splash

SplashComparePoolside Assistant for desktop

Splash and Poolside Assistant for desktop, compared.

Splash and Poolside Assistant for desktop are open-source apps that run several coding agents at once over the Agent Client Protocol, with git worktrees to keep their work apart. Poolside Assistant runs on Apple silicon Macs, bundles Poolside’s own agent and can run models locally. Splash runs on macOS, Windows and Ubuntu, and as a headless server.

Checked 10 October 202654 sourcesNot affiliated with Poolside

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

Poolside Assistant for desktop

Poolside

A Mac app for Apple silicon that runs Poolside’s agent, Claude, Codex and other ACP agents across projects, with an optional git worktree per task and built-in terminals, diffs and GitHub status.34

docs.poolside.ai

Side by side

SplashPoolside Assistant for desktop
The basics
What it is Desktop app, plus a headless server you open in a browser15 Mac app for running ACP coding agents outside the editor; also available as VS Code and Visual Studio extensions36
Release status v0.2.1, early development17 Desktop v1.6.0 of 2 October 2026, after a launch on 28 July 2026; phone remote access is marked experimental843
License Open source (MIT)9 Open source (Apache-2.0); the bundled Poolside Agent (pool) is proprietary, under Poolside’s EULA1011
Price Free12 Free. Poolside’s agent has a free developer key or paid access through OpenRouter; other agents use their own subscriptions or API keys1013414
Platforms macOS 14+ (Apple silicon and Intel), Windows 11 x64, Ubuntu 24.04 x6415 macOS on Apple silicon; the VS Code extension covers macOS, Linux and Windows, the Visual Studio one Windows316176
Built with Rust, with a Svelte 5 frontend in a webview, built on the Elyra framework18 A Tauri v2 (Rust) shell around a Svelte and TypeScript UI shared with the editor extensions, plus a bundled Go helper19172021
Agents
Agents Ships launch commands for 20 agents, including Claude Code, Codex, Copilot, Gemini, Goose, OpenCode2223 Poolside Agent (pool) by default; Claude Agent and Codex marked as tested; other public ACP registry agents and custom ACP executables32425
How it runs agents Agent Client Protocol over stdio, natively or through a pinned adapter for the vendor’s CLI222 ACP over stdio: the app’s bundled Go helper starts each agent as a subprocess; Claude and Codex go through ACP adapters420212624
Agent sign-in Who pays for the model You install and sign in to each agent’s CLI yourself; Splash runs it with that login23 Other agents keep their own logins or API keys, with model calls bypassing Poolside; Poolside’s agent signs in via a terminal1443
Account required Splash has no accounts; splash-server asks for a token it keeps in its data folder275 No sign-up to install. Poolside’s agent logs in through Poolside Platform, OpenRouter, an org deployment or an OpenAI-compatible endpoint; local models need none unless gated31328
On-device models Models that run on your computer No: None of its own; Splash starts the agent you pick and shows what it streams back1 Yes: Poolside Local runs MLX models on the Mac and estimates fit before download; Laguna XS 2.1 allows an offline setup34
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 attention29 Yes: Agents can ask before reading files, running commands or editing code; a pending request marks the conversation as waiting330
MCP servers Partly: Read-only list of MCP servers from Claude Code, Codex, Pi, Pool and Glue config files2931 Yes: Connectors are MCP servers: a built-in catalog (GitHub, Linear, Notion, Sentry, Vercel and more) plus custom ones428
Working in parallel
Isolation per session Yes: The project folder, or a git worktree on its own branch per session29 Yes: Each task can get its own git worktree and branch, kept under Poolside’s state folder3432
Setup scripts and dev servers No: A worktree is a plain git checkout; Splash runs no setup scripts or dev servers2933 Yes: Worktree setup and teardown scripts per project; a failing teardown blocks removal. No dev-server or port handling is documented3435
Terminal Yes: A terminal in the session folder29 Yes: Built-in PTY terminals in tabs and splits beside conversations, files and diffs; setup scripts can run in one343635
What needs you Yes: One queue for permission requests, connection failures and finished turns, kept across restarts2937 Yes: Waiting and unread marks on tabs and sidebar rows, a Dock badge count, a jump-to-next shortcut and macOS notifications for approvals3038394041
Agents handing off work Passing a conversation or task to another agent No: Each session is one agent in one folder; sessions don’t hand work to each other129 Yes: Pass a conversation to another agent, which picks it up at your next prompt with recent messages and the latest plan3442
Review and shipping
Review changes Yes: Latest response, failed tools and every changed file as a diff, with a box to send feedback29 Yes: Diff panel for all, staged or unstaged changes, unified or side by side, with Stage and Commit; no documented line comments343
Create pull requests No: Shows the PR for a session’s branch and starts worktrees from PR heads; does not create PRs2944 Partly: Opens GitHub’s new-pull-request page for the branch in a browser; the GitHub integration reads PR state but doesn’t create or merge34546
GitHub Yes: Issues, pull requests and Actions runs across repositories, through the gh CLI2944 Yes: PR status, CI checks, review state and comments for each worktree, read through gh or a personal access token34746
Issue trackers Partly: GitHub (github.com), through the gh CLI; no Linear or Jira2944 Partly: No tracker view; Linear and GitHub connectors give agents access, a repo’s issue list opens by link, others via custom MCP42845
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 Partly: Experimental: a phone web app served from the Mac over Tailscale, paired by QR code; SSH and native apps aren’t documented3104849
Auto-update No: Download new versions from GitHub Releases; the app does not update itself1550 Yes: Downloads updates in the background; the sidebar Update button installs one and restarts. Stable by default, with a Preview channel51
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 Splash2937 Yes: Imports Claude Code and Codex sessions from Settings → Archive, which also lists archived chats from every project452
Search transcripts Yes: Search titles, folders and saved transcript text, archived sessions included29 No: Not by message text: ⌘K finds conversations by title, project or agent name, and can open files453

Where they differ

How agents connect

Both apps drive agents over the Agent Client Protocol. Poolside Assistant lists agents from the public ACP registry, accepts custom ACP executables in assistant.json, and keeps its own copy of Poolside’s pool agent up to date. Splash ships launch commands for its own list of agents, pool acp among them; you install and sign in to each CLI.424322232

Where it runs

Poolside Assistant’s desktop app is for Apple silicon Macs; the assistant also runs as VS Code and Visual Studio extensions, and an experimental phone web app reaches the Mac over Tailscale. Splash runs on macOS 14+ (Apple silicon and Intel), Windows 11 and Ubuntu 24.04, or as splash-server on a machine you open in a browser through an SSH tunnel.316648155

Models, price and license

Both apps are free and open source: Splash under MIT, Poolside Assistant under Apache-2.0, though its bundled pool agent is proprietary. Poolside’s agent defaults to the Laguna S 2.1 model, with a free developer key or paid OpenRouter access, and Poolside Local runs MLX models on the Mac. Splash starts the agent you choose, signed in through its own CLI.91210114133123

Around the session

Poolside Assistant offers worktree setup and teardown scripts, a default layout of tabs and splits you can save, a chat mode with its own scratch folder, dictation transcribed on the Mac, and handing a conversation to another agent. Splash builds around its sessions: a Needs attention queue, a review screen that sends feedback, full-text transcript search and a GitHub view across repositories.344354422944

Which one fits

Splash may suit you if

  • You work on Windows, Ubuntu or an Intel Mac, or want to run sessions on your own server over SSH.
  • You want permission requests, failures and finished turns gathered in one Needs attention queue.
  • You want to search the full text of saved transcripts, including conversations imported from your agents’ history.
  • You want a GitHub view of issues, pull requests and Actions runs across your repositories.

Poolside Assistant for desktop may suit you if

  • You work on an Apple silicon Mac and want Poolside’s own agent ready to use, with a free developer key.
  • You want to run open-weight models on your Mac without a hosted model service.
  • You want worktree setup and teardown scripts and an app that updates itself.
  • You want to pass a conversation from one agent to another, or try the experimental phone remote for your Mac.

Sources

Facts about Poolside Assistant for desktop come from its public website, documentation and repositories as they read on 10 October 2026; we haven't confirmed each one by running Poolside Assistant for desktop. 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 Use Poolside Assistant for desktop Poolside · docs.poolside.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  4. 4 Introducing Poolside Desktop Assistant, for macOS Poolside · poolside.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  5. 5 Splash README: Run as a web app over SSH Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  6. 6 Use Poolside Assistant in VS Code or Visual Studio Poolside · docs.poolside.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  7. 7 Splash releases Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  8. 8 Release desktop/v1.6.0 poolsideai/assistants on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  9. 9 LICENSE Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  10. 10 README.md poolsideai/assistants on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  11. 11 LICENSE.md poolsideai/pool on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  12. 12 Download Splash splash.computer · splash.computer · checked 2026-10-09
  13. 13 Log in to Poolside Poolside · docs.poolside.ai · checked 2026-10-10
  14. 14 ui/packages/features/src/acp/agentRequirements.ts poolsideai/assistants on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  15. 15 Splash README: Download the app Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  16. 16 .github/workflows/release-desktop.yml poolsideai/assistants on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  17. 17 Install Poolside Assistant (INSTALL.md) poolsideai/assistants on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  18. 18 Splash README: How it works Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  19. 19 ui/README.md poolsideai/assistants on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  20. 20 ui/apps/desktop-assistant/src-tauri/tauri.conf.json poolsideai/assistants on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  21. 21 pkg/poolside-helper/internal/handler/acpproxy/process.go poolsideai/assistants on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  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 ui/packages/features/src/acp/agentRegistry.ts poolsideai/assistants on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  25. 25 ACP agent registry (registry.json) Agent Client Protocol · cdn.agentclientprotocol.com · checked 2026-10-10
  26. 26 pkg/poolside-helper/internal/handler/acpproxy/claude_auth_probe.go poolsideai/assistants on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  27. 27 Splash README: Build from source Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  28. 28 Getting started with Poolside Assistant poolsideai/assistants on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  29. 29 Splash README: Features Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  30. 30 ui/packages/features/src/acp/components/chat/desktopChatTabStatus.ts poolsideai/assistants on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  31. 31 src/agents/customize.rs Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  32. 32 pkg/poolside-helper/internal/handler/acpnav/store.go poolsideai/assistants on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  33. 33 src/worktree.rs Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  34. 34 ui/packages/features/src/acp/components/ProjectSettingsView.svelte poolsideai/assistants on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  35. 35 ui/packages/features/src/acp/features/WorktreeRepository.ts poolsideai/assistants on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  36. 36 ui/apps/desktop-assistant/src-tauri/src/terminal.rs poolsideai/assistants on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  37. 37 Splash README: Existing sessions and review Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  38. 38 ui/packages/features/src/acp/components/sidebar/ConversationRow.svelte poolsideai/assistants on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  39. 39 ui/packages/assistant/src/acp/runtime/shared/registerAttentionBadgeEffect.svelte.ts poolsideai/assistants on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  40. 40 ui/packages/features/src/keybindings/commands.ts poolsideai/assistants on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  41. 41 ui/apps/desktop-assistant/src/main.ts poolsideai/assistants on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  42. 42 ui/packages/features/src/acp/features/session/handoffContext.ts poolsideai/assistants on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  43. 43 ui/packages/features/src/acp/components/chat/DesktopDiffPanel.svelte poolsideai/assistants on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  44. 44 Splash README: GitHub view Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  45. 45 pkg/poolside-helper/internal/handler/github/handler.go poolsideai/assistants on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  46. 46 pkg/poolside-helper/methods/github.go poolsideai/assistants on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  47. 47 ui/packages/features/src/acp/components/DesktopGitHubConnectorSection.svelte poolsideai/assistants on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  48. 48 ui/apps/mobile-remote/README.md poolsideai/assistants on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  49. 49 ui/packages/features/src/acp/components/DesktopRemoteAccessSection.svelte poolsideai/assistants on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  50. 50 app/src/components/settings/About.svelte Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  51. 51 Desktop auto-updater (AUTOUPDATER.md) poolsideai/assistants on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  52. 52 ui/packages/features/src/acp/components/DesktopArchivedChatsSection.svelte poolsideai/assistants on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  53. 54 pkg/poolside-helper/internal/handler/voice_input.go poolsideai/assistants on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10