splash

SplashCompareGitHub Copilot app

Splash and GitHub Copilot app, compared.

Splash and the GitHub Copilot app are desktop apps that run several coding agent sessions at once, each in your checkout or its own git worktree. The GitHub Copilot app runs GitHub Copilot’s own agent, built on Copilot CLI and tied into GitHub; Splash, free and open source, drives agents from many vendors over the Agent Client Protocol.

Checked 10 October 202641 sourcesNot affiliated with GitHub

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

GitHub Copilot app

GitHub

GitHub’s desktop app for agent-driven development, built on Copilot CLI. It runs parallel Copilot sessions in git worktrees and covers issues, pull requests, CI checks and merging on GitHub.345

github.com

Side by side

SplashGitHub Copilot app
The basics
What it is Desktop app, plus a headless server you open in a browser16 Desktop app for agent-driven work across GitHub repositories, built on GitHub Copilot CLI34
Release status v0.2.1, early development17 v1.1.28 (9 October 2026); GA since 17 June 2026. Cloud sandboxes, BYOK and computer use are in public preview89101112
License Open source (MIT)13 Proprietary, all rights reserved by GitHub; the public github/app repository holds releases, issues and the changelog, not the source144
Price Free15 Any Copilot plan, including Free ($0), Pro ($10 a month), Pro+ ($39), Max ($100), Business ($19/user) and Enterprise ($39/user); or BYOK with no plan164
Platforms macOS 14+ (Apple silicon and Intel), Windows 11 x64, Ubuntu 24.04 x6417 macOS (Apple silicon and Intel), Windows x64 and ARM, Linux x64 and arm64 as AppImage, .deb and .rpm48
Agents
Agents Ships launch commands for 20 agents, including Claude Code, Codex, Copilot, Gemini, Goose, OpenCode1819 GitHub Copilot’s agent, with custom agents and a built-in rubber duck critic; Claude Code or Codex in the app isn’t documented3201021
How it runs agents Agent Client Protocol over stdio, natively or through a pinned adapter for the vendor’s CLI182 Built on GitHub Copilot CLI, sharing its runtime with the Copilot SDK; how the app talks to it isn’t documented32223
Agent sign-in Who pays for the model You install and sign in to each agent’s CLI yourself; Splash runs it with that login19 Copilot plan credits, or BYOK: OpenAI, Azure OpenAI, Anthropic, Ollama, LM Studio and more. Claude or ChatGPT subscriptions aren’t documented311
Account required Splash has no accounts; splash-server asks for a token it keeps in its data folder246 A GitHub account, even with BYOK; no GitHub Enterprise Server. Organization seats need the app’s policy, on by default11253
Permission requests When an agent asks before it acts Yes: Shown in the transcript and answered with the 1–9 keys; pending ones wait in Needs attention26 Yes: A tool permissions setting decides when it asks; a new local repo stays on Always ask until you trust it, /yolo auto-approves, and Plan mode waits for approval23273
MCP servers Partly: Read-only list of MCP servers from Claude Code, Codex, Pi, Pool and Glue config files2628 Yes: Local or HTTP servers; those set up for the repo or Copilot CLI load automatically, and plugins can add more2916
Working in parallel
Isolation per session Yes: The project folder, or a git worktree on its own branch per session26 Yes: A new git worktree on its own branch, or your local checkout; optional OS-level sandboxing restricts files, network and credentials10330
Setup scripts and dev servers No: A worktree is a plain git checkout; Splash runs no setup scripts or dev servers2631 Yes: Scripts in .github/github-app.yml run manually or when a session is created or archived; detected dev servers open in the built-in browser32
Built-in browser No: No built-in browser; the workbench holds git changes, a file tree, diff and file tabs, and a terminal26 Yes: An integrated browser to check work beside the terminal; dev servers that repo scripts start open in it by default932
What needs you Yes: One queue for permission requests, connection failures and finished turns, kept across restarts2633 Yes: Status labels (Working, Done, Idle, Needs input, Loading), a centralized inbox, desktop notifications and a tray badge on Windows and Linux2316
Agents handing off work One agent launching or messaging another No: Each session is one agent in one folder; sessions don’t hand work to each other126 Yes: /fleet runs several agents on one task; /spawn starts child sessions and /orchestrate coordinates them, across repositories too2734
Scheduled tasks Agents that start without a prompt from you No: No scheduler; an agent starts when you create, continue or prompt a session35 Yes: Automations run saved prompts on demand, hourly, daily, weekly, on issue or PR events, or by cron for local ones36
Review and shipping
Review changes Yes: Latest response, failed tools and every changed file as a diff, with a box to send feedback26 Yes: A Changes diff with commit ranges, inline comments for the agent, /review and /security-review (preview), and per-file discard255271023
Create pull requests No: Shows the PR for a session’s branch and starts worktrees from PR heads; does not create PRs2637 Yes: Creates, closes and merges PRs, including stacks of dependent PRs; Agent merge fixes what blocks a PR, then merges it3534
GitHub Yes: Issues, pull requests and Actions runs across repositories, through the gh CLI2637 Yes: Built in: issue and PR lists, PR reviews with batched inline comments, CI check results and agent fixes for failing checks3523
Issue trackers Partly: GitHub (github.com), through the gh CLI; no Linear or Jira2637 Yes: GitHub Issues, and sessions started from one; Azure DevOps through a plugin canvas, plus a featured Jira canvas. Linear isn’t documented53823
Where it runs
Cloud execution No: Agents run as child processes on your computer, or on your own server with splash-server16 Partly: Docs describe GitHub-hosted cloud sandboxes (public preview, billed by usage), but v1.1.27 removed creating new cloud sessions103039
Remote access Yes: splash-server runs on the machine with your code; you use it in a browser over an SSH tunnel. Single user.6 Yes: Remote control (/remote) steers a local session from GitHub.com; the changelog also describes SSH, WSL, Codespaces and Docker environments274023
Mobile app No: No mobile app; builds cover macOS, Windows, Ubuntu and a headless server17 Yes: GitHub Mobile can steer a local session through remote control, off by default; no mobile build of the app is published27328
History and search
Existing agent history Conversations started outside the app Yes: Browse, preview and import conversations agents list over ACP, including ones started outside Splash2633 Partly: Copilot CLI sessions appear in the sidebar if you turn on a setting; importing other agents’ sessions isn’t documented23
Search transcripts Yes: Search titles, folders and saved transcript text, archived sessions included26 Yes: /chronicle searches the history of app and Copilot CLI sessions; Manage sessions searches and filters sessions and chats, archived chats too2710

Where they differ

How agents connect

The GitHub Copilot app runs GitHub Copilot’s own agent on Copilot CLI, the runtime GitHub also offers as the Copilot SDK; its docs don’t name the transport or describe adding other vendors’ agents. Splash speaks the Agent Client Protocol with every agent, Copilot included, which it starts as copilot --acp: the CLI’s ACP server, in public preview.322214119182

Where agents run

The GitHub Copilot app runs sessions locally, and its changelog adds SSH, WSL, Codespaces and Docker environments; docs describe GitHub-hosted cloud sandboxes, though v1.1.27 removed creating new ones. GitHub.com and GitHub Mobile can steer a local session through remote control. Splash runs agents on your computer, or under splash-server on a machine you reach over an SSH tunnel.2310392716

Price, accounts and license

The GitHub Copilot app is proprietary and needs a GitHub account. It works with any Copilot plan, from the $0 Free plan to Enterprise, drawing on the plan’s credits, or with no plan through your own provider key (BYOK). Splash is free, MIT-licensed and has no accounts, and it runs each agent on that agent’s own login.141116313152419

Around the session

The GitHub Copilot app covers the path from a GitHub issue to a merged pull request: repo scripts, a built-in browser, PR creation and Agent merge, plus automations, canvases and /fleet for parallel agents. Splash centers on conversations with many vendors’ agents: a Needs attention queue, a review screen, transcript search and importing sessions started elsewhere.53293638272633

Which one fits

Splash may suit you if

  • You want to run agents from several vendors, Copilot among them, side by side in one app.
  • You want a free, MIT-licensed app with no account of its own.
  • You want to import conversations your agents started outside the app and search them with the rest.
  • You want to run sessions on your own server and use them in a browser over SSH.

GitHub Copilot app may suit you if

  • You work mainly with GitHub Copilot and have a Copilot plan, Free included, or your own model provider key.
  • You want to go from a GitHub issue to a merged pull request in one app, with Agent merge clearing blockers.
  • You want repo scripts, a built-in browser, scheduled automations and several agents working on one task.
  • You want to follow and steer a local session from GitHub.com or GitHub Mobile.

Sources

Facts about GitHub Copilot app come from its public website, documentation and repositories as they read on 10 October 2026; we haven't confirmed each one by running GitHub Copilot app. 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 GitHub Copilot app GitHub · docs.github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  4. 4 README.md github/app on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  5. 5 Managing issues and pull requests with the GitHub Copilot app GitHub · docs.github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  6. 6 Splash README: Run as a web app over SSH Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  7. 7 Splash releases Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  8. 8 Release v1.1.28 github/app on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  9. 9 GitHub Copilot app generally available GitHub · github.blog · checked 2026-10-10
  10. 10 Working with agent sessions in the GitHub Copilot app GitHub · docs.github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  11. 11 Adding LLM models to the GitHub Copilot app GitHub · docs.github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  12. 12 Using the GitHub Copilot app to interact with desktop applications GitHub · docs.github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  13. 13 LICENSE Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  14. 14 License.md github/app on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  15. 15 Download Splash splash.computer · splash.computer · checked 2026-10-09
  16. 16 GitHub Copilot app GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  17. 17 Splash README: Download the app Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  18. 18 src/agents/registry.rs Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  19. 19 Splash README: Agents Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  20. 20 About custom agents GitHub · docs.github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  21. 21 About third-party coding agents GitHub · docs.github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  22. 22 GitHub Copilot app: The agent-native desktop experience GitHub · github.blog · checked 2026-10-10
  23. 23 changelog.md github/app on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  24. 24 Splash README: Build from source Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  25. 25 Getting started with the GitHub Copilot app GitHub · docs.github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  26. 26 Splash README: Features Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  27. 27 Slash commands for the GitHub Copilot app GitHub · docs.github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  28. 28 src/agents/customize.rs Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  29. 29 Customizing the GitHub Copilot app GitHub · docs.github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  30. 30 About cloud and local sandboxes for GitHub Copilot GitHub · docs.github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  31. 31 src/worktree.rs Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  32. 32 Repository configuration for the GitHub Copilot app GitHub · docs.github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  33. 33 Splash README: Existing sessions and review Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  34. 34 Built-in skills for the GitHub Copilot app GitHub · docs.github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  35. 35 Splash README: How it works Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  36. 36 Using automations in the GitHub Copilot app GitHub · docs.github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  37. 37 Splash README: GitHub view Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  38. 38 Working with canvas extensions in the GitHub Copilot app GitHub · docs.github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  39. 39 Release v1.1.27 github/app on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  40. 40 About remote control of GitHub Copilot CLI sessions GitHub · docs.github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  41. 41 Copilot CLI ACP server GitHub · docs.github.com · checked 2026-10-10