What is Claude Swarm?
Claude Swarm is a Python-based multi-agent orchestration system built on the Claude Agent SDK. It uses a three-phase architecture: Opus 4.6 decomposes tasks into dependency graphs, parallel waves of Haiku workers execute them with pessimistic file locking, and Opus reviews all outputs for integration issues. Features a real-time htop-style TUI dashboard.
Answer-Ready: Claude Swarm orchestrates multiple Claude agents with Opus decomposition and Haiku worker execution. Three-phase architecture: decompose → execute in parallel waves → quality gate. Real-time TUI dashboard, budget enforcement, YAML topology, session replay.
Best for: Teams orchestrating multiple Claude agents for large codebases. Works with: Claude Agent SDK, Claude API. Setup time: Under 5 minutes.
Architecture
Three Phases
Phase 1: DECOMPOSE (Opus 4.6)
Task → Dependency Graph → Parallel Waves
Phase 2: EXECUTE (Haiku Workers)
Wave 1: [task-a, task-b] (parallel, no deps)
Wave 2: [task-c] (depends on a+b)
Wave 3: [task-d, task-e] (depends on c)
Phase 3: QUALITY GATE (Opus 4.6)
Review all outputs → Flag integration issuesKey Features
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| TUI Dashboard | htop-style real-time monitoring |
| File Locking | Pessimistic locks prevent conflicts |
| Budget Control | Hard cost limits per swarm run |
| Session Replay | JSONL recording/playback |
| YAML Config | Declarative swarm topology |
| Retry Logic | Automatic task retry on failure |
| Demo Mode | Dry-run without API calls |
Real-Time Dashboard
┌─ Claude Swarm ────────────────────────────┐
│ Budget: $1.23 / $5.00 Tasks: 3/7 │
│ │
│ Worker-1 ████████░░ task-a [running] │
│ Worker-2 ██████████ task-b [done] │
│ Worker-3 ░░░░░░░░░░ task-c [waiting] │
│ Worker-4 ████░░░░░░ task-d [running] │
└───────────────────────────────────────────┘FAQ
Q: How does it prevent file conflicts? A: Pessimistic file locking — only one worker can modify a file at a time. Others wait.
Q: Can I limit costs?
A: Yes, set budget.max_cost in YAML. Swarm stops when budget is reached.
Q: Does it work with Claude Code? A: Claude Swarm uses the Claude Agent SDK directly, not Claude Code. It is a separate orchestration tool.