Coda vs Solo
Two local workspaces for processes and CLI agents
Quick summary
Solo is a desktop app that runs the processes in a project’s solo.yml next to CLI agents such as Claude Code and Codex. It runs on macOS and Windows, restarts crashed processes, and has an MCP server, saved commands and todos.
Coda covers the same ground on the Mac and adds split-pane views, a browser pane with DevTools that agents can drive, services that start the services they need first, and a full restore when the app opens again.
Choose Solo if you need Windows or want a free tier for a few projects. Choose Coda if you want servers, agents and the page you are building in one window, with everything back where it was after a restart.
Who should choose Coda, and who should choose Solo?
Choose Coda if
- You want to see the page, its server log and your agent side by side in split panes.
- You want your agent to open, click through and screenshot your app in a browser pane you can watch.
- One service needs another, like a frontend that needs its API, and you want them started in order.
- You quit the app often and want servers, agents and browser tabs back without doing anything.
Choose Solo if
- You work on Windows as well as macOS.
- You have four projects or fewer and want to use the free tier.
- You want agents of vendors Solo has built in and Coda doesn’t, such as Amp or Kimi, without writing a harness file.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Coda | Solo |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A Mac app for dev servers, CLI agents and browser panes, grouped by project | A desktop app for project processes and CLI agents |
| Runs your dev servers | Each service has a command, a folder and a port | Processes defined in solo.yml |
| Restarts a server when it crashes | Per service, up to 3 attempts, 2 seconds apart | auto_restart, paused after 10 restarts in 60 seconds |
| Starts the services a server needs first | Starts each required service and waits until its port accepts connections | No start order between processes in solo.yml |
| CLI agents from several vendors | Claude Code, Codex, Gemini, OpenCode, Copilot and pi, plus any CLI added with a JSON file | 8 built in, plus custom agents |
| Agent conversations resume after a restart | Each agent pane resumes its own session at launch | “Resume last session”, started by hand, not for custom agents |
| Servers start again when the app reopens | Services that were running start again, agents resume and browser tabs reopen | Windows and projects come back, but quitting stops all processes |
| Built-in browser with DevTools | WebKit pane with the Chrome DevTools frontend beside the page | Links open in your browser |
| Agents can use the built-in browser | 21 browser tools over MCP, with an approval policy per action | No built-in browser |
| MCP server that controls the app | More than 50 tools for services, logs, views, tasks and the browser. Off until you turn it on | MCP server, HTTP API and CLI |
| Shell commands as buttons | Per project, run in their own pane | Saved commands and prompt templates |
| Split panes | Views with split panes, layout presets and floating windows | No split panes |
| Task board | Kanban board per workspace that agents can read and update | Todos with blockers |
| Git worktrees and diff review | No worktree management or diff view | Not a worktree tool, by its own description |
| Code editor | Plain text editor and file drawer, no syntax highlighting | No editor |
| Configuration as plain files | Plain files in a .coda folder | solo.yml |
| Built with | Native Swift | Desktop app (stack not documented) |
| No account needed | No account | Not for the free tier |
| Platforms | macOS 14 and later | macOS 11+, Windows 10+ |
| Price | Free during the public beta | Free for 4 projects, Pro $99 a year |
“Not documented” means we found no mention of it in Solo’s documentation.
How do Coda and Solo handle dev servers?
Both keep a list of commands per project and restart a command when it crashes. Solo pauses restarts after 10 in a minute. Coda tries three times, two seconds apart.
Coda also lets a service require another one. Starting the website starts its API first and waits until the API’s port accepts connections. Stopping a view leaves running any service that another running view still needs. Solo’s solo.yml has no start order; its agents can wait for a port with a tool instead.
What happens when you quit and reopen each app?
Solo restores its windows and projects, and its documentation says quitting stops all processes. Agent sessions resume when you pick “Resume last session”.
Coda starts the services that were running again, resumes each agent pane’s conversation and reopens browser tabs at launch. The processes themselves do not survive the quit: Coda starts them again.
Can agents see your app in Coda and Solo?
Solo opens service URLs in your normal browser. Coda has a browser pane with the Chrome DevTools frontend beside the page. Its MCP server gives agents 21 browser tools to open pages, click, type, fill in forms, take screenshots and read the console and network requests, in a pane you can watch.
Frequently asked questions
Is Coda a Solo alternative?
Yes, on macOS. Both run project processes and CLI agents with an MCP server. Coda adds split panes, a browser pane agents can use, ordered service start and a restore on relaunch. Solo runs on Windows too and has a free tier.
Does Coda read solo.yml?
No. Coda keeps its configuration in its own .coda folder. An agent connected to Coda’s MCP server can create projects and services for you from a description.
Try Coda
A native Mac app for your dev servers, CLI agents and browser panes. Requires macOS 14 or later.
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Last reviewed October 5, 2026. Product features and prices change; tell us on the contact page if something here is out of date.