A Nimbalyst (Crystal) alternative
Nimbalyst is the successor of Crystal, which was deprecated in February 2026. It is a free visual workspace for Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode with markdown, mockup and diagram editors, a session kanban and iOS and Android companion apps, MIT-licensed since 30 April 2026. AgentVera focuses on running more agent CLIs side by side, with flows, checks and developer tools around them.
Nimbalyst and AgentVera side by side
| Feature | Nimbalyst | AgentVera |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | macOS, Windows and Linux, plus iOS and Android companion apps. | macOS, Windows and Linux desktop app. |
| Supported agents | Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode. | 18 CLI coding agents, including Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Copilot, Cursor Agent, opencode, Amp and Aider, plus plain terminals. Each uses its own CLI install and login. |
| Open source / license | Open source, MIT (since 30 April 2026). | Closed source. |
| Pricing model | Free. | Free plan with unlimited agents; Pro and Team plans are paid. |
| Git worktrees | not confirmed | Yes. Create a worktree per task from the Git panel and start an agent in it; night-shift tasks get their own worktree. You are warned when two agents edit the same file. |
| Kanban | Yes, a kanban of agent sessions. | Team kanban shared across your organization; assign a card to Claude or Codex and the reply lands on the card (Pro and Team). |
| Flows and pipelines between agents | not confirmed | Flows pass one agent’s output to the next; research→plan→build pipeline; staged task line; night shift (Pro and Team). |
| Acceptance checks | not confirmed | Verify extracts acceptance criteria from your request and a separate read-only verifier checks each one after the agent’s turn; automatic code review. |
| Database manager / SSH | not confirmed | Database manager for PostgreSQL, MySQL/MariaDB and SQLite (Pro and Team); SSH/SFTP panel; agent SSH and database access with your rules. |
| Token savings | not confirmed | Context profiles, automatic /compact, bundled RTK output compression, automatic per-task model routing and a project map (code graph) for agents. |
| Team features | not confirmed | Organizations, team kanban, client boards, AgentVera Runner on your own server, automatic account switching. |
A dash means we could not confirm the feature on Nimbalyst’s own pages. It may exist or arrive later; check their site.
When to pick Nimbalyst
- You want an open-source app (MIT) at no cost.
- You want to follow sessions from your phone with the iOS or Android companion.
- You plan in documents and visuals: markdown, mockups and diagrams next to the agent.
When to pick AgentVera
- You use agents beyond Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode, such as Gemini CLI, Copilot, Cursor Agent, Aider or Goose.
- You want agents to pass work along (flows, research→plan→build, night shift) and acceptance checks after each turn.
- You want a team kanban shared across an organization, with cards assigned to agents.
- You want a database manager, SSH/SFTP, Docker and an API client next to the agents.
Moving from Nimbalyst to AgentVera
- Download AgentVera and open your repository as a project.
- Add Claude Code, Codex or opencode; AgentVera uses the installed CLIs and their logins.
- Keep planning notes in the repository (a docs folder, for example) so agents can read them, or use the research→plan→build pipeline, which writes its research and plan as files.
- Recreate open sessions as agents in panes, or as cards on the team kanban.
Questions
What happened to Crystal?
Crystal was deprecated in February 2026; its makers continue with Nimbalyst, a visual workspace for coding agents. Nimbalyst is free and MIT-licensed since 30 April 2026.
Is there a Crystal alternative for Windows?
Nimbalyst itself runs on macOS, Windows and Linux. AgentVera also runs on all three, with 18 agent CLIs, flows between agents and a team kanban.
Does AgentVera have a mobile app?
No. AgentVera is a desktop app. Nimbalyst has iOS and Android companions. With AgentVera you can run agents on your own server with the AgentVera Runner, and turn on Claude Code’s Remote Control per project.
Is AgentVera free like Nimbalyst?
AgentVera has a free plan with unlimited agents. Flows, the pipeline, night shift, the database manager and the team kanban are on the paid Pro and Team plans. Nimbalyst is free.
Sources
Facts about Nimbalyst come from its own pages, checked on 8 October 2026. Products change quickly; check them for the current state.
Last checked:
Try AgentVera next to Nimbalyst
The free plan has unlimited agents. Open the same repository, add the CLIs you already use and compare for yourself.