splash

SplashComparePolyscope

Splash and Polyscope, compared.

Splash and Polyscope both run several coding agents at once and can give each its own branch. Polyscope, a macOS and Windows app, launches the installed Claude Code, Codex or Cursor CLI in cloned workspaces, and paid plans add remote access. Splash, a free, open-source app for macOS, Windows and Ubuntu, drives agents over the Agent Client Protocol.

Checked 10 October 202652 sourcesNot affiliated with Beyond Code

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

Polyscope

Beyond Code

A macOS and Windows app, pitched at Laravel developers, that runs Claude Code, Codex and Cursor CLI in parallel workspaces, each a repo clone. Pro adds browser and phone access and a headless Linux server.3456

getpolyscope.com

Side by side

SplashPolyscope
The basics
What it is Desktop app, plus a headless server you open in a browser17 macOS and Windows desktop app, headless Linux server, browser and phone access on Pro, and a REST API with SDKs4689
Release status v0.2.1, early development110 v0.29.0 of 7 October 2026; the changelog lists 27 releases, the first 0.5.1 in March. FFF file search is experimental, as was workspace archiving when added in 0.16.01112
License Open source (MIT)13 Proprietary under an EULA barring modification or reverse engineering; its JS and Laravel SDKs and Chrome extension are MIT14151617
Price Free18 Personal free; Pro $99 a year adds phone and browser access and a headless server on your own Linux machine; Team $299 a year for 10 seats; tax extra3
Platforms macOS 14+ (Apple silicon and Intel), Windows 11 x64, Ubuntu 24.04 x6419 macOS 13.3+ and Windows desktop apps, with no CPU types listed beyond a mention of Apple silicon; Linux x86_64 or aarch64 for the headless server4206
Built with Rust, with a Svelte 5 frontend in a webview, built on the Elyra framework21 Electron since 0.17.0 (April 2026), replacing Tauri; the app bundles a local server and stores its data in SQLite1122
Agents
Agents Ships launch commands for 20 agents, including Claude Code, Codex, Copilot, Gemini, Goose, OpenCode2324 Claude Code, OpenAI Codex and Cursor CLI; Kimi 2.5 is announced as coming soon. Adding other agents isn’t documented325
How it runs agents Agent Client Protocol over stdio, natively or through a pinned adapter for the vendor’s CLI232 Runs the installed claude, codex or cursor CLI; Claude chat uses the Claude Code SDK, Terminal Mode its TUI2662728
Agent sign-in Who pays for the model You install and sign in to each agent’s CLI yourself; Splash runs it with that login24 Uses the subscription or API key already set up in each CLI; providers bill AI usage, outside the Polyscope license3
Account required Splash has no accounts; splash-server asks for a token it keeps in its data folder297 Install ends with a GitHub login, and the license is checked online; remote and standalone-server access need Pro4386
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 attention30 Partly: Chat mode auto-approves tools, confines file-writing tools to the workspace and linked ones, and offers plan approval; Terminal Mode keeps Claude Code’s prompts2728
Working in parallel
Isolation per session Yes: The project folder, or a git worktree on its own branch per session30 Yes: A repo clone on a fresh branch per workspace, copy-on-write on macOS APFS; or one workspace on the repo itself531
Setup scripts and dev servers No: A worktree is a plain git checkout; Splash runs no setup scripts or dev servers3032 Yes: polyscope.json setup, archive and run scripts with autostart, and a preview URL per workspace; no port allocation is documented3334
Built-in browser No: No built-in browser; the workbench holds git changes, a file tree, diff and file tabs, and a terminal30 Yes: Embedded browser with a console for the preview URL; the Visual Editor sends a picked element to the agent35
What needs you Yes: One queue for permission requests, connection failures and finished turns, kept across restarts3036 Yes: Sidebar spinner while an agent runs and badge when it awaits plan approval or an answer; optional Needs you / Active / Inactive grouping; stale-agent warnings511
Agents handing off work One session passing work or context to another No: Each session is one agent in one folder; sessions don’t hand work to each other130 Yes: Autopilot runs a goal as stories in fresh sessions; Opinions results and linked workspaces hand context to an agent37383911
Review and shipping
Review changes Yes: Latest response, failed tools and every changed file as a diff, with a box to send feedback30 Yes: Split or unified diffs with inline comments the agent addresses, and a Review mode that runs a separate review agent34041
Files and diffs Partly: File tree, git changes and diff tabs; files open read-only, with no editor3042 Yes: A diff panel with find in diff and multi-file discard, plus a Monaco-based editor for files4011
Create pull requests No: Shows the PR for a session’s branch and starts worktrees from PR heads; does not create PRs3043 Yes: Agent-run commit, push and PR or draft PR through gh, from editable prompts; direct merge and push to an open PR44
GitHub Yes: Issues, pull requests and Actions runs across repositories, through the gh CLI3043 Yes: Via gh: workspaces from issues or PRs, Actions check status in the feed, and it can prompt the agent to fix failing CI44
Issue trackers Partly: GitHub (github.com), through the gh CLI; no Linear or Jira3043 Yes: Start workspaces from GitHub issues, Linear issues, Sentry errors or Laravel Nightwatch issues; GitLab and Jira aren’t documented44454647
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.7 Yes: Pro: phone, tablet or browser access to your own desktop or Linux server through an end-to-end encrypted relay86
Mobile app No: No mobile app; builds cover macOS, Windows, Ubuntu and a headless server19 Partly: A mobile interface in the phone’s browser via the relay, on Pro; no App Store or Play Store app is documented8
Auto-update No: Download new versions from GitHub Releases; the app does not update itself1948 Yes: Checks for new versions automatically and offers to install them; Check for Updates runs it by hand49
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 Splash3036 Not documented: Not documented; Polyscope stores its own conversations in a local SQLite database, with per-turn checkpoints you can revert2211
Search transcripts Yes: Search titles, folders and saved transcript text, archived sessions included30 Not documented: Not documented; the command palette searches command, workspace and branch names, and the sidebar searches workspaces5011

Where they differ

How agents connect

Polyscope launches the claude, codex or cursor CLI installed on the machine. Claude’s chat view goes through the Claude Code SDK, and Terminal Mode runs Claude Code’s own interface instead; the docs don’t say how Codex and Cursor are driven or mention ACP. Splash connects to every agent over the Agent Client Protocol, natively or through an adapter.266272811232

Permissions and safeguards

In chat mode Polyscope runs Claude Code with --dangerously-skip-permissions and its own check that keeps file-writing tools inside the workspace and any linked workspaces; shell commands, git and network access are not restricted. Plan mode adds a plan approval step, and Terminal Mode keeps Claude Code’s own prompts unless you turn them off. Splash shows the permission requests an agent sends in the transcript and holds pending ones in Needs attention.272830

Where agents run

Polyscope runs agents on the computer with the desktop app or on a Linux machine running polyscope-server. On Pro you reach either from a browser or phone through Polyscope’s relay, with end-to-end encryption. The API docs add that every Polyscope server keeps a connection to the Polyscope cloud, which the REST API goes through. Splash runs agents on your computer, or under splash-server on another machine, which you open in a browser through an SSH tunnel.685117

Price, accounts and license

Polyscope is proprietary. Personal is free; Pro ($99 a year) and Team ($299 a year, 10 seats) are subscriptions billed through Paddle, and the EULA lets Beyond Code change or end the free plan. Setup includes a GitHub login, and the license is checked online. Splash is free, MIT-licensed and has no accounts.1434131829

Workflow focus

Polyscope targets Laravel developers: it detects Laravel Herd and suggests a .test URL per workspace, offers a Laravel new-project wizard and starts workspaces from Nightwatch issues; its docs also show Node.js setups. Autopilot, Opinions and voice dictation are built in. Splash’s additions are a Needs attention queue, transcript search, imported agent history and a GitHub triage view.35211473331373820303643

Which one fits

Splash may suit you if

  • You want a free, MIT-licensed app that needs no account.
  • You want the desktop app on Ubuntu as well as macOS and Windows.
  • You want Gemini, Copilot, Goose and other agents next to Claude Code and Codex, all over the Agent Client Protocol.
  • You want to import conversations agents started outside the app and search their text with the rest.

Polyscope may suit you if

  • You build Laravel apps and want Herd .test URLs, Nightwatch and Sentry issues, and setup and run scripts per workspace.
  • You want a file editor, inline diff comments and a separate review agent before the agent commits and opens a PR.
  • You want Autopilot to work through a goal story by story, or Opinions to compare several models’ answers.
  • You want to check on agents from a phone or browser, or run them on your own Linux server, with a Pro plan.

Sources

Facts about Polyscope come from its public website, documentation and repositories as they read on 10 October 2026; we haven't confirmed each one by running Polyscope. 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 Polyscope Beyond Code · getpolyscope.com · checked 2026-10-10
  4. 4 Documentation: Installation Beyond Code · getpolyscope.com · checked 2026-10-10
  5. 5 Workspaces Beyond Code · getpolyscope.com · checked 2026-10-10
  6. 6 Standalone Server Beyond Code · getpolyscope.com · checked 2026-10-10
  7. 7 Splash README: Run as a web app over SSH Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  8. 8 Remote Access Beyond Code · getpolyscope.com · checked 2026-10-10
  9. 9 API Reference: Overview Beyond Code · getpolyscope.com · checked 2026-10-10
  10. 10 Splash releases Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  11. 11 Changelog Beyond Code · getpolyscope.com · checked 2026-10-10
  12. 12 FFF (Fast File Finder) Beyond Code · getpolyscope.com · checked 2026-10-10
  13. 13 LICENSE Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  14. 14 End-User License Agreement Beyond Code · getpolyscope.com · checked 2026-10-10
  15. 15 beyondcode/polyscope-js beyondcode/polyscope-js on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  16. 16 beyondcode/polyscope-laravel beyondcode/polyscope-laravel on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  17. 17 beyondcode/polyscope-chrome beyondcode/polyscope-chrome on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  18. 18 Download Splash splash.computer · splash.computer · checked 2026-10-09
  19. 19 Splash README: Download the app Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  20. 20 Voice Interaction Beyond Code · getpolyscope.com · checked 2026-10-10
  21. 21 Splash README: How it works Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  22. 22 Directories and Files Beyond Code · getpolyscope.com · checked 2026-10-10
  23. 23 src/agents/registry.rs Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  24. 24 Splash README: Agents Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  25. 25 API Reference: Models Beyond Code · getpolyscope.com · checked 2026-10-10
  26. 26 Outdated Claude or Codex Version Beyond Code · getpolyscope.com · checked 2026-10-10
  27. 27 Agent Permissions Beyond Code · getpolyscope.com · checked 2026-10-10
  28. 28 Terminal Mode Beyond Code · getpolyscope.com · checked 2026-10-10
  29. 29 Splash README: Build from source Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  30. 30 Splash README: Features Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  31. 31 Workflow Beyond Code · getpolyscope.com · checked 2026-10-10
  32. 32 src/worktree.rs Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  33. 33 polyscope.json Beyond Code · getpolyscope.com · checked 2026-10-10
  34. 34 Run Scripts Beyond Code · getpolyscope.com · checked 2026-10-10
  35. 35 Visual Editor Beyond Code · getpolyscope.com · checked 2026-10-10
  36. 36 Splash README: Existing sessions and review Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  37. 37 Autopilot Beyond Code · getpolyscope.com · checked 2026-10-10
  38. 38 Opinions Beyond Code · getpolyscope.com · checked 2026-10-10
  39. 39 Linking Workspaces Beyond Code · getpolyscope.com · checked 2026-10-10
  40. 40 Quickstart Beyond Code · getpolyscope.com · checked 2026-10-10
  41. 41 Review Beyond Code · getpolyscope.com · checked 2026-10-10
  42. 42 app/src/components/FileTab.svelte Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  43. 43 Splash README: GitHub view Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  44. 44 GitHub Beyond Code · getpolyscope.com · checked 2026-10-10
  45. 45 Linear Beyond Code · getpolyscope.com · checked 2026-10-10
  46. 46 Sentry Beyond Code · getpolyscope.com · checked 2026-10-10
  47. 47 Nightwatch Beyond Code · getpolyscope.com · checked 2026-10-10
  48. 48 app/src/components/settings/About.svelte Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  49. 49 Updates Beyond Code · getpolyscope.com · checked 2026-10-10
  50. 50 Command Palette Beyond Code · getpolyscope.com · checked 2026-10-10
  51. 51 API Reference: Servers Beyond Code · getpolyscope.com · checked 2026-10-10
  52. 52 Laravel Herd Beyond Code · getpolyscope.com · checked 2026-10-10