By Parsa Khazaeepoul, co-founder of Pane. Tested every agent manager in this comparison set in production. .
Crystal was an open-source Electron app by Stravu for running Claude Code and Codex sessions in parallel using git worktrees. It was licensed under MIT.
Crystal was deprecated on February 26, 2026 (v0.3.5). Its successor is Nimbalyst, a different product. Pane is actively maintained.
claude_session_id can be replayed via claude --resume after migration.benchmark data: See how Pane and Crystal compare on memory, disk, and workflow keystrokes in our Q2 2026 measurement run.
| pane | crystal (deprecated) | |
|---|---|---|
| status | actively maintained | deprecated (feb 2026, v0.3.5) |
| platform | windows + mac + linux | mac + linux only (no windows) |
| agents | any CLI agent | claude code + codex only |
| open source | yes (AGPL-3.0) | yes (MIT) — no longer updated |
| diff viewer | built-in, syntax-highlighted | built-in (Monaco editor) |
| git workflow | commit, push, rebase, squash, merge — all keyboard | worktrees, rebase, squash, commit modes |
| keyboard-first | every action has a shortcut. command palette (⌘K) | not documented |
| session persistence | yes — survives restarts | yes — conversation continuity |
| session organization | panes — one per feature | projects → folders → sessions (hierarchical) |
| successor | n/a — actively developed | nimbalyst (different product) |
crystal is deprecated
Crystal's last release was v0.3.5 on February 26, 2026. Stravu recommends migrating to Nimbalyst, their successor product. Crystal will not receive any future updates, bug fixes, or security patches. Pane is actively maintained.
windows support
Crystal never supported Windows. Pane supports Windows, Mac, and Linux with identical features. The developer on a Surface Pro deserves the same tool as the developer on a MacBook Pro.
agent-agnostic
Crystal only supported Claude Code and Codex. Pane supports any CLI agent — Claude Code, Codex, Aider, Goose, or anything that runs in a terminal. A new agent ships tomorrow? Just run it.
keyboard-first
Crystal didn't publicly document keyboard shortcuts. Pane is built around the keyboard — every action has a shortcut, the command palette puts everything one keystroke away.
hierarchical organization
Crystal organized work into projects, folders, and sessions — a deeper hierarchy than Pane's flat pane list. For developers managing many projects, this was useful.
commit modes
Crystal had structured commit modes (AI-generated messages, checkpoint-style timestamped commits, or disabled). Pane gives you full git control and lets you write your own commit messages or use whatever workflow you prefer.
crystal (final v0.3.5)
Open project → create new session → Claude Code or Codex runs in its worktree → review changes in the Monaco diff view → choose structured-commit mode (AI-generated message, checkpoint, or disabled) → done. Nimbalyst does not continue this workflow.
pane
Open Pane → agent runs in its worktree → press ⌘D to open the diff viewer → review syntax-highlighted changes → ⌘K to commit (write your own message or use any workflow you prefer) → push → done.
| crystal concept | pane equivalent | migration notes |
|---|---|---|
| project | the repo | Path maps directly to Pane working dir; system_prompt can seed task description |
| session | pane + worktree + session + task | Richest primitive: initial_prompt, worktree_path, tool_type, base_branch, claude_session_id all carry over |
| folder | no equivalent | UI grouping only; folder name can prepend pane title for context |
| tool_type (claude / codex / none) | agent | Direct 1:1 — tool_type column maps to the agent CLI command |
| commit_mode | no equivalent | Crystal's structured/checkpoint/disabled modes are not replicated; use Pane's git workflow |
| claude_session_id | session resume ID | Pass to claude --resume <id> to continue the exact conversation — this is the killer migration feature |
| conversation_messages | session history | Crystal persists full chat history in SQLite; readable for migration context |
| panel (tool_panel) | no equivalent | Crystal's multi-panel sessions become separate Pane panes (one agent per pane) |
Today this is manual. A one-click “Import from Crystal” adapter is on the Pane roadmap — Crystal's SQLite schema is public at main/src/database/schema.sql so the adapter is in-progress.
Crystal is no longer maintained. If you were using Crystal or considering it, Pane is the actively maintained alternative that adds Windows support, agent-agnostic design, and a keyboard-first workflow. Nimbalyst (Crystal's successor) is a different product with a different focus.