--- title: "Helicon vs JetBrains + ACP for Muse Code" url: https://helicon.sh/compare/jetbrains-acp description: "Muse Code inside IntelliJ, PyCharm, GoLand or WebStorm through an Agent Client Protocol plugin, compared with a standalone Muse Code desktop app." updated: 2026-09-19 site: Helicon --- # Helicon vs a JetBrains IDE with an ACP plugin A JetBrains ACP plugin puts Muse Code in the IDE tool window, next to the refactoring and inspection tools you already use. Helicon is a separate desktop and web app on the Muse Code Session Protocol, built for the session list: every project, thread, diff, approval and cost figure in one place regardless of IDE. ## At a glance | | Helicon | JetBrains IDEs | | --- | --- | --- | | Surface | Standalone app or browser | IDE tool window | | Protocol | Muse Code Session Protocol, direct | Agent Client Protocol, bridged | | Project scope | Every project on the machine | The open IDE project | | Refactoring tools | Not applicable | Full IDE toolset beside the agent | | Cost view | Per thread, day and model | Not part of ACP | | Memory footprint | One Tauri window | On top of the JVM the IDE already needs | | Remote daemon | Yes, same UI in a browser | Via the IDE's own remote development | _Helicon compared with a JetBrains IDE with an ACP plugin._ ## What each one is JetBrains IDEs are strong when the work is heavily language aware: safe renames, structural search, a debugger that knows your framework. An ACP plugin adds an agent to that, so you can hand a task over without leaving the tool window. Helicon is deliberately not an IDE. It has a file viewer with syntax highlighting, Markdown preview and editing, and image, video and PDF preview, because you need to read what the agent touched, but it does not try to be where you write code. Its job is the session and the approval queue. ## Where they actually differ ### Different objects The IDE's object is the project you have open. Helicon's object is the thread, and threads are grouped by the directory the agent worked in, worktrees included. ### Startup and weight Opening a thread in Helicon does not require indexing a project or waiting on a JVM. It is a small window against a local daemon. ### Cost and usage Helicon reports the 5 hour window and weekly cap as Muse Code itself reports them, plus what threads would have cost at API rates. That reporting is Muse Code specific and does not travel over a general agent protocol. ### Windows Helicon ships a signed Windows installer with auto update and runs Muse Code natively on Windows, or inside WSL2 with path translation when that is your setup. ## Choose a JetBrains IDE with an ACP plugin if - Your workflow depends on JetBrains refactoring, inspections or the debugger. - You want one window for both writing and delegating. - You already pay for the IDE and want to consolidate surfaces. ## Choose Helicon if - You want a session home that is independent of any IDE project. - You run threads across several repos and want them in one list. - You want to drive agents on a remote machine from a browser. - You want Muse Code approvals and usage exactly as the protocol reports them. ## Can you use both? Keep the IDE for the code and Helicon for the agents. Both drive the same muse CLI on the same subscription, and Helicon's daemon lists sessions no matter which client started them. ## Frequently asked questions ### Does Helicon have refactoring tools? No. Helicon is a client for the Muse Code CLI with a read oriented file viewer. Language aware refactoring stays in your editor or IDE. ### Can Helicon open files in my IDE? Paths the agent mentions open in Helicon's own viewer beside the thread. You can keep the IDE open on the same repository at the same time. ### Is Helicon heavier than an IDE plugin? It is a separate Tauri window with a local daemon rather than a plugin inside a running JVM. In practice that is a smaller resident footprint than an extra IDE project window. ## Related - [The muse terminal](https://helicon.sh/compare/muse-code-terminal): How a Muse Code GUI differs from the muse CLI terminal interface: session history, inline diffs, approvals and cost, side by side with what the TUI already does well. - [VS Code extensions](https://helicon.sh/compare/vs-code-extension): A standalone Muse Code desktop app compared with running the muse CLI inside VS Code: where an editor panel wins, where a separate session home wins, and how to run both. - [Zed with ACP](https://helicon.sh/compare/zed-acp): Running Muse Code inside Zed through an Agent Client Protocol bridge, compared with a standalone Muse Code desktop app. Editor native versus session native. - [Claude Code desktop](https://helicon.sh/compare/claude-code-desktop): Two desktop apps for two different coding agents. What Helicon borrows from the Claude Code desktop experience, and what changes because the agent underneath is Muse Code. - [Codex app](https://helicon.sh/compare/codex-app): How a Muse Code desktop client compares with OpenAI's Codex app: same category, different agent, different billing, different openness. - [Cursor](https://helicon.sh/compare/cursor): Cursor is an AI editor with its own models and billing. Helicon is a window over the Muse Code CLI on your existing subscription. What each one is actually for. --- Helicon is a free, MIT licensed, unofficial community client for Meta's Muse Code CLI. Not made, sponsored or endorsed by Meta. Source: https://helicon.sh/. Machine readable index: https://helicon.sh/llms.txt