splash

SplashCompareZeron

Splash and Zeron, compared.

Splash and Zeron are open-source Rust desktop apps for running several coding agents at once, each session in its project folder or a git worktree. Zeron talks to each agent through that agent’s own interface or ACP and can sync chats across your devices. Splash uses the Agent Client Protocol for every agent and can run as a browser-based server.

Checked 10 October 202652 sourcesNot affiliated with zeronsh

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

Zeron

zeronsh

An MIT-licensed Rust desktop app for macOS, Windows and Linux that drives nine coding agents on your machines, with optional worktrees, a PR board, and sign-in sync to follow or drive chats from another device.345678

zeron.sh

Side by side

SplashZeron
The basics
What it is Desktop app, plus a headless server you open in a browser19 Desktop app; the same binary also has a headless CLI and background engine, installable on Linux servers45
Release status v0.2.1, early development110 v0.2.107 (8 October 2026), not marked as a prerelease; 170 releases since v0.1.0 on 22 July 20261112
License Open source (MIT)13 Open source (MIT)143
Price Free15 No prices or paid plans are published; the README asks for sponsorship to fund development43
Platforms macOS 14+ (Apple silicon and Intel), Windows 11 x64, Ubuntu 24.04 x6416 macOS 12+ (Apple silicon), Windows x64, Linux x64 and arm64; the headless installer supports Linux alone41718
Built with Rust, with a Svelte 5 frontend in a webview, built on the Elyra framework19 Rust, with a native gpui interface that replaced an earlier Electron version5
Agents
Agents Ships launch commands for 20 agents, including Claude Code, Codex, Copilot, Gemini, Goose, OpenCode2021 Drivers for nine agents, which Settings can install: Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Devin, Grok, Hermes, Pi, OpenCode and Antigravity; adding others isn’t documented64322
How it runs agents Agent Client Protocol over stdio, natively or through a pinned adapter for the vendor’s CLI202 Native protocols for Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode and Pi; Cursor’s SDK through a Node shim; ACP for Devin, Grok, Hermes and Antigravity2324256
Agent sign-in Who pays for the model You install and sign in to each agent’s CLI yourself; Splash runs it with that login21 Each agent’s CLI login or API key; Zeron detects logins, and for several agents switches accounts and shows usage meters2627
Account required Splash has no accounts; splash-server asks for a token it keeps in its data folder289 Not for local use, which also works offline; optional sync between devices needs a sign-in through WorkOS427
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 No: None: Zeron auto-approves agents’ tool calls and runs Codex with full access; agent questions still reach you in a panel2430315
MCP servers Partly: Read-only list of MCP servers from Claude Code, Codex, Pi, Pool and Glue config files2932 Yes: Adds its own MCP server to every agent run, for managing other chats; your configured MCP servers stay untouched33
Working in parallel
Isolation per session Yes: The project folder, or a git worktree on its own branch per session29 Yes: The project folder by default, or a new git worktree on its own zeron/… branch, off a base you pick734
Setup scripts and dev servers No: A worktree is a plain git checkout; Splash runs no setup scripts or dev servers2935 Yes: Project Actions, one of which can run when a worktree is created; a Browser tab lists dev servers found on macOS and Linux. Copying .env isn’t documented3637
What needs you Yes: One queue for permission requests, connection failures and finished turns, kept across restarts2938 Yes: Sessions sorted by attention with status dots; a question panel replaces the composer when an agent asks for input527
Notifications Yes: Notifies when a background session needs permission or finishes a turn; can be turned off3940 Partly: Native banners on macOS and Linux; Windows plays a chime but shows no banner yet. Can be switched off41
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 other129 Yes: Through Zeron’s MCP server, agents create chats, message them, wait for their turns and interrupt them33
Built-in browser No: No built-in browser; the workbench holds git changes, a file tree, diff and file tabs, and a terminal29 Yes: Browser tabs for chat links and dev servers, including ones on other signed-in devices; Linux needs WebKitGTK 4.1 and JSON-GLib installed3742
Review and shipping
Review changes Yes: Latest response, failed tools and every changed file as a diff, with a box to send feedback29 Yes: A Changes pane with the branch diff, updated live; comments on diff or file lines join your next prompt27343
GitHub Yes: Issues, pull requests and Actions runs across repositories, through the gh CLI2944 Yes: A PR board via gh with checks and review status, comments, and handoff to agents; PR creation isn’t documented8454647
Issue trackers Partly: GitHub (github.com), through the gh CLI; no Linear or Jira2944 No: No integration with GitHub Issues, Linear, Jira or GitLab is documented4
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.9 Yes: Sign in on several devices to follow and drive chats, which run on their host; headless mode suits Linux servers45
Mobile app No: No mobile app; builds cover macOS, Windows, Ubuntu and a headless server16 No: Not released: an iOS client that runs no agents itself is coming soon; no Android app348
Auto-update No: Download new versions from GitHub Releases; the app does not update itself1649 Yes: Downloads new releases from Zeron’s own feed and installs them on restart or quit450
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 Splash2938 Not documented: Importing conversations started outside Zeron isn’t documented4
Search transcripts Yes: Search titles, folders and saved transcript text, archived sessions included29 Partly: A command palette finds chats by title, project, device, branch or linked PR; full-text search isn’t documented51

Where they differ

How agents connect

Zeron drives each agent through that agent’s own interface: Claude Code’s stream-json, codex app-server, a Node shim around Cursor’s SDK (in public beta), OpenCode’s HTTP server and Pi’s JSONL RPC, with ACP for Devin, Grok, Hermes and Antigravity. The nine drivers are compiled into the app; the agents themselves are installed separately or from Zeron’s Settings. Splash speaks the Agent Client Protocol with every agent, natively or through a pinned adapter.2324256322202

Where agents run

Zeron runs agents on your devices, including Linux servers in headless mode. After sign-in, chats sync through a Cloudflare relay, and every signed-in device can follow or drive a chat on its host and read and write the host’s workspace files. Splash runs agents on your computer or under splash-server on a machine you reach in a browser through SSH.4519

Permission requests

Zeron runs agents unattended: it auto-approves their tool calls and sets Codex’s sandbox to danger-full-access. An agent’s questions still reach you, in a panel that replaces the composer. Splash shows each permission request an agent sends in the transcript, answered with the 1–9 keys, and keeps pending ones in Needs attention.243031529

Platforms and updates

Both apps are MIT-licensed. Zeron’s desktop builds cover macOS 12+ on Apple silicon, Windows x64 and Linux x64 and arm64, and it updates itself from its own release feed. Splash builds for macOS 14+ on Apple silicon and Intel, Windows 11 x64 and Ubuntu 24.04 x64, and is updated by downloading a new release from GitHub.1441850131649

Tools around the session

Zeron adds Project Actions, a browser tab for dev servers on this or another signed-in device, a GitHub PR board that hands pull requests to agents, an MCP server through which agents start other chats, and on-device voice dictation. Splash’s tools center on the conversation: a Needs attention queue, a review panel, full-text transcript search and importing sessions started elsewhere.363784533522938

Which one fits

Splash may suit you if

  • You want to answer each permission request an agent sends, in the transcript or from one Needs attention queue.
  • You want to import conversations agents started outside the app and search the full text of saved sessions.
  • You want a GitHub view of issues, pull requests and Actions runs across repositories.
  • You use an Intel Mac, or want to open your sessions in a browser through an SSH tunnel to your own server.

Zeron may suit you if

  • You want to keep watch on agents running on one computer and steer them from another device.
  • You want worktree setup commands and a built-in browser for dev servers, including ones on other devices.
  • You want a GitHub PR board that passes a PR to a new agent session for review or to fix failing checks.
  • You want agents that start, message and wait on other chats through a built-in MCP server.

Sources

Facts about Zeron come from its public website, documentation and repositories as they read on 10 October 2026; we haven't confirmed each one by running Zeron. 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 Zeron — control your coding agents from any device zeronsh · zeron.sh · checked 2026-10-10
  4. 4 README.md zeronsh/zeron on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  5. 5 ARCHITECTURE.md zeronsh/zeron on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  6. 6 crates/engine/src/registry.rs zeronsh/zeron on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  7. 7 crates/ui/src/pickers.rs zeronsh/zeron on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  8. 8 crates/ui/src/pull_requests.rs zeronsh/zeron on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  9. 9 Splash README: Run as a web app over SSH Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  10. 10 Splash releases Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  11. 11 Release v0.2.107 (REST API) zeronsh/zeron on GitHub · api.github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  12. 12 Releases API, oldest page zeronsh/zeron on GitHub · api.github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  13. 13 LICENSE Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  14. 14 LICENSE zeronsh/zeron on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  15. 15 Download Splash splash.computer · splash.computer · checked 2026-10-09
  16. 16 Splash README: Download the app Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  17. 17 Release v0.2.107 zeronsh/zeron on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  18. 18 dist/macos/Info.plist zeronsh/zeron on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  19. 19 Splash README: How it works Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  20. 20 src/agents/registry.rs Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  21. 21 Splash README: Agents Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  22. 22 crates/harness/README.md zeronsh/zeron on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  23. 23 crates/harness/src/lib.rs zeronsh/zeron on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  24. 24 crates/harness/src/claude/mod.rs zeronsh/zeron on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  25. 25 crates/harness/src/cursor/mod.rs zeronsh/zeron on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  26. 26 crates/engine/src/agent_accounts.rs zeronsh/zeron on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  27. 27 docs/PARITY.md zeronsh/zeron on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  28. 28 Splash README: Build from source Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  29. 29 Splash README: Features Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  30. 30 crates/harness/src/codex/mod.rs zeronsh/zeron on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  31. 31 crates/harness/src/acp/mod.rs zeronsh/zeron on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  32. 32 src/agents/customize.rs Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  33. 33 docs/mcp.md zeronsh/zeron on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  34. 34 crates/engine/src/repos.rs zeronsh/zeron on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  35. 35 src/worktree.rs Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  36. 36 docs/reference/project-actions.md zeronsh/zeron on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  37. 37 docs/preview-networking.md zeronsh/zeron on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  38. 38 Splash README: Existing sessions and review Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  39. 39 app/src/components/settings/General.svelte Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  40. 40 app/src/lib/system.ts Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  41. 41 crates/ui/src/notify.rs zeronsh/zeron on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  42. 42 docs/reference/linux-browser.md zeronsh/zeron on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  43. 43 crates/ui/src/comments.rs zeronsh/zeron 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 crates/ui/src/pull_request_handoff.rs zeronsh/zeron on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  46. 46 crates/engine/src/source_control.rs zeronsh/zeron on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  47. 47 crates/ui/src/pull_request_interactions.rs zeronsh/zeron on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  48. 48 apps/ios/README.md zeronsh/zeron on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  49. 49 app/src/components/settings/About.svelte Splash on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-09
  50. 50 crates/update/src/lib.rs zeronsh/zeron on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  51. 51 crates/ui/src/shell/command_palette.rs zeronsh/zeron on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10
  52. 52 docs/reference/desktop-dictation.md zeronsh/zeron on GitHub · github.com · checked 2026-10-10