Key takeaways
- Native Swift app with libghostty GPU-accelerated terminals — per-worktree sessions with terminal, files, browser, and chat
- Signed and notarized with an Apple Developer certificate — polished distribution unlike many indie tools
- Auto-discovery of installed agents (Claude, Codex, Gemini, Kimi, OpenCode) plus manual configuration
FAQ
What is Aizen?
Aizen is a native macOS app for managing git worktrees with per-worktree sessions that include terminals, file browser, built-in browser, and AI agent chat — built with Swift and libghostty.
How much does Aizen cost?
Free and open source under the GPL-3.0 license.
Who competes with Aizen?
cmux (native terminal with notifications), Arbor (Rust worktree manager), and Emdash (GUI with issue trackers). For full orchestration, Tembo.
What agents does Aizen support?
Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Kimi, and OpenCode — with auto-discovery of installed agents and manual configuration support.
Executive Summary
Aizen is a native macOS app that treats each git worktree as a complete workspace — with its own terminal, file browser, built-in browser, and agent chat session.[1] Built with Swift/AppKit and libghostty for GPU-accelerated terminal rendering, it's signed and notarized with an Apple Developer certificate, signaling serious distribution intent.
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Company | Vivy Company |
| Founded | 2025 (repo created October) |
| Funding | Unknown |
| Headquarters | Unknown |
| GitHub Stars | ~158 |
Product Overview
Aizen's core concept is "switch worktrees, not windows."[2] Each worktree gets its own session with a terminal (powered by libghostty), file browser, built-in web browser, and agent chat. Agents can be auto-discovered from installed CLIs or manually configured.
Key Capabilities
| Capability | Description |
|---|---|
| Per-Worktree Sessions | Terminal, files, browser, and chat per worktree |
| libghostty Terminals | GPU-accelerated rendering, Ghostty config compatible |
| Agent Auto-Discovery | Detect installed Claude Code, Codex, Gemini, Kimi, OpenCode |
| File Browser | Browse and manage files within each worktree |
| Built-in Browser | Preview apps alongside terminal and chat |
| Apple Signed | Signed and notarized with Apple Developer certificate |
Product Surfaces
| Surface | Description | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| macOS App | Native Swift/AppKit desktop app | GA |
Technical Architecture
Aizen is a Swift/AppKit application that embeds libghostty (built as a universal arm64 + x86_64 binary) for terminal rendering.[3] It reads Ghostty configuration for theming compatibility.
Key Technical Details
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Deployment | macOS app (signed .dmg) or build from source |
| Runtime | Swift/AppKit, libghostty |
| Model(s) | None — delegates to agent CLIs |
| Integrations | Git worktrees, agent CLIs |
| Open Source | Yes (GPL-3.0) |
Strengths
- Complete per-worktree workspace — Terminal + file browser + browser + chat in one session per worktree; most cohesive workspace model in the category[1]
- Native Swift + libghostty — Fast, low-memory, GPU-accelerated; reads existing Ghostty config
- Signed and notarized — Apple Developer certificate means clean installation; no Gatekeeper warnings
- Agent auto-discovery — Detects installed agents automatically; low setup friction
- GPL-3.0 open source — Source available, community contributions welcome
Cautions
- macOS only — Native Swift means no cross-platform support
- GPL-3.0 license — More restrictive than MIT; may deter commercial forks
- Small community — 158 stars; limited validation
- Unknown company — Vivy Company has no visible funding or team information[4]
- Limited agent support — 5 agents (Claude, Codex, Gemini, Kimi, OpenCode); no issue tracker integration
Pricing & Licensing
| Tier | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Open Source | Free | Full functionality |
Licensing model: GPL-3.0 — free to use, modifications must be shared under GPL.
Competitive Positioning
Direct Competitors
| Competitor | Differentiation |
|---|---|
| cmux | Terminal with notifications — Aizen has file browser, built-in browser, and chat per worktree |
| Arbor | Rust worktree manager with remote support — Aizen has richer per-worktree workspace |
| Emdash | GUI with 20+ agents and issue trackers — Aizen has more cohesive workspace model |
| Tembo | Full orchestration platform — Aizen is individual developer tooling |
When to Choose Aizen Over Alternatives
- Choose Aizen when: You want the most complete per-worktree workspace (terminal + files + browser + chat)
- Choose cmux when: You want notification management across many terminal sessions
- Choose Arbor when: You need remote machine support
Ideal Customer Profile
Best fit:
- macOS developers wanting a cohesive workspace per worktree
- Developers who value native app performance and Ghostty compatibility
- Solo developers managing 3-10 parallel agent tasks
Poor fit:
- Cross-platform teams
- Enterprise users needing governance, SSO, or signed commits
- Developers wanting cloud execution or team features
Viability Assessment
| Factor | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Financial Health | Unknown — Vivy Company is opaque |
| Market Position | Early — 158 stars, niche |
| Innovation Pace | Active — regular commits |
| Community/Ecosystem | Limited — small GitHub community |
| Long-term Outlook | Uncertain — strong concept, unknown backing |
Bottom Line
Aizen has the most cohesive per-worktree workspace model in the category — terminal, files, browser, and chat all scoped to each worktree. The libghostty rendering and Apple signing show attention to polish. But it's from an unknown company with limited community traction, and the GPL-3.0 license may limit adoption compared to MIT alternatives.
Recommended for: macOS developers wanting a complete, cohesive workspace per git worktree.
Not recommended for: Cross-platform teams, enterprise users, or anyone needing wide agent support.
Outlook: Aizen's "switch worktrees, not windows" concept is compelling. If Vivy Company sustains development and builds community, it could become a strong niche player in the native Mac worktree manager segment.
Research by Ry Walker Research • methodology