splash

SplashCompareEmdash

Splash and Emdash, compared.

Splash and Emdash both run several coding agents at once, and both can give each agent its own git worktree. Emdash is an Electron desktop app that runs each agent’s own terminal interface by default, with an opt-in chat view over the Agent Client Protocol (ACP) for agents that support it; Splash is a desktop app and headless server that talks to every agent over ACP.

Checked 9 October 202647 sourcesNot affiliated with General Action

Splash

Helge Sverre

A desktop app for running several coding agents at once, each session in its project folder or its own git worktree. It drives agents over the Agent Client Protocol.12

splash.computer

Emdash

General Action

An open-source desktop app, which its makers call an agentic development environment, for running coding agents in parallel, scheduling agent work and reviewing their changes. It has builds for macOS, Windows and Linux.34

emdash.com

Side by side

SplashEmdash
The basics
What it is Desktop app, plus a headless server you open in a browser15 Desktop app built on Electron; no web or mobile client is documented36
Release status v0.2.1, early development17 v1.2.7 (September 2026); stable since v1 in April 2026, with an opt-in canary channel89
License Open source (MIT)10 Open source (Apache 2.0)4
Price Free11 Free; Emdash Cloud and Emdash Enterprise are offered by contact, with no published prices31213
Platforms macOS 14+ (Apple silicon and Intel), Windows 11 x64, Ubuntu 24.04 x6414 macOS (Apple silicon and Intel), Windows x64, Linux x64 and ARM64 (AppImage, DEB, RPM)158
Built with Rust, with a Svelte 5 frontend in a webview, built on the Elyra framework16 TypeScript and React 19 on Electron, with xterm terminals, the Monaco editor and a local SQLite database615
Agents
Agents Ships launch commands for 20 agents, including Claude Code, Codex, Copilot, Gemini, Goose, OpenCode1718 Docs list 35 agent CLIs, including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Amp, OpenCode and GitHub Copilot; installed ones are detected19
How it runs agents Agent Client Protocol over stdio, natively or through a pinned adapter for the vendor’s CLI172 Each agent’s own TUI in a terminal by default; an opt-in chat UI over ACP where the agent supports it209
Agent sign-in You install and sign in to each agent’s CLI yourself; Splash runs it with that login18 You sign in through each agent’s CLI with your subscription or API key; Emdash can run the CLIs’ install commands321922
Permission requests Yes: Shown in the transcript and answered with the 1–9 keys; pending ones wait in Needs attention23 Yes: In the TUI, the agent’s own prompts, with auto-approve where the agent supports it; in the chat UI, the agent’s allow and reject options above the composer19924
MCP servers Partly: Read-only list of MCP servers from Claude Code, Codex, Pi, Pool and Glue config files2325 Yes: Set up once in a Library and written into the config file of each agent you pick, 11 in the docs; a catalog of 54 servers26
Working in parallel
Isolation per session Yes: The project folder, or a git worktree on its own branch per session23 Yes: A git branch and worktree per task by default; worktrees can be turned off20
Setup scripts and dev servers No: A worktree is a plain git checkout; Splash runs no setup scripts or dev servers2327 Yes: Setup, run and teardown scripts per project, files such as .env copied into worktrees, and an in-app browser for dev servers2829
Scheduled tasks No: No scheduler; an agent starts when you create, continue or prompt a session16 Yes: Automations create tasks from a saved prompt on a cron schedule and keep a history of each run30
Terminal Yes: A terminal in the session folder23 Yes: Terminal tabs per task and a drawer with script logs; optional tmux keeps sessions alive across restarts on macOS and Linux3128
What needs you Yes: One queue for permission requests, connection failures and finished turns, kept across restarts2332 Partly: Status per agent (working, waiting for input, done) for agents with lifecycle hooks; the Providers page lists 2019
Notifications Yes: Notifies when a background session needs permission or finishes a turn; can be turned off3334 Partly: For agents with lifecycle hooks; clicking one opens its conversation, and the sound can be changed199
Review and shipping
Review changes Yes: Latest response, failed tools and every changed file as a diff, with a box to send feedback23 Yes: Diff view per task, unified or split, with line comments; the chat UI passes draft comments to the agent35936
Files and diffs Partly: File tree, git changes and diff tabs; files open read-only, with no editor2337 Yes: An editor for worktree files with tabs, syntax highlighting and find/replace; unstaged diffs are editable inline3835
Create pull requests No: Shows the PR for a session’s branch and starts worktrees from PR heads; does not create PRs2339 Yes: Commits, pushes and opens GitHub pull requests from the diff view; a connected GitHub account can also merge them3540
GitHub Yes: Issues, pull requests and Actions runs across repositories, through the gh CLI2339 Yes: A task’s PR files, commits, comments, merge state and Actions checks, through a connected account; Enterprise remotes too3541409
Issue trackers Partly: GitHub (github.com), through the gh CLI; no Linear or Jira2339 Yes: A task can start from an issue in any of 12 trackers, among them Linear, Jira, GitHub, GitLab, Asana and Notion; issue details can go into the prompt42
Where it runs
Remote access Yes: splash-server runs on the machine with your code; you use it in a browser over an SSH tunnel. Single user.5 Yes: Remote Projects keep the UI local and run the repo, terminals and agents on an SSH host; its design docs scope remotes to macOS and Linux2243
Cloud execution No: Agents run as child processes on your computer, or on your own server with splash-server15 Partly: Emdash Cloud offers isolated per-task cloud workspaces by contact; Remote Tasks create a VM or container per task with your script1244
App updates No: Download new versions from GitHub Releases; the app does not update itself1445 Yes: In-app: an update prompt downloads and installs new versions, from the stable or an opt-in canary channel9
History and search
Existing agent history Sessions started outside the app Yes: Browse, preview and import conversations agents list over ACP, including ones started outside Splash2332 No: Not documented; Emdash resumes its own sessions after a restart and can import tasks from Emdash v0.4.x209
Search transcripts Yes: Search titles, folders and saved transcript text, archived sessions included23 Partly: Find within a terminal (⌘/Ctrl+F); the command palette finds conversations, projects, tasks and files. Search across transcripts isn’t documented9

Where they differ

How each connects to agents

Emdash runs each agent’s own terminal UI by default and offers an opt-in chat UI over ACP for agents that support it; in its source on 2026-10-09, 23 of its 37 agent plugins define an ACP mode. Splash speaks ACP to every agent, natively or through a pinned adapter, and draws the transcript, tool calls and permission requests itself.209461718223

Where the work runs

Emdash Remote Projects keep the UI on your desktop and run the repo, terminals and agents on an SSH host; Emdash Cloud (by contact) and Remote Tasks, which use your own provisioning script, add a remote workspace per task. Splash runs agents on the computer with the app, or on a machine of yours with splash-server, which you open in a browser over an SSH tunnel.22124415

Project setup and scheduling

Emdash can run setup, run and teardown scripts for each task, copy files like .env into each new worktree, give a task’s terminals, agents and scripts a range of 10 ports, and create tasks on a cron schedule. A Splash worktree is a plain git checkout; Splash runs no setup scripts, and an agent starts when you create, continue or prompt a session.2830232716

Agent configuration files

Emdash adds to agents’ user-level setup: marker-tagged hook entries for status and notifications in agents with lifecycle hooks, which do nothing outside Emdash; MCP servers written into the config of each agent you pick; and skills linked into supported agents’ skill folders. The MCP servers and skills also apply when you run those agents elsewhere. Splash reads the skills, commands and MCP servers it finds in agents’ config files and lists them read-only in Settings.1526472325

GitHub, pull requests and issues

Emdash opens GitHub pull requests from a task and can merge them, and starts tasks from issues in the 12 trackers its docs list, connecting through a GitHub account or each tracker’s API key or token. Splash uses the GitHub CLI’s github.com login for a triage view of issues, pull requests and Actions runs across repositories; it can start a session from an issue or a pull request’s head, and does not create pull requests.3540423923

Which one fits

Splash may suit you if

  • You want each agent’s session as a structured transcript over ACP, with permission requests answered from the keyboard.
  • You want to browse, preview and import conversations your agents started outside the app, and search their saved text.
  • You want permission requests, failures and finished turns in one queue that survives restarts.
  • You want to run the app on a server of your own and use it from a browser over SSH.

Emdash may suit you if

  • You want each agent’s own terminal UI, from a list of 35 agent CLIs, with an optional chat view for agents that support ACP.
  • You want worktrees prepared by setup scripts, an in-app browser for dev servers, and tasks on a cron schedule.
  • You want to start tasks from Linear, Jira and other trackers, and create and merge GitHub pull requests in the app.
  • You want agents on SSH hosts or per-task cloud workspaces, or builds for Linux on ARM64.

Sources

Facts about Emdash come from its public website, documentation and repositories as they read on 9 October 2026; we haven't confirmed each one by running Emdash. Facts about Splash link to its source. Products change, so check the linked pages before deciding. Something wrong or out of date? Open an issue.

  1. 1 Splash README Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  2. 2 Agent Client Protocol agentclientprotocol.com · agentclientprotocol.com · checked 2026-10-09
  3. 3 Emdash — Open-Source Agentic Development Environment General Action, Inc. · emdash.com · checked 2026-10-09
  4. 4 LICENSE.md generalaction/emdash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  5. 5 Splash README: Run as a web app over SSH Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  6. 6 apps/emdash-desktop/package.json generalaction/emdash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  7. 7 Splash releases Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  8. 8 Release v1.2.7 generalaction/emdash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  9. 9 Changelog General Action, Inc. · emdash.com · checked 2026-10-09
  10. 10 LICENSE Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  11. 11 Download Splash splash.computer · splash.computer · checked 2026-10-09
  12. 12 Cloud Workspaces for AI Coding Agents General Action, Inc. · emdash.com · checked 2026-10-09
  13. 13 Enterprise General Action, Inc. · emdash.com · checked 2026-10-09
  14. 14 Splash README: Download the app Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  15. 15 Emdash README generalaction/emdash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  16. 16 Splash README: How it works Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  17. 17 src/agents/registry.rs Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  18. 18 Splash README: Agents Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  19. 19 Providers General Action, Inc. · emdash.com · checked 2026-10-09
  20. 20 Tasks General Action, Inc. · emdash.com · checked 2026-10-09
  21. 21 What Is Emdash? General Action, Inc. · emdash.com · checked 2026-10-09
  22. 22 Remote Projects General Action, Inc. · emdash.com · checked 2026-10-09
  23. 23 Splash README: Features Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  24. 24 permission-band.tsx generalaction/emdash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  25. 25 src/agents/customize.rs Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  26. 26 MCP Servers General Action, Inc. · emdash.com · checked 2026-10-09
  27. 27 src/worktree.rs Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  28. 28 Project Settings General Action, Inc. · emdash.com · checked 2026-10-09
  29. 29 In-App Browser General Action, Inc. · emdash.com · checked 2026-10-09
  30. 30 Automations General Action, Inc. · emdash.com · checked 2026-10-09
  31. 31 Tmux Sessions General Action, Inc. · emdash.com · checked 2026-10-09
  32. 32 Splash README: Existing sessions and review Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  33. 33 app/src/components/settings/General.svelte Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  34. 34 app/src/lib/system.ts Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  35. 35 Diff View General Action, Inc. · emdash.com · checked 2026-10-09
  36. 36 draft-comments-context.ts generalaction/emdash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  37. 37 app/src/components/FileTab.svelte Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  38. 38 File Editor General Action, Inc. · emdash.com · checked 2026-10-09
  39. 39 Splash README: GitHub view Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  40. 40 GitHub Accounts General Action, Inc. · emdash.com · checked 2026-10-09
  41. 41 CI/CD Checks General Action, Inc. · emdash.com · checked 2026-10-09
  42. 42 Passing Issues General Action, Inc. · emdash.com · checked 2026-10-09
  43. 43 Workspace Server Client Connection generalaction/emdash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  44. 44 Remote Tasks General Action, Inc. · emdash.com · checked 2026-10-09
  45. 45 app/src/components/settings/About.svelte Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  46. 46 packages/plugins/src/agents/impl generalaction/emdash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  47. 47 Skills General Action, Inc. · emdash.com · checked 2026-10-09