splash

SplashCompareOrca

Splash and Orca, compared.

Splash and Orca both run several coding agents at once and can give each its own git worktree. Orca is an Electron app that runs each agent’s own command-line interface in a terminal, alongside diffs, a browser and phone companions; Splash is a Rust app that drives agents over the Agent Client Protocol and renders their work as a transcript.

Checked 9 October 202654 sourcesNot affiliated with Stably AI

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

Orca

Stably AI

A desktop app for running many coding agents side by side, each in its own git worktree. It runs each agent’s CLI in a terminal and adds diffs, a browser, a CLI and phone companions.34

onorca.dev

Side by side

SplashOrca
The basics
What it is Desktop app, plus a headless server you open in a browser15 Desktop app, plus a headless server mode (orca serve), a command-line tool and iOS and Android companions3678
Release status v0.2.1, early development19 v1.4.223 (8 October 2026); new versions come out most days103
License Open source (MIT)11 Open source (MIT), including the phone app and the relay that pairs it with a desktop121314
Price Free15 Free; enterprise support is arranged by contact, with no published price316
Platforms macOS 14+ (Apple silicon and Intel), Windows 11 x64, Ubuntu 24.04 x6417 macOS (Apple silicon and Intel), Windows 10/11 x64 with WSL support, Linux x64 and arm64 (AppImage, .deb, .rpm)18101920
Built with Rust, with a Svelte 5 frontend in a webview, built on the Elyra framework21 Electron, written mainly in TypeScript198
Agents
Agents Ships launch commands for 20 agents, including Claude Code, Codex, Copilot, Gemini, Goose, OpenCode2223 The docs list 41 preconfigured agents, including Claude Code, Codex, Gemini and Cursor CLI; any other CLI also runs4
How it runs agents Agent Client Protocol over stdio, natively or through a pinned adapter for the vendor’s CLI222 Each agent’s own CLI in a terminal; an experimental structured chat uses the Claude Agent SDK, codex app-server or ACP (Grok)424252610
Agent sign-in You install and sign in to each agent’s CLI yourself; Splash runs it with that login23 Uses the CLI logins and subscriptions you already have, with several accounts per provider for Claude, Codex, OpenCode and others327
Permission requests Yes: Shown in the transcript and answered with the 1–9 keys; pending ones wait in Needs attention28 Yes: Agents launch with their bypass (Yolo) flags by default; switching to Manual keeps each uncustomized agent’s own approval prompts274
What needs you Yes: One queue for permission requests, connection failures and finished turns, kept across restarts2829 Partly: Status glyphs for agents Orca recognizes, an Agents feed of finished turns and blocking questions, and an experimental dashboard3031
MCP servers Partly: Read-only list of MCP servers from Claude Code, Codex, Pi, Pool and Glue config files2832 Yes: Register MCP servers in settings; agents whose CLIs support MCP can then use them33
Working in parallel
Isolation per session Yes: The project folder, or a git worktree on its own branch per session28 Yes: A git worktree per task, with its own branch, files and terminals; deleting it also deletes the branch. Multi-repo groups get folder workspaces34
Setup scripts and dev servers No: A worktree is a plain git checkout; Splash runs no setup scripts or dev servers2835 Yes: orca.yaml setup and archive scripts; .worktreeinclude copies ignored files like .env. No port handling for local dev servers is documented36273437
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 other128 Partly: Experimental: through orca orchestration commands, a coordinator creates tasks, starts supervised agent workers in new or existing worktrees and collects their messages38
Scheduled tasks Agents that start without a prompt from you No: No scheduler; an agent starts when you create, continue or prompt a session21 Yes: The orca automations command sends a stored prompt to the agent you pick on a preset, cron or RRULE schedule, in a repo or an existing worktree39
Built-in browser No: No built-in browser; the workbench holds git changes, a file tree, diff and file tabs, and a terminal28 Yes: A Chromium window per worktree; Design Mode sends a clicked element’s HTML, CSS and a screenshot to the agent340
Review and shipping
Review changes Yes: Latest response, failed tools and every changed file as a diff, with a box to send feedback28 Yes: Diff per worktree with image diffs and a three-way conflict view; Annotate AI Diff batches line comments to the agent4142
Create pull requests No: Shows the PR for a session’s branch and starts worktrees from PR heads; does not create PRs2843 Yes: Stage, commit, push and open a PR or MR in the app; AI can write commit messages and PR details44
GitHub Yes: Issues, pull requests and Actions runs across repositories, through the gh CLI2843 Yes: Through the gh CLI: checks, reviews and comments in a PR tab, auto-merge, stacked PRs and a Fix broken checks action4546
Other code hosts Besides GitHub No: github.com through the gh CLI; no other hosts43 Yes: GitLab merge requests and issues in the same flow; Bitbucket Cloud PR creation; Azure DevOps and Gitea PRs appear in the sidebar46
Issue trackers Partly: GitHub (github.com), through the gh CLI; no Linear or Jira2843 Yes: GitHub issues and Projects, GitLab issues, Linear, and Jira Cloud or self-hosted; a worktree can start from an issue464748
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: SSH worktrees run agents on remote hosts; beta Remote Orca Servers let laptops, browsers and phones share one host37496
Mobile app No: No mobile app; builds cover macOS, Windows, Ubuntu and a headless server17 Partly: Beta companions for iOS and Android (pre-release APK) that remote-control a paired desktop or server; Relay pairing needs an Orca account501451
Cloud execution No: Agents run as child processes on your computer, or on your own server with splash-server15 Partly: Experimental Cloud VM boots a sandbox, VM or Docker container per worktree on your own provider; no hosted option49
Auto-update No: Download new versions from GitHub Releases; the app does not update itself1752 Yes: Updates itself from the stable channel; release candidates on request. On Linux, .deb and .rpm show an update command instead19
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 Splash2829 Yes: Agent Session History lists transcripts supported CLIs keep on disk, wherever started, and resumes one in a local terminal53
Search transcripts Yes: Search titles, folders and saved transcript text, archived sessions included28 Yes: Session History and the orca search command query an index of agent transcripts, including paired computers that allow it5354

Where they differ

How each talks to agents

Orca starts each agent’s own command-line interface in a terminal, so any CLI can run, and reads its state from terminal title sequences and hooks; an experimental structured chat adds the Claude Agent SDK, codex app-server and ACP for Grok. Splash connects to every agent over the Agent Client Protocol and draws messages, tool calls, diffs and permission requests.4302425261012

Where agents run

Orca runs agents on your computer, on SSH hosts, on a Remote Orca Server (beta) that laptops, browsers and phones pair with, or in experimental per-worktree cloud environments on your own provider account. Splash runs them on your computer, or under splash-server on a machine you reach from a browser through an SSH tunnel, for one user.3749615

Default handling of permissions

Orca starts agents with their permission-bypass (‘Yolo’) flags and trusts the workspace folder by default, treating the disposable worktree as the boundary; switching to Manual keeps the agents’ own prompts, except for agents with custom launch arguments. Splash shows the permission requests an agent sends in the transcript, answered with the 1–9 keys, and keeps pending ones in Needs attention.4273028

Tools around the agent

Orca bundles a terminal, diffs, a Chromium browser per worktree, transcript search, an orca CLI and scheduled automations, and handles commits, pushes and pull or merge requests on GitHub, GitLab and Bitbucket, plus Linear and Jira. Splash is built around the conversation: a rendered transcript, review of changed files, full-text search of saved sessions, and a GitHub triage view across repositories.353739444647482843

Platforms and updates

Orca ships desktop builds for macOS, Windows x64 and Linux x64 and arm64, a headless orca serve mode, and iOS and Android companions; it updates itself except from Linux .deb and .rpm packages, and releases come out most days. Splash builds for macOS 14+, Windows 11 x64 and Ubuntu 24.04 x64 plus a headless server, has no phone app, and is updated by downloading a new release from GitHub.18106501931752

Which one fits

Splash may suit you if

  • You want every agent driven over the Agent Client Protocol, with its messages, tool calls and diffs shown as one transcript.
  • You want permission requests answered in the transcript and gathered in one Needs attention queue.
  • You want to import agent history over ACP into a searchable local copy that opens without starting the agent.
  • You want a GitHub triage view of issues, pull requests and Actions runs across many repositories.

Orca may suit you if

  • You want each agent’s own terminal interface and the option to run any CLI agent.
  • You want to commit, push and open pull or merge requests from the app, with Linear or Jira alongside.
  • You want iOS and Android companions, SSH worktrees or per-worktree cloud environments for your agents.
  • You want setup scripts per worktree, a built-in Chromium browser and an app that updates itself.

Sources

Facts about Orca come from its public website, documentation and repositories as they read on 9 October 2026; we haven't confirmed each one by running Orca. 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 Orca — The agent development environment Stably AI · onorca.dev · checked 2026-10-09
  4. 4 Supported agents Stably AI · onorca.dev · 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 Remote Orca Servers Stably AI · onorca.dev · checked 2026-10-09
  7. 7 Orca CLI overview Stably AI · onorca.dev · checked 2026-10-09
  8. 8 stablyai/orca stablyai/orca on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  9. 9 Splash releases Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  10. 10 Release v1.4.223 stablyai/orca on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  11. 11 LICENSE Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  12. 12 LICENSE stablyai/orca on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  13. 13 README.md stablyai/orca on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  14. 14 Orca IDE Apple App Store · apps.apple.com · checked 2026-10-09
  15. 15 Download Splash splash.computer · splash.computer · checked 2026-10-09
  16. 16 Orca Enterprise Stably AI · onorca.dev · checked 2026-10-09
  17. 17 Splash README: Download the app Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  18. 18 Download Orca Stably AI · onorca.dev · checked 2026-10-09
  19. 19 Install Stably AI · onorca.dev · checked 2026-10-09
  20. 20 Terminal Stably AI · onorca.dev · checked 2026-10-09
  21. 21 Splash README: How it works Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  22. 22 src/agents/registry.rs Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  23. 23 Splash README: Agents Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  24. 24 Chat UI (native chat) Stably AI · onorca.dev · checked 2026-10-09
  25. 25 src/main/claude/claude-stream-json-connection.ts stablyai/orca on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  26. 26 src/main/codex/codex-structured-session-state.ts stablyai/orca on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  27. 27 Settings reference Stably AI · onorca.dev · checked 2026-10-09
  28. 28 Splash README: Features Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  29. 29 Splash README: Existing sessions and review Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  30. 30 Agents & sessions Stably AI · onorca.dev · checked 2026-10-09
  31. 31 Agents feed Stably AI · onorca.dev · checked 2026-10-09
  32. 32 src/agents/customize.rs Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  33. 33 Orca skills registry & MCP Stably AI · onorca.dev · checked 2026-10-09
  34. 34 Worktrees Stably AI · onorca.dev · checked 2026-10-09
  35. 35 src/worktree.rs Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  36. 36 docs/site/content/docs/model/orca-yaml.mdx stablyai/orca on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  37. 37 SSH worktrees Stably AI · onorca.dev · checked 2026-10-09
  38. 38 Orchestration Stably AI · onorca.dev · checked 2026-10-09
  39. 39 Scheduled automations Stably AI · onorca.dev · checked 2026-10-09
  40. 40 Design Mode Stably AI · onorca.dev · checked 2026-10-09
  41. 41 Diff viewer Stably AI · onorca.dev · checked 2026-10-09
  42. 42 Annotate AI Diff Stably AI · onorca.dev · checked 2026-10-09
  43. 43 Splash README: GitHub view Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  44. 44 Commit & push from Orca Stably AI · onorca.dev · checked 2026-10-09
  45. 45 Troubleshooting GitHub errors Stably AI · onorca.dev · checked 2026-10-09
  46. 46 Hosted reviews, issues & Actions Stably AI · onorca.dev · checked 2026-10-09
  47. 47 Linear items drawer Stably AI · onorca.dev · checked 2026-10-09
  48. 48 Jira items drawer Stably AI · onorca.dev · checked 2026-10-09
  49. 49 Ways to run Orca Stably AI · onorca.dev · checked 2026-10-09
  50. 50 Mobile companion Stably AI · onorca.dev · checked 2026-10-09
  51. 51 Releases stablyai/orca on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  52. 52 app/src/components/settings/About.svelte Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  53. 53 Agent session history Stably AI · onorca.dev · checked 2026-10-09
  54. 54 Orca CLI reference Stably AI · onorca.dev · checked 2026-10-09