IPAD EXCLUSIVE Built Exclusively for iPad · Native iPadOS Architecture

Everywhere, anytime.
A pro AI coding console for iPad.

HelmCode is built from the ground up for touch and hardware keyboards. Powered by CodeMirror 6, multi-model Agent Commander, self-hosted WebSocket VFS, and full WebSSH terminal sessions.

Quick Start Guide View on GitHub

100% Self-Hosted

Zero Cloud Code Storage

Multi-Model ACP Harnesses

Core Features

Engineered for Tablet Productivity

Move beyond toy text viewers. HelmCode delivers true IDE capability with multi-column orchestration.

Native iPadOS Ergonomics

Crafted specifically for iPadOS with pure Swift and system split views. Fluid gesture navigation, multi-window support, and desktop-grade hardware keyboard shortcuts (⌘O, ⌘P, ⌘J, ⌘S) that feel instantly familiar on Magic Keyboard.

Pure SwiftUI iPadOS SplitView Hardware Shortcuts

CodeMirror 6 Engine

Modern web-speed editing core bundled offline. Instant syntax highlighting across dozens of languages (Swift, TS, Go, Rust, Python, Dockerfile), responsive caret movements, and polished OneDark styling.

CodeMirror 6 Offline Grammar OneDark

Agent Commander

Built on ACP (Agent Client Protocol). Seamlessly integrate OpenCode, Claude, Codex, Cursor, and Grok. Use / to trigger specialized skills and @ to anchor project context for precise code generation and refactoring.

ACP Standard Multi-Model Diff Preview

WebSocket Remote VFS

High-performance virtual filesystem running JSON-RPC over WebSocket. Browse massive repos in milliseconds, stream chunked files effortlessly, and inspect Git branches, diffs, and staging trees in real time.

WebSocket RPC Git Engine Live Hot-Reload

Full WebSSH Terminal (⌘J)

Hit ⌘J anytime to open an integrated PTY terminal powered by xterm.js. Run Bash, Zsh, Vim, Tmux, execute cargo test, npm build, or manage Docker containers directly inside your project scope.

xterm.js PTY Persistent Session Project Scoped

100% Self-Hosted & Private

Your source code and secrets remain entirely under your control. Deploy runner-core as a lightweight container on your own workstation, home lab, or VPS. Device pairing tokens are locked in the Apple Keychain.

Self-Hosted Keychain Guard Auditable Code

System Architecture

Decoupled Client & Sandbox Daemon

Offload heavy build toolchains and AI agents to your self-hosted backend, keeping the iPad client responsive and battery-efficient.

Lightweight Client, Unlimited Server Compute

HelmCode separates UI rendering from execution. The client handles input and navigation, while the headless runner-core daemon manages the virtual file system, PTY terminal streaming, and ACP AI model dispatch.

Client (iPad)

Pure SwiftUI shell hosting CodeMirror 6, NavigationSplitView, Commander drawer, and WebSSH terminal panel.

Gateway (HTTP + WebSocket)

High-throughput bi-directional streaming for VFS tree operations, Git status sync, and PTY I/O.

runner-core Sandbox Daemon

Node.js control plane powering Go-based helm-vfs, in-process terminal PTY, and ACP model harnesses.

📱 HelmCode Client

SwiftUI + CM6

NavigationSplitView · CodeMirror 6 Host · Agent Commander Dock · WebSSH (xterm)

WebSocket JSON-RPC (Bearer Token)

⚡ runner-core (Node.js & Go)

Self-Hosted Daemon

• HTTP/WS Control Plane (/v1/sessions, /v1/vfs, /v1/terminal)
• Go helm-vfs (Fast Workspace FS & Git)
• In-process PTY Terminal Stream

ACP Protocol (stdio ndjson)

🤖 AI Harness / ACP Server

Multi-Vendor

OpenCode · Claude · Codex · Cursor · Grok (On-demand activation)

Quick Start

Up and Running in 3 Steps

Spin up the runner daemon on your server or laptop, then pair your iPad in minutes.

Step 1

Run runner-core Container

Start the headless runner daemon on any machine with Docker installed:

docker run -d -p 18080:8080 \
-v $PWD:/app/workspace \
helmcode/runner-core:latest

Step 2

Pair Your Device

Open HelmCode on iPad, tap 「Add Runner」, then enter your runner URL and pairing setup code:

URL: http://your-server-ip:18080
Setup Code: SDCN-9XZS

Step 3

Code with AI Velocity

Your remote files render instantly. Hit ⌘J for terminal or compose prompts in Agent Commander:

/test Run test suite
@server.ts Add rate-limiting middleware to this handler

F.A.Q

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about HelmCode architecture, data flow, and privacy.

Most mobile coding apps are either read-only file browsers or heavy web apps wrapped inside slow webviews with sluggish touch response. HelmCode uses a pure native SwiftUI shell with an offline CodeMirror 6 engine, communicating with your runner-core daemon over WebSocket. It offers hardware keyboard shortcuts, fluid iPadOS gestures, low battery consumption, and genuine PTY terminal capability.

Never. HelmCode strictly adheres to a privacy-first principle. Your code resides only on your self-hosted runner and your iPad's active session. Device pairing tokens are stored securely in Apple's hardware-backed Keychain. We do not operate any middleman telemetry or relay servers that inspect or store your files.

HelmCode implements the open ACP (Agent Client Protocol) standard, supporting harnesses including OpenCode, Claude, Codex, Cursor, and Grok. Configure your API keys in your runner or app settings to seamlessly switch models right inside the Agent Commander composer.

You can securely connect from anywhere using private mesh networking (such as Tailscale or WireGuard) or an HTTPS reverse proxy (such as Cloudflare Tunnel, Caddy, or Nginx with TLS). Point HelmCode to your secure domain URL to code seamlessly on the go.

Yes! Both the HelmCode iPad client and the runner-core backend daemon are released under the permissive MIT license. You can inspect the source code, contribute features, or report issues on our GitHub repository.

Supercharge Your Mobile Development Workflow

Whether on a commute, in a cafe, or away from your desk, pick up your iPad and dive straight into deep coding flow.

Deploy runner-core Star on GitHub

Everywhere, anytime. A pro AI coding console for iPad.