--- title: "Muse Code desktop app for Windows, macOS and the web" url: https://helicon.sh/muse-code-desktop-app description: "Helicon is a free, open-source desktop and web app for the Muse Code CLI. Signed Windows installer, universal macOS DMG, sessions, diffs, approvals and cost in one window." updated: 2026-09-19 site: Helicon --- # A desktop app for Muse Code Helicon is a free, MIT licensed desktop app for Meta's Muse Code CLI, with a signed Windows installer and a universal macOS DMG. It gives every Muse Code session a home: projects grouped by directory, resume with full history, inline diffs, an approval queue, and cost at published API rates. It runs on your existing subscription. ## What you get | | In the app | | --- | --- | | Projects | Grouped by working directory, git worktrees badged separately | | Sessions | Full history, one click resume, including terminal TUI sessions | | Diffs | Inline in the thread, at the turn that made the edit | | Approvals | Queued, mapped one to one, never bypassed | | Cost | Per thread, day and model at published per token rates | | Plan meter | The 5 hour window and weekly cap as Muse Code reports them | | Files | Source, Markdown, images, video and PDF beside the thread | | Keyboard | Command palette, slash commands, model and effort picker | ## Platforms - Windows: signed installer with auto update. Native Muse Code, or Muse Code inside WSL2 with two way path translation. - macOS: one universal DMG for Apple Silicon and Intel, with auto update. Not Apple notarized yet, so first launch needs right click then Open. - Linux: an x86_64 AppImage with auto update. No ARM build yet; source works there. - Browser: the same React UI as a web app against a daemon you run. ## What it needs from you - The muse CLI, installed and signed in with your own `muse login`. - A Muse Code subscription. There is no second bill and no API key. - Nothing else. The desktop app ships its own Node.js. Running from source needs Node 22 or newer. ## How it works underneath - A local daemon starts one `muse serve` host per workspace. - It speaks the Muse Code Session Protocol over JSON-RPC through the official MIT `@muse-code/sdk`. - All state is local SQLite. There is no account and no sync. - One React codebase ships as the Tauri desktop app and as the web app. ## Privacy, stated plainly Nothing about your code, prompts, threads or files leaves your machine. The desktop app asks helicon.sh whether a newer version exists, and that request reports the platform, the version and a weekly hash of the IP it came from. There is no account, no sign up and no telemetry inside the app itself. > Unofficial community project, MIT licensed. Not made, sponsored or endorsed by Meta, and unrelated to the Muse assistant app for Mac. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is there a desktop app for Muse Code? Yes. Helicon is a free, open-source desktop app for the Muse Code CLI, with a signed Windows installer and a universal macOS DMG, plus a web build against a daemon you run. ### Is the Muse Code desktop app free? Helicon is free and MIT licensed with no paid tier. It runs on the Muse Code subscription you already have. ### Does it work on Windows? Yes, with a signed installer and auto update. It runs Muse Code natively on Windows with PowerShell for shell commands, and uses Muse Code inside WSL2 with path translation when native is not installed. ### Do I need an API key? No. Authentication is your own muse login, held by the CLI. Helicon stores no credentials. ### Who makes it? Harjot Singh Rana and contributors, as an unofficial MIT licensed community project. It is not made, sponsored or endorsed by Meta. ## Related - [Muse Code GUI](https://helicon.sh/muse-code-gui): Yes, Muse Code has graphical interfaces. A standalone desktop and web app, VS Code extensions, ACP editor bridges and other open-source wrappers, compared honestly. - [Windows](https://helicon.sh/install/windows): A signed Windows installer for a Muse Code desktop app, with auto update. Runs Muse Code natively on Windows, or inside WSL2 with path translation both ways. - [macOS](https://helicon.sh/install/macos): One universal DMG for Apple Silicon and Intel, with auto update. Install the muse CLI, sign in, drag Helicon to Applications, and open it the first time with right click. - [Pricing](https://helicon.sh/pricing): Helicon is free and MIT licensed with no paid tier, no account and no API key. It uses the Muse Code subscription you already pay Meta for. - [Session history and resume](https://helicon.sh/features/session-history): Every Muse Code session, grouped by project, with full history and one click resume. Sessions started in the muse terminal TUI are discovered and resumable too. --- 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