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>log in to commentOver the past few weeks, I've been using Codex and Claude to tackle parallel tasks across multiple projects. But managing agents through tabs, sidebars, and separate apps felt limiting. So I built Ret. Ret brings agents into a desktop-style workspace with an infinite canvas. Drag conversations around, arrange them however you like, and return to them spatially, just like your windows. But I didn't stop there. I added an inbox-style agent interface inspired by Google's Antigravity, a Monaco-powered code editor, and a traditional sidebar-and-chat layout for when you want something simpler. There's also a focused view with side-by-side conversations, convenient thread forking, and browser-style tabs so you can switch contexts without losing your place. It sounds like a lot, but it all has a purpose. Every interface serves a different workflow, and you can use whichever feels natural. Ret has genuinely improved how I work with coding agents, and I'm excited for others to try it.
- Run lots of agents. Lose track of none.
- Four views: Focus, Canvas, Code, Inbox
- Works with Codex and Claude Code
- Infinite canvas of thread windows
- Monaco editor tabs with live thread
- Desktop workbench for Codex and Claude Code agents
- Four interchangeable views: Focus, Canvas, Code, Inbox
- Infinite canvas with thread windows and beacons
- Integrated file editor with live agent thread
- Runs in browser and self‑updates
- Monaco editor tabs with agent‑touched files marked
Ret is a desktop workbench that lets you run and manage multiple Codex and Claude Code agents across projects.
- for
- Developers who use Codex or Claude Code and need a unified UI to monitor many agent threads.
- pricing
- free
- license
- open source
Key features
- Four synchronized views — Focus, Canvas, Code, and Inbox panels show the same live thread for easy triage.
- Thread forking — Fork any turn or selection into separate git worktrees for parallel experiments.
- Approval & question handling — Agents request commands or access and you can approve, deny or skip directly in the UI.
- Plan mode — Agents propose a plan before execution, which you can accept with one click.
- Live sync with CLIs — Threads from Codex/Claude Code CLIs, VS Code extensions and other apps appear live in Ret.
- Self-updating engine — Ret checks, verifies and installs new releases automatically without interrupting running threads.
- Keyboard-first navigation — Full command palette and shortcuts for creating threads, forking, steering and inbox actions.
- Cross-platform desktop app — Native installers for Windows (x64) and macOS (Apple Silicon & Intel).
Use cases
- Debugging a failing test suite while an agent suggests fixes.
- Running batch data-loader optimizations across multiple services.
- Managing parallel feature experiments by forking agent threads.
- Reviewing and approving code changes generated by Codex or Claude Code.
- Monitoring long-running agent tasks from the CLI and IDE in one inbox.
Ret vs alternatives
 Ret |  Claude Code |  OpenAI Codex |  Cursor |  Visual Studio Code | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Multi-agent desktop workbench | Claude Code CLI | Codex API/CLI | AI code editor | General code editor |
| Pricing | Free | Subscription | Subscription | Subscription | Free |
| DevHunt upvotes | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Launched | Oct 2026 | — | — | — | — |
- Ret vs Claude Code: Claude Code is a single-agent CLI tool; Ret adds a multi-agent desktop UI with forking and inbox features.
- Ret vs OpenAI Codex: OpenAI Codex is a coding agent accessed via API/CLI; Ret provides a visual workbench to manage many Codex threads.
- Ret vs Cursor: Cursor is an AI-powered code editor; Ret focuses on orchestrating external agents rather than editing code directly.
- Ret vs Visual Studio Code: VS Code is a general code editor; Ret is a specialized UI for managing Codex and Claude Code agent workflows.
Ret FAQ
Do I need a separate account for Ret?+
No. Ret uses the sign-in of each agent—Codex’s login or Claude Code’s own sign-in—and never stores credentials.
Do I have to install Codex or Claude Code first?+
Ret can download its own copy of Codex; for Claude Code you install it normally and Ret will locate it.
Will my existing Codex/Claude Code configuration carry over?+
Yes. Your ~/.codex/config.toml, models, sandboxing, MCP servers and Claude Code settings are used unchanged.
Can I keep using the CLIs and editors while using Ret?+
Yes. Threads from CLIs, VS Code extensions and other desktop apps appear in Ret’s sidebar with live transcripts.
Which platforms does Ret run on?+
Ret provides native installers for Windows (x64) and macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel); Linux builds are available from source.
Summarized by DevHunt from getret.app · Oct 16, 2026. Details may change; check the official site.
