Highwind 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, Windows and Linux, restarts crashed processes, and has an MCP server, saved commands and todos.
Highwind covers the same ground on the Mac and adds split-pane views, a browser pane with DevTools that agents can drive, iOS and Android device panes, and services that start the services they need first.
Choose Solo if you need Windows or Linux, or want a free tier for a few projects. Choose Highwind if you want servers, agents, the page you are building and your phone simulator in one window.
Who should choose Highwind, and who should choose Solo?
Choose Highwind 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 want to get back what was running when you quit, including browser tabs, not a fixed list of auto-start commands.
- You build for iOS or Android and want the simulator or emulator next to your agent.
Choose Solo if
- You work on Windows or Linux 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 Highwind doesn’t, such as Amp or Kimi, without writing a harness file.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Highwind | Solo |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A Mac app for dev servers, CLI agents, browsers and phone simulators, 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 | 9 built in, plus custom agents |
| Agent conversations resume after a restart | Each agent pane resumes its own session at launch | A dialog offers to resume agents after a quit or crash; not for custom agents |
| Servers run again after you quit or reboot | Services that were running start again at the next launch, agents resume and browser tabs reopen. Launch at login is optional | Quitting stops processes; commands marked auto_start start again at launch |
| Built-in browser with DevTools | WebKit pane with the Chrome DevTools frontend beside the page | Not documented; links open in your browser |
| Agents can use the built-in browser | 21 browser tools over MCP, with an approval policy per action | Not documented |
| Phone simulator or emulator in a pane | iOS simulator, Android emulator or Android phone in a pane. No physical iPhones. Needs Xcode tools or the Android SDK installed | Not documented |
| Agents can use the simulator or emulator | 13 device tools over MCP: tap, swipe, type, screenshot, UI tree, logs and crash reports | Not documented |
| MCP server that controls the app | More than 70 tools for services, logs, views, tasks, the browser and devices. 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 | Links worktrees and clones to share todos; no worktree management |
| Code editor | Plain text editor and sidebar, no syntax highlighting | Not documented |
| Configuration as plain files | Plain files in a .highwind folder | solo.yml |
| Built with | Native Swift | Native desktop app (stack not documented) |
| No account needed | No account | Not documented for the free tier |
| Platforms | macOS 14 and later | macOS 11+, Windows 10+, Linux |
| Price | Free during the public beta | Free for 4 projects and 20 processes, Pro $99 a year |
“Not documented” means we found no mention of it in Solo’s documentation.
How do Highwind 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. Highwind tries three times, two seconds apart.
Highwind 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 warns that quitting stops all running processes. At the next launch it starts the commands marked auto_start, which is the default in solo.yml, in projects with Auto Start on, and a dialog offers to resume the agents that were running. Its documentation doesn’t say it remembers which commands were running.
Highwind starts the services that were running, resumes each agent pane’s conversation and reopens browser tabs at launch. In both apps the processes stop when you quit and are started again.
Can agents see your app in Highwind and Solo?
Solo’s documentation describes no built-in browser or device pane. Highwind 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. It also shows an iOS simulator, Android emulator or Android phone in a pane, with 13 tools for agents to use them.
Frequently asked questions
Is Highwind a Solo alternative?
Yes, on macOS. Both run project processes and CLI agents with an MCP server. Highwind adds split panes, a browser pane and device panes agents can use, and ordered service start. Solo runs on Windows and Linux too and has a free tier.
Does Highwind read solo.yml?
No. Highwind keeps its configuration in its own .highwind folder. An agent connected to Highwind’s MCP server can create projects and services for you from a description.
Try Highwind
A native Mac app for your dev servers, CLI agents and browser panes. Requires macOS 14 or later.
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Last reviewed November 2, 2026. Product features and prices change; tell us on the contact page if something here is out of date.