crystl

crystl solves a real pain: juggling multiple AI coding agents across projects in a standard terminal is a nightmare of tabs, logs, and confusion. The gems-and-shards model, with per-shard git worktrees, keeps parallel work genuinely isolated. The floating action panels are a standout—approval requests and alerts appear as color-coded glass panels so you can respond without switching windows. The free Apprentice tier is remarkably generous: you get split view, MCP config, history navigator, autosave, terminal GPU rendering, and even iPhone monitoring over Wi-Fi. The Guild membership ($170/year) unlocks the CLI, prompt library, formations, multi-device support, and remote iPhone access—a fair price for power users. We'd reach for this when running 3+ Claude Code or Codex sessions simultaneously, especially on a large project with multiple features or bug fixes in flight. The 'crystl quest' feature adds a collaborative twist: you define hero roles (e.g., Wizard for UI, Rogue for backend) and they hash out tasks in a shared chat. It's genuinely useful for complex refactors or research. Where it bites: macOS-only (Swift native). No Windows or Linux. Deeper integrations are limited to Claude Code and Codex; Antigravity CLI runs but lacks hook support. The Guild price increased from the previously noted $85/year to $170/year (per the current pricing page), which is still reasonable for what you get, but worth noting. If you use only one agent occasionally, a standard terminal suffices. Compared to the closest alternative (running agents raw in iTerm2 or Warp), crystl's orchestration, worktree isolation, and action panels add serious productivity for agent-heavy workflows. The iOS companion cements it as a 'agents running while you're away' tool. Overall, a well-executed niche