An AI coding assistant for your editor and desktop.
Poolside Assistant is an open-source client for coding agents. Use it from the desktop app, VS Code, or Visual Studio.
Connect agents that support the Agent Client Protocol, including pool, Codex, Claude, and other compatible agents.
Chat with your agent in one consistent UI across the surfaces you use.
- Universal ACP client. Use compatible agents such as Claude, Codex, and Cursor, install community agents from the Agent Client Protocol registry, or bring your own agent.
- Bundled Poolside agent. Use Poolside's own ACP agent, pool, built around Poolside models trained specifically for software engineering and integrated into the assistant UI.
- Multiple surfaces. Run Poolside Assistant as a desktop app or as an extension inside VS Code or Visual Studio, with a consistent assistant experience across each surface.
- Desktop workflows for larger changes. Use worktrees, GitHub awareness, built-in terminals, and change review tools from the desktop app.
- Optional on-device models. In the desktop app on Apple Silicon, download and run supported models locally.
- Remote access. Drive your desktop assistant from your phone over Tailscale.
- Voice input. Dictate prompts instead of typing them.
- Open source. Apache-2.0 licensed, free to use, modify, and ship in your own developer environment. Contributions welcome.
Prebuilt releases are available for the desktop app, VS Code extension, and Visual Studio extension.
| Surface | Status | Download |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop — macOS (Apple Silicon) | Available | Newest desktop/v* release |
| VS Code extension | Available | Newest vscode-assistant/v* release |
| Visual Studio extension | Available | Newest vs-assistant/v* release |
For install instructions, see Install a prebuilt release. After installing, see Getting started with Poolside Assistant to choose an agent and start a conversation.
Need a build for another platform? Start a discussion or build Poolside Assistant from source.
Bugs, feature requests, agent compatibility reports, rough edges, and questions — we'd like to hear all of it. Please start in GitHub Discussions rather than opening an issue directly.
We keep the issue tracker for accepted, well-understood work that's ready to pick up, so every open issue is actionable. Maintainers convert discussions into issues when the work is clear.
This model is based on Ghostty's contribution process, which keeps discussions and actionable work separate.
For development docs, app README links, and contribution guidelines, see Contributing. If you use a coding agent to work on this repository, see Working on Poolside Assistant with coding agents. Dependency license policy docs live in License checks.
Poolside Assistant's source code and client applications are licensed under the Apache License 2.0. Third-party components retain their own licenses; see Third-party licenses.
Agents and services you connect to through Poolside Assistant are subject to their own licenses and terms.
For usage of Poolside's brand, please see our Trademark Guidelines.
Built by Poolside.