Séance vs Shpool
Séance
no1msd.github.ioShpool
github.comSide by side
| Figure | Séance | Shpool |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Terminal Multiplexers | 8.0 (#9) | 7.5 (#17) |
| Installation | The maker lists Arch Linux AUR, Nix flake, and x86_64 AppImage installation options. | The README documents installation through crates.io with Cargo and through Homebrew on macOS. |
| License | Séance is released under the MIT license. | The GitHub repository identifies the project as licensed under Apache-2.0. |
| Purpose | Séance is a scrolling terminal multiplexer that tracks AI coding agent sessions. | Shpool creates named persistent shell sessions that survive dropped connections. |
Plans
In their own words
Séance
Séance is a free, Linux-only terminal multiplexer for tracking AI coding-agent sessions. It follows Claude Code, Codex, Pi, OpenCode, and Antigravity CLI sessions, and shows whether each is working, awaiting permission, or idle. Permission requests and task completions can generate desktop notifications with unread tracking. Its panes scroll horizontally, with workspaces, tabs within columns, a command palette, focus-follows-mouse, and session persistence across restarts. The app uses GTK4, libadwaita, and libghostty, and supports X11 and Wayland. The `seance ctl` command connects to a running instance over a Unix domain socket; commands can return JSON, manage workspaces and panes, send input, and read terminal output. The project states that it has no telemetry and is licensed under MIT. Installation options include Arch Linux AUR, a Nix flake, and an x86_64 AppImage. OpenCode remote attach sessions and `--pure` launches are not tracked. Séance is pre-1.0, and only the latest release receives security fixes.
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.