What are AI coding agents.
A coding agent is a program that takes a goal and, on its own, reads the project, edits files, runs commands and tests the result. You follow along and approve.
How does an agent differ from autocomplete and chat?
They are three different levels of autonomy.
- Autocomplete suggests the next snippet as you type. You decide at every keystroke.
- Chat answers questions and generates a block of code. You copy it, paste it and run it.
- An agent receives “add a discount coupon to checkout” and does the whole path: finds the files, edits, runs the tests, fixes what broke and hands back a summary.
The difference is who executes. In chat, you do. With an agent, it does, within the permissions you give it. That is why an agent gets more done and also why it needs more attention: it can go wrong across several files before you look.
Which coding agents exist today?
Tactyn works with four, all command-line and all running with your account:
- Claude Code, from Anthropic.
- Codex, from OpenAI.
- Antigravity CLI, from Google.
- OpenCode, open source.
Each has different strengths and many people use more than one in the same day: one to plan, another to write, another to review. The supported agents page shows what Tactyn does with each.
What are the real risks?
Plainly, there are three, and none of them is “AI will take over the code”.
An agent stalled, waiting for you
The agent hits a question, such as “may I run this migration?”, and stops. If the terminal is in a hidden window, it stays stopped for minutes or hours. You thought you were making progress; you were not. Tactyn flags it on the tab and in macOS when an agent stops and asks for something.
Subscription limit
The Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini plans have usage windows. If the limit runs out mid-task, the agent stops or slows down without warning. The meter shows how much is left on each subscription and warns before it runs out (Mac only, for now).
File conflicts
Two agents in the same directory can edit the same file and one overwrites the other. The fix is to isolate each task in a worktree with its own branch, which is what the maestro does (Mac only, for now). It requires a git repository with at least one commit.
There is one more, simpler risk: the agent runs with broad permissions. Work in a project under git, review the diff before merging and do not give the agent access to secrets it does not need.
What if I only use one agent?
Then none of this weighs much. One terminal, one project and some attention are enough. The risks grow with the number of agents and projects, and that is where a coordination tool starts to pay off. Tactyn is free for one project.
Questions
Does a coding agent write a whole program on its own?
It can produce a lot of code, but the result needs review. The clearer the task and the acceptance criterion, the better. Large, vague tasks tend to come back with decisions you would not have made.
Can I use the subscription I already pay for?
Yes. Tactyn runs the official CLIs with your account or API key. It does not resell model credit.
Does my code go to Tactyn?
No. Everything runs on your machine. The code follows the usual path: from your machine to the provider of the agent you chose. Tactyn's server only checks the license.
Is it safe to give the agent full permission?
It depends on the project. In the maestro, each task runs in its own worktree, and on the Mac you can turn on a sandbox that blocks writes outside it. In any case, use git and review before merging.
See all your agents at once.
R$ 29US$ 10 a month for all your projects, with a full refund within 7 days. With a single project, it is free.