CLI Manager vs Helicon: Features, Pricing & Which Is Better (2026)

A side-by-side comparison of CLI Manager and Helicon — features, pricing, and ideal use cases — to help you decide which AI tool fits your workflow.

CLI Manager

solhun

Free

Free, open-source macOS app that manages Claude Code, Codex CLI and Gemini CLI sessions, projects and worktrees from one dashboard.

Unified Agent Dashboard: Claude Code, Codex CLI, Gemini CLI and plain shells run side by side in one sidebar, grouped into project folders and named by role.
AI Control API: Lets Claude Code, Codex or a script open visible terminal sessions, send prompts and read the screen over a local, token-protected connection; off by default.
In-App Diff Review: Open the diff for any workspace, select lines and send a comment with file and line numbers straight back to the agent's terminal.
Hook-Based Session Status: Uses official Claude Code and Codex hooks so a permission prompt is never mistaken for a finished task, plus usage alerts before the 5-hour or weekly limit.
Built-In Git Worktrees: Each worktree becomes its own workspace with its own sessions, and a Source Control panel handles stage, commit, push and history.
Session Memos: Per-session notes saved as you type that persist across restarts and can be read by an AI working through the Control API.
Loop Dashboard: A dedicated window to watch Claude Code /loop sessions per project, showing iteration count, status and timing.

Multi-Agent Development: Running Claude Code, Codex and Gemini CLI on different tasks in parallel while keeping every session visible in one sidebar.
Agent Orchestration: Having a primary coding agent open and drive other CLI agents in watchable terminals through the AI Control API.
Code Review of Agent Output: Reviewing diffs from an agent's worktree and sending line-level feedback back without leaving the app.
Parallel Feature Branches: Using Git worktrees as separate workspaces so several features progress at once, each with its own agent session.
Usage Limit Monitoring: Tracking Claude Code and Codex usage so long-running agent work is not cut off unexpectedly.

Free

A free, open-source desktop and web app for Meta's Muse Code CLI that puts sessions, diffs, approvals and cost in one window.

Project and Thread Sidebar: Threads are grouped by folder, worktrees included, and any session can be resumed in one click.
Inline Diffs: Every edit lands in the thread as a diff right where it happened, with no scrollback digging.
Approvals Surfaced Live: Every approval request appears the moment it arrives; none are batched or bypassed.
Cost at API Rates: Shows what each thread would cost at published per-token rates by day, model and thread, as a meter on your subscription.
Command Palette and Keyboard Navigation: Command palette, slash commands such as /plan and /review, and a model picker for keyboard-first use.
Desktop and Web Shells: The same React UI ships as a Tauri desktop app with auto-update and as a web app pointed at a remote daemon.
Local-First Architecture: A local daemon and SQLite store keep state on your machine, with auth through your own muse login.

Multi-Repo Agent Management: Monitor sessions across several repositories from one sidebar.
Code Review of Agent Edits: Inspect inline diffs and approve or reject shell commands before they run.
Windows Muse Code Usage: Run Muse Code natively on Windows without WSL through a GUI.
Cost Awareness: See what threads would cost at API rates to understand plan usage.
Remote Agent Access: Point the web app at a remote daemon to drive sessions from a browser.