splash

SplashCompareKepler

Splash and Kepler, compared.

Splash and Kepler are desktop apps that run several coding agents at once in git worktrees, and both use the Agent Client Protocol. Kepler, GitKraken’s agentic development environment, is organized around Tasks that can span several repositories and is tied to a GitKraken account. Splash is open source, and each session runs one agent in a project folder or its worktree.

Checked 9 October 202638 sourcesNot affiliated with GitKraken

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

Kepler

GitKraken

GitKraken’s agentic development environment: a desktop app where a Task can hold work across several repositories, with a worktree per repository, shared context for every agent session, and agents driven over ACP or in a terminal.345

gitkraken.com

Side by side

SplashKepler
The basics
What it is Desktop app, plus a headless server you open in a browser16 GitKraken’s agentic development environment, a desktop app; paid Remote Access also opens it in a browser on another device378
Release status v0.2.1, early development19 Public preview, version 0.12.0 (October 7, 2026); the release notes start at 0.7.0, dated June 15, 20261011
License Open source (MIT)12 Closed source; GitKraken’s public gk-ade repository is an issue tracker, under an all-rights-reserved license1314
Price Free15 Free Community plan with a task limit; paid GitKraken plans from US$10 or €8 a seat a month, billed annually16
Platforms macOS 14+ (Apple silicon and Intel), Windows 11 x64, Ubuntu 24.04 x6417 Windows 10+ and Linux on x64, with ARM preview builds for both; macOS 12+ on Apple silicon and Intel107
Agents
Agents Ships launch commands for 20 agents, including Claude Code, Codex, Copilot, Gemini, Goose, OpenCode1819 Nine built in: Claude Code, Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, OpenCode, Auggie, Grok Build, Pi and Google Antigravity, plus custom agent servers5
How it runs agents Agent Client Protocol over stdio, natively or through a pinned adapter for the vendor’s CLI182 Rich chat over ACP (most agents’ default) or the agent’s own CLI in a built-in terminal; Antigravity starts in the terminal, and Pi always runs there5
Agent sign-in You install and sign in to each agent’s CLI yourself; Splash runs it with that login19 Your own agent accounts, with no markup; Kepler can run an agent’s installer, and paid plans hold several accounts for five of the agents516
Account required Splash has no accounts; splash-server asks for a token it keeps in its data folder206 A GitKraken account, and a free one is enough; it also stores your Git host and issue-tracker connections101121
Permission requests Yes: Shown in the transcript and answered with the 1–9 keys; pending ones wait in Needs attention22 Yes: Answered in Kepler or from a notification, terminal agents included via hooks; choices include allowing once, per session or always, and rejecting2311
MCP servers Partly: Read-only list of MCP servers from Claude Code, Codex, Pi, Pool and Glue config files2224 Yes: Adds, removes and disables MCP servers for seven of the nine agents; sessions get Kepler’s own, and GitKraken’s is installed into detected clients by default525426
Working in parallel
Isolation per session Yes: The project folder, or a git worktree on its own branch per session22 Yes: A git worktree per repository per Task, on a new branch (kepler/ by default) from the remote default branch; can be turned off per repository410
Work across repositories One task or session spanning several repos Partly: One project folder or worktree per session; a new session can add other folders as workspace roots when the agent supports them127 Yes: A Task can span several repositories, and its prompt, issue, PR, notes and links reach its sessions as shared context by default34
Setup scripts and dev servers No: A worktree is a plain git checkout; Splash runs no setup scripts or dev servers2228 Yes: Per-repository commands run in order in each new worktree before the agent starts; agents can attach dev servers to the Task42611
What needs you Yes: One queue for permission requests, connection failures and finished turns, kept across restarts2227 Yes: Needs attention and Unread groups on the dashboard, colored dots on task titles, and waiting counts in window titles2930
Review and shipping
Review changes Yes: Latest response, failed tools and every changed file as a diff, with a box to send feedback22 Yes: A diff panel and full-window overlay, stacked or split; comment on lines or files, then add the comments to the prompt31
Files and diffs Partly: File tree, git changes and diff tabs; files open read-only, with no editor2232 Yes: Edit files in place, stage, commit, amend, discard and resolve conflicts; one button pushes or pulls, and a branch can be rebased or merged onto its target31
Create pull requests No: Shows the PR for a session’s branch and starts worktrees from PR heads; does not create PRs2233 No: No create-PR button; the agent, a terminal command or the host’s website opens the PR, then Kepler attaches it to the Task and tracks it3111
GitHub And other Git hosts Yes: Issues, pull requests and Actions runs across repositories, through the gh CLI2233 Yes: PRs you wrote or need to review, from GitHub, GitLab, Azure DevOps and Bitbucket, cloud or self-hosted (GitHub Enterprise and GitLab Self-Managed on paid plans); CI checks aren’t documented2116
Issue trackers Partly: GitHub (github.com), through the gh CLI; no Linear or Jira2233 Yes: Jira (Cloud, Server, Data Center), Linear, Trello, GitHub, GitLab and Azure DevOps; start a Task from an issue34214
Where it runs
Cloud execution No: Agents run as child processes on your computer, or on your own server with splash-server16 No: No GitKraken-hosted agents are documented; remote environments are machines you supply, such as a dev server or cloud VM8
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: Paid plans: agents, worktrees and terminals run on an SSH host or in WSL 2, and sessions survive disconnects816
Phones and tablets No: No mobile app; builds cover macOS, Windows, Ubuntu and a headless server17 Partly: No native app; paid Remote Access opens your desktop Kepler in a phone’s browser, paired by QR code811
Auto-update No: Download new versions from GitHub Releases; the app does not update itself1735 Yes: Updates itself and prompts you to restart11
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 Splash2227 Yes: Hooks show sessions of five agents started in your terminal, and past ones are found on disk; fork or continue them, with transcripts shown for Claude Code and Codex523
Search transcripts Yes: Search titles, folders and saved transcript text, archived sessions included22 Partly: Find in one conversation, plus search of task titles, refs, repos and archived sessions; cross-transcript search isn’t documented112923

Where they differ

How each app talks to agents

Splash drives every agent over the Agent Client Protocol on stdio and draws the transcript itself. Kepler is an ACP client too and shows most agents as Rich chat by default. Since September 2026 it can also run an agent’s own CLI in a terminal within the task, reading its status and permission requests through hooks Kepler installs, or from the terminal falling idle where an agent has no hooks.123652311

Tasks across repositories, or sessions rooted in one folder

In Kepler, a Task can hold work across several repositories, with a worktree in each, and passes its prompt, issue, PR and notes to its sessions as shared context. Built-in Actions such as Plan and Review start work, and the Agent Graph shows sessions and tool calls live. In Splash, each session is one agent in one project folder or worktree, and a new session can add other folders as workspace roots when the agent supports them.341612227

Account, plans and license

Splash is MIT-licensed open source, has no accounts and is free. Kepler is closed source and needs a GitKraken account. A free account runs it with a task limit; paid plans add unlimited tasks, remote environments, Remote Access, and GitHub Enterprise and GitLab Self-Managed integrations, among other features. GitKraken’s July and August 2026 posts called Kepler free during the public preview.12201513101683738

Where agents run

Splash runs agents on your computer, or on a machine you reach through splash-server in a browser over an SSH tunnel, where agents keep running if the browser closes or the tunnel drops. Kepler’s paid Remote Environments put a Kepler server on an SSH host or WSL 2 distro, where sessions outlive disconnects; Remote Access relays your desktop Kepler to a browser on a phone or another computer through your GitKraken account.16816

Which one fits

Splash may suit you if

  • You want MIT-licensed open source that needs no account and costs nothing.
  • You want to import, browse and search past conversations, including the full text of saved transcripts.
  • You want issues, pull requests and Actions runs across your GitHub repositories inside the app.
  • You want to run the app as a server on your own machine and open it in a browser over SSH.

Kepler may suit you if

  • You want one Task to span several repositories, with a worktree in each and shared context for every agent.
  • You want to edit, stage, commit and sync changes, and pass diff comments to the agent, inside the app.
  • You want setup commands run in each new worktree, and to start work from Jira, Linear or Trello issues.
  • You want agents to keep running on an SSH or WSL host, and to check on them from a phone, on a paid plan.

Sources

Facts about Kepler come from its public website, documentation and repositories as they read on 9 October 2026; we haven't confirmed each one by running Kepler. 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 Kepler | Mission Control for Agent-driven Development GitKraken · gitkraken.com · checked 2026-10-09
  4. 4 Tasks and Resources GitKraken · help.gitkraken.com · checked 2026-10-09
  5. 5 Agent Integrations GitKraken · help.gitkraken.com · checked 2026-10-09
  6. 6 Splash README: Run as a web app over SSH Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  7. 7 Download Kepler GitKraken · gitkraken.com · checked 2026-10-09
  8. 8 Remote Environments GitKraken · help.gitkraken.com · checked 2026-10-09
  9. 9 Splash releases Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  10. 10 Getting Started with Kepler GitKraken · help.gitkraken.com · checked 2026-10-09
  11. 11 Kepler 0.x release notes GitKraken · help.gitkraken.com · checked 2026-10-09
  12. 12 LICENSE Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  13. 13 gk-ade README gitkraken/gk-ade on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  14. 14 LICENSE.md gitkraken/gk-ade on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  15. 15 Download Splash splash.computer · splash.computer · checked 2026-10-09
  16. 16 GitKraken Pricing GitKraken · gitkraken.com · checked 2026-10-09
  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 Splash README: Build from source Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  21. 21 Pull Request Integrations GitKraken · help.gitkraken.com · checked 2026-10-09
  22. 22 Splash README: Features Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  23. 23 Agent Sessions GitKraken · help.gitkraken.com · checked 2026-10-09
  24. 24 src/agents/customize.rs Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  25. 25 MCP Servers GitKraken · help.gitkraken.com · checked 2026-10-09
  26. 26 Settings GitKraken · help.gitkraken.com · checked 2026-10-09
  27. 27 Splash README: Existing sessions and review Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  28. 28 src/worktree.rs Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  29. 29 Arranging Your Work GitKraken · help.gitkraken.com · checked 2026-10-09
  30. 30 The Kepler Interface GitKraken · help.gitkraken.com · checked 2026-10-09
  31. 31 Review Changes GitKraken · help.gitkraken.com · checked 2026-10-09
  32. 32 app/src/components/FileTab.svelte Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  33. 33 Splash README: GitHub view Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  34. 34 Issue Tracker Integrations GitKraken · help.gitkraken.com · checked 2026-10-09
  35. 35 app/src/components/settings/About.svelte Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  36. 36 Clients Agent Client Protocol project · agentclientprotocol.com · checked 2026-10-09
  37. 37 Kepler Is in Public Preview: One Task, Every Repo, Every Agent GitKraken · gitkraken.com · checked 2026-10-09
  38. 38 Kepler: One place to run every agent, from idea to merged GitKraken · gitkraken.com · checked 2026-10-09