splash

SplashCompareMaestro

Splash and Maestro, compared.

Splash and Maestro are both open-source desktop apps for running several coding agents at once, optionally in git worktrees. Maestro, an Electron app, runs each vendor’s CLI in batch mode and adds unattended runs, event triggers and a browser UI; Splash, a Rust app, drives agents over the Agent Client Protocol and shows each session as a transcript.

Checked 10 October 202652 sourcesNot affiliated with Pedram Amini

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

Maestro

Pedram Amini

An open-source Electron app for orchestrating many coding agents: it runs eleven agent CLIs in batch mode and adds Auto Run checklists, event triggers, Group Chat, SSH agents and a browser UI.345678910111213

runmaestro.ai

Side by side

SplashMaestro
The basics
What it is Desktop app, plus a headless server you open in a browser114 Electron desktop app that can also serve its full interface to browsers on your network, plus a command-line tool, maestro-cli1541316
Release status v0.2.1, early development117 v1.0.0 (9 October 2026), its first major release; work began in November 2025. The docs list six agents as beta186319
License Open source (MIT)20 Open source (AGPL-3.0)515
Price Free21 Free; no paid plan is listed and there is no license check. Agent providers bill model use directly222315
Platforms macOS 14+ (Apple silicon and Intel), Windows 11 x64, Ubuntu 24.04 x6424 macOS (Intel and Apple silicon), Windows x64 (installer or portable), Linux x86_64 and arm64 (AppImage, .deb, .rpm)2518
Agents
Agents Ships launch commands for 20 agents, including Claude Code, Codex, Copilot, Gemini, Goose, OpenCode2627 Eleven CLIs, including Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Copilot CLI, Antigravity CLI and Grok CLI; adding another takes a source change672822
How it runs agents Agent Client Protocol over stdio, natively or through a pinned adapter for the vendor’s CLI262 Each vendor’s CLI in batch mode, reading its structured output; opt-in modes drive Claude Code’s TUI or a shared OpenCode server82973031
Agent sign-in Who pays for the model You install and sign in to each agent’s CLI yourself; Splash runs it with that login27 Your CLIs’ own logins; Claude Code bills API credit or a Max plan, and Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode agents can each use a different account15233032
Account required Splash has no accounts; splash-server asks for a token it keeps in its data folder3314 None; the optional leaderboard asks for an email, and turning on Web Login adds local accounts for browser access2313
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 attention34 Partly: Claude Code’s Standard mode brings approvals and questions into Maestro, except over SSH; Codex and OpenCode runs approve automatically6307
MCP servers Partly: Read-only list of MCP servers from Claude Code, Codex, Pi, Pool and Glue config files3435 Partly: Agents keep the MCP servers set up in their own CLIs, and the docs describe no MCP manager; Coworking and maestro-cli mcp serve offer Maestro’s own tools over MCP153637
Working in parallel
Isolation per session Yes: The project folder, or a git worktree on its own branch per session34 Yes: The project folder by default; a worktree sub-agent gets its own directory and branch. No per-agent containers38822
Setup scripts and dev servers No: A worktree is a plain git checkout; Splash runs no setup scripts or dev servers3439 Yes: A Setup Script prepares each new worktree, for example copying .env files; a terminal tab’s startup command can start a dev server. Port allocation isn’t documented384016
What needs you Yes: One queue for permission requests, connection failures and finished turns, kept across restarts3441 Yes: Status dots, unread badges and OS notifications; opt-in Pianola answers waiting prompts using your rules and passes others to you404243
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 other134 Yes: In Group Chat a moderator agent routes questions across agents; @mentions consult another agent once; agents can drive Maestro through maestro-cli1183
Scheduled tasks Agents that start without a prompt from you No: No scheduler; an agent starts when you create, continue or prompt a session44 Yes: Maestro Cue sends prompts on timers, file changes, finished agents, new GitHub PRs, issues or labels, and webhooks, set in each project’s cue.yaml1045
Built-in browser No: No built-in browser; the workbench holds git changes, a file tree, diff and file tabs, and a terminal34 Yes: Browser tabs next to each agent’s chat and terminal; opt-in Coworking allows Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode and Factory Droid agents to inspect them34036
Terminal Yes: A terminal in the session folder34 Yes: A real shell per agent in its working directory, with several tabs that can each run a startup command; also on SSH hosts4012
Review and shipping
Review changes Yes: Latest response, failed tools and every changed file as a diff, with a box to send feedback34 Yes: A side-by-side diff viewer, a git log graph and a changed-files list; no line comments back to the agent3840622
Files and diffs Partly: File tree, git changes and diff tabs; files open read-only, with no editor3446 Partly: File explorer and editable preview tabs, also over SSH; Maestro’s own comparison page says editing is restricted to markdown401222
Create pull requests No: Shows the PR for a session’s branch and starts worktrees from PR heads; does not create PRs3447 Yes: Opens a PR from any agent’s branch via gh, with a generated title and description; maestro-cli Auto Runs can too38
GitHub Yes: Issues, pull requests and Actions runs across repositories, through the gh CLI3447 Yes: Through gh: PR creation, Cue triggers on new PRs, issues and labels, and Gists. Merging PRs and CI status aren’t documented384540
Issue trackers Partly: GitHub (github.com), through the gh CLI; no Linear or Jira3447 Partly: GitHub issues and labels can trigger agents through Cue, and GitLab through a generic webhook; no Linear or Jira4522
Where it runs
Cloud execution No: Agents run as child processes on your computer, or on your own server with splash-server114 No: None; agents run on your computer or on your own SSH hosts2212
Remote access Yes: splash-server runs on the machine with your code; you use it in a browser over an SSH tunnel. Single user.14 Yes: Agents on SSH hosts; Live serves the full UI to browsers and phones on your network or, via a Cloudflare tunnel, anywhere1213
Mobile app No: No mobile app; builds cover macOS, Windows, Ubuntu and a headless server24 Partly: No native app; phones open the full web interface in a one-handed layout, on your network or through a tunnel2213
Auto-update No: Download new versions from GitHub Releases; the app does not update itself2448 Yes: Checks for a new version at startup and can download and install it from inside the app; beta and release-candidate builds are opt-in4249
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 Splash3441 Yes: Session Discovery imports supported agents’ existing sessions, even ones that predate Maestro, so you can search, star and resume them153
Search transcripts Yes: Search titles, folders and saved transcript text, archived sessions included34 Partly: Search one agent’s open tabs, not the whole fleet; Director’s Notes lists every agent’s history entries in one timeline, searchable by summary4050

Where they differ

How agents connect

Maestro starts each vendor’s CLI in non-interactive batch mode, such as claude --print or codex exec, and parses its output, so Claude Code messages sent mid-turn wait for the turn to end. Opt-in modes drive Claude Code’s TUI or a shared OpenCode server. Its planning notes list ACP client support as a later step. Splash talks to every agent over the Agent Client Protocol.87303151262

Where agents run

Maestro runs agents locally or on SSH hosts, with the local app in control. Turning on Live serves its full UI to browsers on your network, or anywhere through a Cloudflare tunnel, guarded by a URL token and optional Web Login. Splash runs agents locally or under splash-server, which you open in a browser over an SSH tunnel.1213114

Unattended work

Maestro leans toward unattended work: Auto Run works through markdown checklists or toward a free-text goal, starting a fresh agent session for each step, Cue prompts agents when events fire, and Agent Resilience resends prompts after provider errors or quota limits. Splash centers on each conversation: permission requests answered in the transcript, a Needs attention queue, a review screen and transcript search.9105234

Price, license and privacy

Maestro is free under the AGPL-3.0 and needs no account or license check. It makes four optional network calls (an install count, Cue counters, the leaderboard and crash reports), all of which Settings can turn off. Splash is free, MIT-licensed and has no accounts. Both run agents with the CLI logins you already have.522231520213327

Stack and platforms

Maestro is an Electron app written in TypeScript with React, with builds for macOS (Intel and Apple silicon), Windows x64 and Linux x86_64 and arm64, plus maestro-cli on Node.js. Splash is written in Rust with a Svelte 5 frontend in a webview, and builds for macOS 14+, Windows 11 x64 and Ubuntu 24.04 x64.42518164424

Which one fits

Splash may suit you if

  • You want every agent driven over the Agent Client Protocol, with Gemini, Goose and others in one transcript view.
  • You want permission requests answered in the transcript and gathered in one Needs attention queue.
  • You want a GitHub view of issues, pull requests and Actions runs across your repositories.
  • You want to search saved transcript text across all your sessions, archived ones included.

Maestro may suit you if

  • You want agents to work unattended through checklists, goals and event triggers, with prompts resent after provider errors.
  • You want worktree setup scripts, a built-in browser and pull requests opened from the app.
  • You want agents on SSH hosts and the full interface in a browser or phone, on your network or through a tunnel.
  • You want agents to consult each other through Group Chat and @mentions, or to script the app with maestro-cli.

Sources

Facts about Maestro come from its public website, documentation and repositories as they read on 10 October 2026; we haven't confirmed each one by running Maestro. 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 Delightful Desktop Orchestration Experience Pedram Amini · runmaestro.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  4. 4 package.json RunMaestro/Maestro on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  5. 5 LICENSE RunMaestro/Maestro on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  6. 6 Release Notes Pedram Amini · docs.runmaestro.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  7. 7 src/main/agents/definitions.ts RunMaestro/Maestro on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  8. 8 Overview Pedram Amini · docs.runmaestro.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  9. 9 Auto Run + Playbooks Pedram Amini · docs.runmaestro.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  10. 10 Cue Overview Pedram Amini · docs.runmaestro.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  11. 11 Group Chat Pedram Amini · docs.runmaestro.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  12. 12 SSH Remote Execution Pedram Amini · docs.runmaestro.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  13. 13 Remote Control Pedram Amini · docs.runmaestro.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  14. 14 Splash README: Run as a web app over SSH Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  15. 15 Maestro README RunMaestro/Maestro on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  16. 16 CLI Pedram Amini · docs.runmaestro.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  17. 17 Splash releases Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  18. 18 v1.0.0 | Full Orchestra RunMaestro/Maestro on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  19. 19 Getting Started Pedram Amini · docs.runmaestro.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  20. 20 LICENSE Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  21. 21 Download Splash splash.computer · splash.computer · checked 2026-10-09
  22. 22 Competitive Analysis Pedram Amini · runmaestro.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  23. 23 Privacy Pedram Amini · runmaestro.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  24. 24 Splash README: Download the app Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  25. 25 Installation Pedram Amini · docs.runmaestro.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  26. 26 src/agents/registry.rs Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  27. 27 Splash README: Agents Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  28. 28 PROVIDER-SUPPORT.md RunMaestro/Maestro on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  29. 29 ARCHITECTURE.md RunMaestro/Maestro on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  30. 30 Provider Notes Pedram Amini · docs.runmaestro.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  31. 31 Encore Features & Plugins Pedram Amini · docs.runmaestro.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  32. 32 Multiple Accounts Pedram Amini · docs.runmaestro.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  33. 33 Splash README: Build from source Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  34. 34 Splash README: Features Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  35. 35 src/agents/customize.rs Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  36. 36 Coworking Pedram Amini · docs.runmaestro.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  37. 37 CLI Reference Pedram Amini · docs.runmaestro.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  38. 38 Git and Worktrees Pedram Amini · docs.runmaestro.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  39. 39 src/worktree.rs Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  40. 40 General Usage Pedram Amini · docs.runmaestro.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  41. 41 Splash README: Existing sessions and review Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  42. 42 Configuration Pedram Amini · docs.runmaestro.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  43. 43 Pianola Pedram Amini · docs.runmaestro.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  44. 44 Splash README: How it works Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  45. 45 Cue Event Types Pedram Amini · docs.runmaestro.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  46. 46 app/src/components/FileTab.svelte Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  47. 47 Splash README: GitHub view Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  48. 48 app/src/components/settings/About.svelte Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  49. 49 src/main/auto-updater.ts RunMaestro/Maestro on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  50. 50 Director’s Notes Pedram Amini · docs.runmaestro.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  51. 51 Plans/autonomous-manager-agent-investigation.md RunMaestro/Maestro on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  52. 52 Agent Resilience Pedram Amini · docs.runmaestro.ai · checked 2026-10-10