks of their owner, referenced here for comparison only. No affiliation with or endorsement by Shep AI is implied.