splash

SplashComparePiebald

Splash and Piebald, compared.

Splash and Piebald are desktop apps, each with a browser-based server mode, for running several AI coding sessions at once. Piebald is its own coding agent, which talks to the model provider you choose. Splash drives other vendors’ agents, such as Claude Code and Codex, over the Agent Client Protocol.

Checked 10 October 202649 sourcesNot affiliated with Piebald

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

Piebald

Piebald

An AI coding agent for desktop and browser that runs parallel chats on the model provider you pick. Its Pro plan adds worktrees, an editor, a terminal and an HTTP traffic inspector.345

piebald.ai

Side by side

SplashPiebald
The basics
What it is Desktop app, plus a headless server you open in a browser16 An AI coding agent in a desktop app, or in a browser served by the separate piebald-web binary37
Release status v0.2.1, early development18 v0.7.1 (23 September 2026), still before 1.0; the site says it is in active development, adding features weekly9104
License Open source (MIT)11 Closed source; the public GitHub repo holds the issue tracker and release binaries, and the terms forbid reverse engineering1213
Price Free14 Basic is free; Pro, $20 a month, adds worktrees, a terminal and a code editor. 14-day Pro trial without a card51513
Platforms macOS 14+ (Apple silicon and Intel), Windows 11 x64, Ubuntu 24.04 x6416 macOS (Universal), Windows x64 with no WSL needed, Linux x64 and ARM64 (AppImage, DEB, RPM); a community AUR package for Arch943
Built with Rust, with a Svelte 5 frontend in a webview, built on the Elyra framework17 Tauri, with one React UI shared by the desktop app and web mode, according to a maintainer1815
Agents
Agents Ships launch commands for 20 agents, including Claude Code, Codex, Copilot, Gemini, Goose, OpenCode1920 Piebald’s own agent, with built-in tools and subagents, on a model provider you pick; adding other agent CLIs isn’t documented21225
How it runs agents Agent Client Protocol over stdio, natively or through a pinned adapter for the vendor’s CLI192 Its own agent loop calls each provider’s HTTP API; Claude Pro/Max runs through Claude Code in the background. ACP isn’t mentioned4231521
Agent sign-in Who pays for the model You install and sign in to each agent’s CLI yourself; Splash runs it with that login20 API keys, subscriptions such as Claude Pro/Max, ChatGPT, Copilot or SuperGrok, or logins imported from Claude Code, Codex or Gemini CLI2243
Account required Splash has no accounts; splash-server asks for a token it keeps in its data folder246 Setup signs you in to a Piebald account via GitHub, Google, Microsoft or email; the app checks sign-in and subscription online32526
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 attention27 Yes: Read-only, Auto-accept, Plan and YOLO modes; pending tool calls queue over the input box to approve or deny, and survive restarts28154
Model and mode pickers And other model settings Yes: Model, mode and effort pickers when the agent offers them27 Yes: A provider and model picker in the composer and four permission modes; you write the system prompt (none by default) and set temperature, stop sequences, max tokens and custom fields1528294
MCP servers Partly: Read-only list of MCP servers from Claude Code, Codex, Pi, Pool and Glue config files2730 Yes: Local and remote HTTP servers with OAuth, headers and resources; servers or single tools switch on or off per chat31154
Working in parallel
Isolation per session Yes: The project folder, or a git worktree on its own branch per session27 Yes: Pro: create Git worktrees, start chats in them, move chats between them or approve a plan into a new one. Sandboxing is planned321533534
Terminal Yes: A terminal in the session folder27 Yes: Pro: terminals in a pane docked at the bottom; on every plan, agent commands run in an embedded terminal that takes input35215
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 other127 Yes: With LaunchSubagent, the agent hands scoped sub-tasks to subagents on the same or other models; free on Basic21365
What needs you Yes: One queue for permission requests, connection failures and finished turns, kept across restarts2737 Yes: The sidebar shows which chats are working, need you or are done; status and pending approvals persist across reboots4
Notifications Yes: Notifies when a background session needs permission or finishes a turn; can be turned off3839 Yes: Desktop alerts with sound when a model finishes or a tool needs approval; error alerts, custom text and sound choice are Pro405
Review and shipping
Review changes Yes: Latest response, failed tools and every changed file as a diff, with a box to send feedback27 Partly: Edits render as diffs in chat, and pending tool calls can be approved or denied with a message; the Pro Git viewer shows diffs, inline or side by side, with no other Git actions yet411542
Files and diffs Partly: File tree, git changes and diff tabs; files open read-only, with no editor2743 Yes: Pro: a file browser, a code editor and the Git viewer for diffs542
GitHub Yes: Issues, pull requests and Actions runs across repositories, through the gh CLI2744 No: No GitHub integration or PR creation is documented; PR/MR stack support is planned, and remote MCP servers such as GitHub’s can be added4215
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.6 Yes: Web mode serves the UI from a headless machine to a browser, for one Piebald account; bind it to 0.0.0.0 for remote use, with optional HTTPS7
Auto-update No: Download new versions from GitHub Releases; the app does not update itself1645 Yes: The desktop app updates itself; on macOS it can also be installed and updated from the official Homebrew tap46
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 Splash2737 No: Not yet; importing chats from Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Cursor and other tools is planned for Pro5
Search transcripts Yes: Search titles, folders and saved transcript text, archived sessions included27 Yes: Chat search in the sidebar, styled after VS Code’s search; the agent can also search past chats through its SearchChats tool15
Fork a conversation Partly: Experimental: fork the current conversation when the agent supports it, not from an earlier message2737 Yes: Pro: branch from an earlier message by replying to it or editing it, and duplicate whole chats47335

Where they differ

How agents connect

Piebald is the agent: its own loop sends HTTP requests to providers such as OpenAI, Anthropic and Google, or to compatible APIs, and works through built-in tools; for Claude Pro/Max it runs Claude Code in the background. Its docs don’t mention ACP. Splash runs other vendors’ agent CLIs and talks to each over the Agent Client Protocol, natively or via an adapter.422212315192

Price, accounts and license

Piebald is closed source. Basic is free; Pro, $20 a month, adds worktrees, the file browser, editor and terminal, chat branching and the HTTP traffic inspector. Piebald sells no inference, and setup signs you in to a Piebald account. Splash is free, MIT-licensed and has no accounts; each agent runs on the login you gave its CLI.1213548311142420

Where it runs

Piebald ships desktop builds for macOS, Windows x64 and Linux x64 and ARM64, plus a piebald-web server for a headless machine, reached from a browser by one Piebald account. Splash builds for macOS 14+, Windows 11 x64 and Ubuntu 24.04 x64, and splash-server serves one user over an SSH tunnel. Neither documents a mobile app.9107166

What each centers on

Piebald centers on control of its own agent loop: a system prompt you write, inference settings, goals, subagents, Claude Code-compatible hooks and skills, and on Pro, pausing, branching and an HTTP traffic inspector. Splash centers on sessions from several agents: a Needs attention queue, a review screen, a GitHub view and importing conversations started elsewhere.42947495274437

Which one fits

Splash may suit you if

  • You want a free, MIT-licensed app that needs no account.
  • You want agents from several vendors, such as Claude Code and Codex, side by side over the Agent Client Protocol.
  • You want each session in its own git worktree and a review screen that sends feedback to the agent.
  • You want to import conversations your agents started elsewhere, and a GitHub view of issues, pull requests and Actions runs.

Piebald may suit you if

  • You want to write the agent’s system prompt yourself and tune temperature, stop sequences and max tokens.
  • You want to use Claude Pro/Max, ChatGPT, Copilot or SuperGrok subscriptions, or API keys, with one agent.
  • You want a code editor and file browser in the app, and to branch or fork chats, on the Pro plan.
  • You want an agent that launches its own subagents, with MCP servers and tools chosen per chat.

Sources

Facts about Piebald come from its public website, documentation and repositories as they read on 10 October 2026; we haven't confirmed each one by running Piebald. 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 Introduction Piebald LLC · docs.piebald.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  4. 4 The ultimate agentic AI control experience for developers Piebald LLC · piebald.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  5. 5 Pricing Piebald LLC · piebald.ai · 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 Web mode Piebald LLC · docs.piebald.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  8. 8 Splash releases Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  9. 9 Downloads Piebald LLC · piebald.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  10. 10 Release v0.7.1 Piebald-AI/piebald-issues on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  11. 11 LICENSE Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  12. 12 Piebald-AI/piebald-issues Piebald-AI/piebald-issues on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  13. 13 Terms & Conditions Piebald LLC · piebald.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  14. 14 Download Splash splash.computer · splash.computer · checked 2026-10-09
  15. 15 Changelog (release notes) Piebald LLC · docs.piebald.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  16. 16 Splash README: Download the app Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  17. 17 Splash README: How it works Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  18. 18 CRITICAL: Missing Telemetry & Integration Disclosure (PostHog, Exa) (#31) Piebald-AI/piebald-issues on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  19. 19 src/agents/registry.rs Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  20. 20 Splash README: Agents Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  21. 21 Builtin tools Piebald LLC · docs.piebald.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  22. 22 All supported providers Piebald LLC · docs.piebald.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  23. 23 Claude Pro/Max Piebald LLC · docs.piebald.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  24. 24 Splash README: Build from source Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  25. 25 Cannot use app first-time (#26) Piebald-AI/piebald-issues on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  26. 26 Proxying Piebald Piebald LLC · docs.piebald.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  27. 27 Splash README: Features Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  28. 28 Permission modes Piebald LLC · docs.piebald.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  29. 29 Context Piebald LLC · docs.piebald.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  30. 30 src/agents/customize.rs Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  31. 31 MCP servers Piebald LLC · docs.piebald.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  32. 32 Git worktrees Piebald LLC · docs.piebald.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  33. 33 Managing chats Piebald LLC · docs.piebald.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  34. 34 Roadmap Piebald LLC · docs.piebald.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  35. 35 Integrated terminal Piebald LLC · docs.piebald.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  36. 36 Context management Piebald LLC · docs.piebald.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  37. 37 Splash README: Existing sessions and review Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  38. 38 app/src/components/settings/General.svelte Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  39. 39 app/src/lib/system.ts Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  40. 40 Desktop notifications Piebald LLC · docs.piebald.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  41. 41 Chat view configuration Piebald LLC · docs.piebald.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  42. 42 Git viewer Piebald LLC · docs.piebald.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  43. 43 app/src/components/FileTab.svelte Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  44. 44 Splash README: GitHub view Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  45. 45 app/src/components/settings/About.svelte Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  46. 46 Piebald-AI/homebrew-tap Piebald-AI/homebrew-tap on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  47. 47 Chat flow Piebald LLC · docs.piebald.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  48. 48 Telemetry Piebald LLC · docs.piebald.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  49. 49 Hooks Piebald LLC · docs.piebald.ai · checked 2026-10-10