Cloud Workspaces are managed VMs with the Pane daemon pre-installed. Open your local Pane app, connect with a single code, and start creating panes. No SSH keys, no server config, no daemon installation.
How It Works
Your laptop runs the Pane UI. The cloud VM runs agents, terminals, and git worktrees. Every keystroke and command travels over an encrypted Tailscale tunnel. The VM does the heavy lifting; your laptop just renders output and sends input.
Cloud vs Self-Hosted
| Cloud Workspaces | Self-Hosted | |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | One-click connect | One command via Settings or CLI |
| Infrastructure | Managed VM | Your own machine or VM |
| Auth | Built-in | Bearer token via setup |
| Data location | Cloud VM (your account) | Your host machine |
| Scaling | Resize or add VMs | Manual provisioning |
Connecting
- Open Settings > Remote Pane on the client machine.
- Paste the
pane-remote://...code into the Connection Code field. - Click Import & Connect.
Pane verifies the connection and saves the profile. Your cloud workspace projects appear in the sidebar once connected.
Host Status
Once connected, Settings > Remote Pane shows the live host status:
- Remote host live (green dot) means this machine is accepting remote connections.
- Paired clients lists every device that has imported a connection code.
- Stop Remote Host shuts down the daemon and disconnects all clients.
You can also set the Machine Label and Listen Port from this panel, and choose an access mode: Tailscale (recommended), SSH Tunnel, or Manual HTTPS.