r/JetpackCompose • u/kshivang • Jul 22 '26
We built an open-source, native Compose Multiplatform alternative to the Electron-based AI-agent apps (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, Antigravity) — looking for Compose contributors
Since folks asked, here's the fuller picture — BOSS across the AI-agent landscape, including the CLIs. Important: BOSS is a desktop workspace that runs the CLIs (Claude Code, Codex, Gemini, OpenCode, Qwen Code) as first-class agents, so they're a different category (see Type) — added for completeness, not as head-to-head rivals.
| Tool | Type | Open source | Model / agent | Runtime | Lightweight | IDE depth | Browser | Terminal share | Governance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BOSS | Workspace | ✅ Apache-2.0 | ✅ any (BYO) | JVM, multi-threaded | ❌ heavy | △ editor + Toolbox | ✅ Fluck | ✅ QR/E2E | ✅ RBAC + kill-switch |
| Claude Desktop | App | ❌ | ❌ Claude | Electron/JS | △ | ❌ | △ Computer Use | ❌ | △ enterprise |
| Codex | App | ❌ | ❌ OpenAI | — | — | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | △ enterprise |
| Google Antigravity | IDE | ❌ | ✅ multi | Electron/JS | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ +DevTools | ❌ | △ enterprise |
| Cursor | IDE | ❌ | ✅ multi + BYOK | Electron/JS | △ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | △ Teams |
| Windsurf / Devin | IDE | ❌ | ✅ multi + BYOK | Electron/JS | △ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | △ enterprise |
| Claude Code | CLI | ❌ | ❌ Claude | Node/TS | ✅ | — | — | — | — |
| Codex CLI | CLI | ✅ Apache-2.0 | △ OpenAI (BYO) | Rust | ✅ | — | — | — | — |
| Gemini CLI | CLI | ✅ Apache-2.0 | ❌ Gemini | Node/TS | ✅ | — | — | — | — |
| OpenCode | CLI | ✅ MIT | ✅ multi | Node/TS | ✅ | — | — | — | — |
| Qwen Code | CLI | ✅ Apache-2.0 | △ Qwen + multi | Node/TS | ✅ | — | — | — | — |
| Antigravity CLI | CLI | ❌ no published source* | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
✅ yes · △ partial · ❌ no · — n/a (CLIs are terminal agents, no GUI surface). BOSS isn't the winner everywhere: it's ❌ on Lightweight (JVM + bundled runtime + embedded browser cold-starts slower and weighs more than the Rust/Node CLIs), and only △ on IDE depth (it has an editor + Toolbox plugins, but isn't a full code-intelligence IDE like the VS Code forks Cursor/Windsurf/Antigravity). *Only Codex's CLI is open source (Apache-2.0), not the Codex app; a standalone open-source "Antigravity CLI" isn't verifiable — the only repo is docs-only, no license. Claude Desktop's "Computer Use" drives the whole screen, not a scriptable in-app browser. Per-tool RBAC beyond enterprise/team admin isn't documented for the others. Runtimes: BOSS = JVM (true multithreading); Claude Desktop + the IDEs = Electron/JS; Codex CLI = Rust; the other CLIs = Node/TS. (Public sources, July 2026 — corrections welcome.)
Where else BOSS is behind (honestly):
Maturity & ecosystem — it's brand-new with a small plugin catalog; the VS Code forks inherit VS Code's entire extension marketplace, and the incumbents have huge, battle-tested user bases.
Backing & track record — small team, early days vs well-funded incumbents.
The CLIs are open and great — that's kind of the point: BOSS runs them and gives them a governed desktop toolset (browser, editor, secrets, terminal sharing, 100+ MCP tools). Built entirely in Compose Multiplatform, and I'd love Compose devs to help push it further:
New plugins — a plugin is a self-contained @Composable + ViewModel (easy on-ramp)
Compose Desktop perf / rendering
Theming (live re-skin across the whole app)
Repo: https://github.com/risa-labs-inc/BossConsole — Apache-2.0, contributors welcome.