Comparison - Claude Code desktop app

Winy vs Claude Code Desktop

Claude Code Desktop is Anthropic's own app for running Claude Code sessions side by side; Winy puts your agents, Claude Code and Codex alike, on a canvas next to your notes.

Claude Code Desktop is the Code tab of Anthropic's Claude desktop app for macOS, Windows and Linux (beta), and it runs Claude Code with a graphical interface: parallel sessions in a sidebar, drag-and-drop panes for chat, diff, terminal, files and a browser preview.

It also covers the whole coding loop from Anthropic directly, with optional Git worktrees per session, line comments on diffs, pull request monitoring, cloud and SSH sessions, and scheduled tasks.

Winy is a canvas notebook for Mac, iPad and iPhone, where Claude Code and Codex sessions sit as live cards on an infinite board beside your notes, Pencil ink and images, and it can attach to the Claude Code sessions you already run in a terminal.

At a glance

Question	Winy	Claude Code Desktop
What it is	A canvas notebook where agent sessions are cards	The Code tab of Anthropic's Claude desktop app
Which agents	Claude Code, Codex, any CLI	Claude Code
Platforms	Mac, iPad and iPhone; the Mac runs the agents	macOS, Windows, Linux (beta)
Many sessions at once	Cards on one infinite board, status lights on each	A session sidebar, filtered by status or project
Layout	Cards anywhere on a canvas, beside notes and ink	Drag-and-drop grid of chat, diff, terminal, file, browser
Notes and sketches	Pencil ink, notes, arrows and images on the board	Not a notebook; context from files and CLAUDE.md
Diffs, worktrees, PRs	Not built in	Diff view with comments, worktrees, CI and auto-merge
Your terminal sessions	Attaches to Claude Code sessions already in your terminal	Runs its own sessions; Remote Control shares them
On the phone	The full board on iPhone and iPad	Dispatch tasks and watch cloud sessions in the Claude app
Price	Early access, join the waitlist	Included with Claude Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise

Which one is for you

Choose Claude Code Desktop if

You only use Claude Code and want Anthropic's own app, included in your Claude plan, with nothing else to install.
Your loop is session, diff, pull request, merge, and you want worktrees, line comments on diffs and CI monitoring with auto-fix built in.
You want cloud sessions that keep running after you close the app, SSH sessions on remote machines, or scheduled tasks.
You work on Windows or Linux, or want plugins and connectors like GitHub, Slack and Linear from the same app.

Choose Winy if

You run Codex as well as Claude Code and want both on one board instead of one vendor's app.
You think with notes, arrows and a Pencil, and want that thinking on the same board as the agents, visible to them.
You already run Claude Code in your terminal and want to keep it there: Winy attaches to those sessions, so nothing has to move.
You want the same board, agent cards included, on your iPad and iPhone, synced over your own network.

Questions

What is Claude Code Desktop?

It is Claude Code inside Anthropic's Claude desktop app. The app has Chat, Cowork and Code tabs, and the Code tab runs Claude Code sessions on a local folder, in the cloud or over SSH, with diffs, a terminal and a browser preview, without installing the CLI.

Is Claude Code Desktop free?

No. The Code tab needs a paid Claude plan: Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise. Cloud sessions count toward your plan limits rather than costing extra.

Does Claude Code Desktop work with Codex?

No, it runs Claude Code. Winy runs Claude Code and Codex, or any other command-line agent, as cards on the same board.

Should I use Claude Code Desktop or Winy?

If you want Anthropic's full coding loop, with worktrees, diff review and pull requests, in one app, use Claude Code Desktop. If you want your agents on a canvas next to your notes and ink, across Mac, iPad and iPhone, or want to keep running Claude Code in your own terminal, use Winy.

How is this different from Winy vs Claude Code?

Claude Code is the agent itself, and Winy hosts it. Claude Code Desktop is one place to run that agent, so it is the app you would pick instead of Winy, not alongside it.

Thinking is Winning