# Helicon: Muse Code, without living in the terminal

> Helicon is a free, open-source desktop and web app for the Muse Code CLI. Every project, session and diff in one window, with approvals, inline diffs and cost at API rates, on your existing Muse subscription.

Same Muse Code. Same subscription. Better interface.

Source: https://helicon.sh

## Key facts

- Current version: v0.10.1
- License: MIT, free, no paid tier
- Platforms: Windows (signed installer, WSL2), macOS (universal DMG, Apple Silicon and Intel), Linux (from source)
- Requirements: Node 22+ and the muse CLI, logged in
- Billing: uses your existing Muse subscription through the muse CLI; no separate API key
- Status: unofficial community project; not made, sponsored or endorsed by Meta
- Source: https://github.com/HarjjotSinghh/helicon
- Downloads: https://github.com/HarjjotSinghh/helicon/releases/latest
- Author: Harjot Singh Rana (https://harjotrana.com)

## Features

### Every project, grouped

Threads grouped by working folder, git worktrees included. Resume any session in one click, including sessions started in the terminal TUI.

### Inline diffs

Every edit lands in the thread as a diff, right where it happened, so there is no scrollback digging.

### Approvals stay approvals

Every agent approval is surfaced the moment it arrives. None are batched away or bypassed.

### Cost, in the open

What each thread would cost at API rates, by day, by model and by thread, so you can see what your subscription is doing.

### Keyboard first

Command palette, slash commands, and a model and reasoning-effort picker. Every thread is reachable by keyboard.

### One UI, two shells

The same React interface ships as a Tauri desktop app and as a web app pointed at a remote daemon.

## How it works

- A local daemon spawns one `muse serve` host per workspace and speaks the Muse Session Protocol through the official MIT `@muse-code/sdk`.
- Authentication is your own `muse login`. Helicon never stores credentials.
- All state is local SQLite.
- On Windows, Muse runs inside WSL2 Ubuntu and a sidecar routes calls through it, translating paths both ways.

## Where Helicon fits

Helicon is one of several ways to run Muse Code. It is not the only GUI, and it is not official.

| | Helicon | Editor extension | Switch harness |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Runs on Windows | Signed installer, WSL2 routed | Via your editor's WSL setup | Varies |
| Billing | Your Muse subscription | Your Muse subscription | Usually its own API billing |
| Lives where | Standalone app or web | Inside the editor | Its own harness |
| Several repos at once | Sidebar, grouped by directory | One window per project | Varies |
| Approvals | Surfaced, never bypassed | Editor-dependent | Harness-dependent |

## Install

### Windows

Signed installer with auto-update. Muse runs inside WSL2 Ubuntu; a sidecar routes calls through it and translates paths.

1. Install the muse CLI inside WSL2 Ubuntu.
2. Sign in from the WSL2 shell.
   ```sh
   muse login
   ```
3. Run Helicon-0.10.1-setup.exe from the latest release.

### macOS

One universal DMG for Apple Silicon and Intel, with auto-update.

1. Sign in with the muse CLI.
   ```sh
   muse login
   ```
2. Open Helicon-0.10.1-universal.dmg from the latest release.
3. Drag Helicon into Applications.

Note: Builds are not Apple-notarized yet. On first launch, right-click the app and choose Open.

### Linux

Run from source for now. There is no packaged build yet.

1. Clone the repository.
   ```sh
   git clone https://github.com/HarjjotSinghh/helicon
   ```
2. Install dependencies.
   ```sh
   cd helicon && npm install
   ```
3. Start the app.
   ```sh
   npm run dev
   ```

Note: Linux is source-only at v0.10.1.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is this official?

No. Helicon is an unofficial community project, MIT licensed. It is not made, sponsored or endorsed by Meta.

### Do I need a separate API key?

No. Helicon uses your existing Muse subscription through the muse CLI. There is no second bill.

### Where do my credentials live?

With the muse CLI, from your own muse login. Helicon never stores or handles them.

### Does it see sessions I started in the terminal?

Yes. Sessions started in the terminal TUI show up in the sidebar with full history, and you can resume them.

### Why does macOS warn me on first launch?

The macOS builds are not Apple-notarized yet. Right-click the app and choose Open the first time.

### Can I run it against a remote machine?

Yes. The same UI ships as a web app that can point at a daemon running elsewhere.

### How does it work on Windows?

Muse has no native Windows build, so it runs inside WSL2 Ubuntu. Helicon ships a signed installer with a sidecar that routes through WSL2 and translates paths both ways.

### What does the cost view actually show?

What each thread would have cost at Meta's published per-token rates. It is not a bill, just the meter reading, so you can see what your subscription did.

### Can I drive it without a mouse?

Yes. Command palette, slash commands, and a model and reasoning-effort picker cover everything, with full keyboard operation throughout.

### What do I need installed?

Node 22+ and the muse CLI, logged in with your own muse login. That is the whole list.

### Is it really free?

Yes. MIT licensed, no paid tier, source on GitHub. It uses your existing Muse subscription, so there is no second bill.