Quil vs Shpool
Quil
quil.ccShpool
github.comSide by side
| Figure | Quil | Shpool |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Terminal Multiplexers | 7.7 (#12) | 7.5 (#17) |
| Platforms | Quil provides native binaries for Linux, macOS, and Windows, with no WSL required on Windows. | Shpool runs on Linux and macOS; Linux is the primary supported platform, and some macOS tests do not pass. |
| Purpose | Quil is a reboot-proof terminal multiplexer for developers running multi-tool workflows alongside AI coding assistants. | Shpool creates named persistent shell sessions that survive dropped connections. |
Plans
In their own words
Quil
Quil is a free, open-source terminal multiplexer for developers coordinating multi-tool workflows alongside AI coding assistants. It continuously saves tabs, panes, working directories, and layout, then restores that workspace after a host reboot. AI panes for Claude Code, OpenCode, and Codex can resume sessions after daemon restarts. Built-in pane types include terminals, those AI tools, SSH, Stripe CLI, lazygit, hunk, k9s, and lazysql. Its MCP server lets compatible clients such as Claude Desktop, Claude Code, and Cursor interact with a running Quil session. Users can define pane types in TOML plugin files, which reload when saved. A command palette can find panes and tabs and search scrollback across panes. Quil runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows; remote attach over SSH to Linux or macOS is marked beta. It has no hosted version or cloud account and stores workspace state locally under ~/.quil/. The maker says it has no telemetry or database. Docker sandboxing is available for Claude Code, Codex, and OpenCode, but network egress is not bounded and users supply the container image.
Shpool
Shpool is free, open-source software for keeping named shell sessions alive when connections drop. It targets users who want persistence without terminal multiplexing features such as split windows or tiled panes, preserving native terminal scrollback and copy-paste. For SSH, Shpool runs on the remote host and needs no additional client software. Users reconnect with `shpool attach`; the terminal state is redrawn after reattachment. The command line can list, detach, or kill sessions, and `--ttl` sets a session lifetime. Variables in session names and attach options can redirect terminals to newly named sessions when values change. Bash, zsh, and fish support automatic session-name prompt prefixes. The README documents SSH configuration, shell-function patterns, Cargo installation through crates.io, and Homebrew installation on macOS. Shpool supports Linux, macOS, SSH, and command-line shells. It is licensed Apache-2.0, reports zero advisories, and allows only one client per session.