SpeakCode vs CanvasCode: agents, voice, and pricing
Updated 2026-09-13 · competitor facts verified 2026-09-13
Verdict
Pick CanvasCode if…
Pick CanvasCode if you want a 14-day trial, one-time pricing, Nina voice controls, and a canvas that supports macOS 14+.
Pick SpeakCode if…
Pick SpeakCode if real Claude Code and Codex terminals, a waiting-agent inbox, belts, and shared workspaces are your priorities on macOS 26+.
A native Mac agent canvas with Nina voice control, per-canvas skills and MCP, and one-time pricing.
Platforms: macOS 14+ on Apple Silicon and Intel. · Pricing: 14-day free trial, no card; $149 early-bird one-time purchase, from $249, limited batch. · License: Closed source.
CanvasCode and SpeakCode, feature by feature
| Feature | CanvasCode | SpeakCode |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | macOS 14+, Apple Silicon and Intel | macOS 26+ only |
| Price | $149 early-bird once, from $249; 14-day trial | $20/month or $200/year; no free trial |
| License / source | Closed source | Closed source |
| Terminal engine | Native Swift app; engine not listed on their site | Native SwiftTerm, VT100/xterm |
| Layout model | Infinite agent canvas organized by project | One infinite canvas per project |
| Agent inbox | not listed on their site | Cross-node queue of waiting agents |
| Agent hand-offs | Self-orchestrating; rules not listed on their site | Turn-end belts; last 40 non-blank output lines |
| Git worktree management | not listed on their site | No; create worktrees yourself |
| Live collaboration | Single-user; collaboration not listed on their site | Real terminals; roles and typing grants |
| Voice control | Nina: organize, focus, close agents | Command bar mic; OpenAI Realtime API |
| Supported agents / models | Codex, Claude, Grok; Gemini in earlier listing | Real Claude Code and Codex CLIs |
CanvasCode facts verified 2026-09-13 from their public site. Spotted an error? Email info@speakcode.ai.
What CanvasCode is built around
CanvasCode is a native Swift macOS app with an infinite canvas of agent panels organized by project. It lists macOS 14 or later on both Apple Silicon and Intel. Its named agents or models include Codex, Claude, and Grok; an earlier listing also named Gemini. Users can choose a model per agent and run several instances of each.
The price structure is part of the appeal: a 14-day free trial without a card, followed by a one-time purchase. The early-bird offer is $149, from $249, with a limited batch. CanvasCode describes zero monthly fees for the app; model-usage allowances are not listed on their site.
What SpeakCode is built around
SpeakCode runs the real Claude Code and Codex CLIs inside native SwiftTerm terminals. You bring the accounts for those agents. It is a closed-source macOS application requiring macOS 26 or later, with no Windows or Linux desktop version. One subscription includes every app feature for $20/month or $200/year, and there is no free trial.
Each Workspace corresponds to one project folder and one infinite 2D canvas, with tabs across the top. You can add terminal, agent, task, browser, note, files, and editor cards. This is a single-canvas-per-project model. SpeakCode does not manage git worktrees: if two agents need separate branches and directories, you create those worktrees and select the directories yourself.
Where the products overlap
Both apps offer a Mac canvas where several agents can stay in view, and both have voice control and a built-in browser. For example, place two agents beside a browser to compare how each approaches a page change. These shared features make CanvasCode worth evaluating when you want a spatial interface.
CanvasCode lists selectable agents or models including Grok. SpeakCode hosts the actual Claude Code and Codex CLIs in real terminals. CanvasCode's terminal engine and CLI implementation are not listed on their site. The parallel agents overview shows how SpeakCode organizes these terminals on a canvas.
Differences to examine before paying
Voice commands and canvas controls
CanvasCode names its voice controller Nina and gives concrete commands such as “organize the canvas,” “focus on castor,” and “close the agents.” It also lists skills per canvas from a public registry, MCP per canvas from an official registry, and image generation. Those are specific reasons to favor CanvasCode if you want those tools integrated around agent panels.
SpeakCode puts a mic in the command bar and uses the OpenAI Realtime API. Voice minutes are included with the subscription on a metered basis, or you can supply your own OpenAI key. Its typed command bar routes commands to terminals by name. SpeakCode also includes image cards on its canvas.
Orchestration and waiting agents
CanvasCode describes “self-orchestrating agents.” The exact delivery trigger, captured-output limit, and busy-target behavior are not listed on their site. An idle/working/waiting/exited status model or a cross-agent inbox is also not listed on their site.
SpeakCode provides four phase indicators and an Activity feed per node, plus an Agent inbox for sessions waiting on you. Detection works without configuration; opt-in Claude Code Stop/Notification hooks or Codex notify provide exact signals. A belt connects a source card to a target and fires at source turn completion. Delivery can Press Enter, Run command, or Deliver output using the last 40 non-blank captured screen lines.
Those belts have limits worth planning around. A stopped target loses the delivery, and a busy target is not waited on. For an implement-then-review workflow, keep the review terminal running and ready to receive output when implementation finishes. The belt hand-off guide explains these modes. SpeakCode's task dependency graph identifies ready work, while Blueprints fan out headless agents from a saved set.
Solo panels and shared terminals
CanvasCode is described as single-user; collaboration is not listed on their site. SpeakCode can host a workspace that teammates join with real replicated terminals and state. The waiting room and editor/viewer/blocked roles govern access, while per-terminal typing grants decide where another person can enter commands.
SpeakCode's LAN sharing works out of the box. Internet sharing needs a self-hosted LiveKit server and token service, configured under Settings → Collaboration. If your work is entirely solo, that collaboration feature may have little value compared with CanvasCode's lower macOS requirement and trial.
Platform and payment commitment
A Mac running macOS 14 meets CanvasCode's stated operating-system minimum but cannot run SpeakCode, which requires macOS 26+. CanvasCode also explicitly names both Apple Silicon and Intel.
CanvasCode offers 14 days to evaluate the app without a card. SpeakCode requires payment from the start, and its $200 annual plan is recurring rather than a permanent license. If avoiding an ongoing app subscription is a firm requirement, CanvasCode's one-time purchase is the better fit.
Who should choose each canvas
Pick CanvasCode for Nina, per-canvas skills and MCP, image generation, or its listed model choices. Its trial and macOS 14+ requirement give it clear advantages for evaluating a solo canvas on an older system. The $149 early-bird price applies to a limited batch; the listed reference price is $249.
Pick SpeakCode for the real Claude Code and Codex terminal workflow, the Agent inbox, defined belt behavior, or a shared workspace with roles and typing grants. You must accept macOS 26+, closed source, recurring payment with no free trial, one canvas per project, and manual worktree management.
Questions
Does CanvasCode offer a free trial?
Yes, CanvasCode lists a 14-day trial with no card required. SpeakCode has no free trial and costs $20/month or $200/year.
Do both apps support voice control?
Yes, CanvasCode lists Nina commands for organizing the canvas, focusing an agent, and closing agents. SpeakCode uses a command bar mic backed by the OpenAI Realtime API, with metered included minutes or your own key.
Is CanvasCode built for live team sessions?
CanvasCode is described as single-user; collaboration is not listed on their site. SpeakCode supports real shared terminals with roles and typing grants, with self-hosted infrastructure required for internet sessions.
Sources
Run Multiple Claude Code Sessions | SpeakCode · All comparisons