https://github.com/unbalancedparentheses/stoa
https://github.com/unbalancedparentheses/stoa
Last synced: 26 days ago
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- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/unbalancedparentheses/stoa
- Owner: unbalancedparentheses
- Created: 2026-02-19T21:02:02.000Z (4 months ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-02-28T21:22:38.000Z (4 months ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-03-01T00:41:48.858Z (4 months ago)
- Language: Rust
- Size: 226 KB
- Stars: 0
- Watchers: 0
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 1
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
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README
# Stoa
A native AI research platform built with Rust. Send the same prompt to multiple models simultaneously, compare responses side-by-side, diff where they agree or disagree, and track costs — all from a single keyboard-driven interface. Zero Electron, zero JavaScript.
## Why Stoa?
Most AI chat apps let you talk to one model at a time. Stoa lets you **interrogate multiple models in parallel** and see where they converge or diverge. Built for researchers, engineers, and anyone who wants to think harder with AI.
- **Native performance** — Pure Rust + GPU rendering via [iced](https://github.com/iced-rs/iced). Starts instantly, uses minimal resources.
- **Local-first** — All data stays on your machine. SQLite database, no cloud sync, no telemetry.
- **Keyboard-driven** — Quick Switcher, Command Palette, and shortcuts for everything.
## Features
### Multi-Model Research
- **Parallel streaming** — Send to 2-7+ models at once, watch all responses stream simultaneously
- **Side-by-side comparison** — Toggle comparison mode to view responses in columns
- **Response diffing** — Word-level diff highlights agreements vs. differences with percentage
- **Per-conversation system prompts** — Different personas for different research threads
- **Conversation forking** — Branch at any message to explore alternative directions
### Model Support
- **OpenAI** — GPT-5, GPT-4.1, o3, o4-mini
- **Anthropic** — Claude Opus, Sonnet, Haiku
- **Ollama** — Auto-discovers locally installed models. No API key needed.
- **OpenRouter** — 200+ models via a single API key (Gemini, Llama, Mistral, DeepSeek, Qwen, and more)
### Analytics & Cost
- **Cost tracking** — Estimated token counts and USD cost per message, conversation, and session
- **Response ratings** — Thumbs up/down on any response, tracked per model
- **Analytics dashboard** — Per-model stats: response count, tokens, cost, latency, approval rate
### Organization
- **Tags & Pins** — Tag conversations, pin important ones to the top
- **Quick Switcher (Cmd+K)** — Fuzzy search across all conversations
- **Command Palette (Cmd+P)** — Every action in one searchable list
- **Full-text search** — FTS5-powered search across titles and message content
- **Markdown / HTML / JSON export** — Copy any conversation to clipboard in multiple formats
- **Auto-titling** — AI generates meaningful titles after your first exchange
- **ChatGPT import** — Import your full ChatGPT history from `conversations.json`
### Multimodal & Web
- **Image/Vision** — Attach images and send them to vision-capable models
- **Text file attachment** — Native file dialog for code, text, and config files
- **Web search** — Inject DuckDuckGo search context into your prompt
### Security
- **OS keychain** — API keys stored in macOS Keychain / Linux Secret Service / Windows Credential Manager
- **No telemetry** — Zero data collection, all conversations stored locally in SQLite
## Keyboard Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|----------|--------|
| `Enter` | Send to primary model |
| `Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+Enter` | Send to all models |
| `Cmd/Ctrl+K` | Quick Switcher |
| `Cmd/Ctrl+P` | Command Palette |
| `Cmd/Ctrl+E` | Export as Markdown |
| `Cmd/Ctrl+N` | New conversation |
| `Cmd/Ctrl+,` | Settings |
| `Esc` | Dismiss overlays |
All keybindings are configurable in **Settings**.
## Installation
### Prerequisites
- **Rust** (2024 edition) — [rustup.rs](https://rustup.rs/)
- **GPU-capable system** — iced uses wgpu for rendering
- **Ollama** (optional) — [ollama.com](https://ollama.com/) for local models
### Build & Run
```sh
git clone https://github.com/unbalancedparentheses/stoa
cd stoa
cargo run --release
```
### Ollama Setup (Optional)
```sh
# Install Ollama
curl -fsSL https://ollama.com/install.sh | sh
# Pull a model
ollama pull llama3.2
# Stoa auto-discovers local models on startup
```
## Usage
### Single Model
Type a message, press Enter. Goes to the model shown in the picker chip.
### Parallel Multi-Model
1. Click the model chip to open the picker
2. Check multiple models
3. Type your prompt, click **Run N** (or `Cmd+Shift+Enter` for all)
4. All responses stream in simultaneously
### Comparison Mode
1. Send to multiple models
2. Click **Compare** in the chat header
3. Responses appear side-by-side in columns
4. Click **Show Diff** to see word-level differences
### Research Workflow
- Set a per-conversation system prompt via the **Sys** button
- **Fork** at any message to branch the conversation
- **Rate** responses with thumbs up/down to track model quality
- View aggregated stats in the **Analytics** tab
- **Tag** conversations for organization, **pin** important ones
## Configuration
Config path: `~/.config/stoa/config.json`
Data path: `~/.config/stoa/chat.db`
| Setting | Description |
|---------|-------------|
| API Keys | Stored in OS keychain (falls back to config file) |
| Ollama URL | Defaults to `http://localhost:11434/v1/chat/completions` |
| System Prompt | Global default (overridden by per-conversation prompts) |
| Temperature | Generation temperature (default 0.7) |
| Max Tokens | Max output tokens (default 4096) |
| Keybindings | All shortcuts are remappable |
Enable `RUST_LOG=info` (or `debug`) to see structured log output.
## Comparison
| Feature | **Stoa** | BoltAI | msty | Cherry Studio | Jan | AnythingLLM | MindMac | TypingMind | Open WebUI | LibreChat | Chatbox AI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Platform | Rust/GPU native | macOS | All | All | All | All | macOS | Web | Web | Web | All |
| Open source | Yes (MIT) | No | No | AGPL | AGPL | MIT | No | No | Custom | MIT | GPLv3 |
| Multi-model parallel | **Yes** | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Side-by-side comparison | **Yes** | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Response diffing | **Yes** | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Local LLMs (Ollama) | **Yes** | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Cloud providers | 4+ (200+ via OR) | 6+ | 10+ | 50+ | 5+ | 3+ | 7+ | Many | OAI-compat | 8+ | Many |
| Cost tracking | **Yes** | No | Yes | No | No | Partial | Yes | Partial | Yes | Yes | No |
| Command palette | **Yes** | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Quick switcher | **Yes** | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Conversation forking | **Yes** | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | Partial | Yes | No |
| Image/Vision | **Yes** | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Web search | **Yes** | Yes | Yes | ? | ? | ? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | ? |
| ChatGPT import | **Yes** | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
| OS keychain | **Yes** | ? | ? | No | No | No | ? | N/A | N/A | N/A | ? |
| FTS5 search | **Yes** | ? | ? | ? | ? | Yes | ? | ? | Yes | Yes | ? |
| Analytics/Stats | **Yes** | No | Yes | No | No | Partial | Yes | No | Yes | Partial | No |
| Response ratings | **Yes** | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| RAG / Knowledge base | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | **Yes** | No | Yes | **Yes** | No | Yes |
| AI Agents / MCP | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | **Yes** | No | Yes | **Yes** | **Yes** | Yes |
| Plugins | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | **Yes** | No | Yes | **Yes** | **Yes** | Yes |
### Stoa's Unique Advantages
- **Response diffing** — Word-level LCS diff with agreement percentage. No competitor has this.
- **Command palette + Quick switcher** — Obsidian-style keyboard-driven navigation.
- **Native Rust/GPU** — Not Electron, not Tauri, not web. Pure Rust + wgpu rendering.
- **OS keychain** — API keys in your system's secure credential store, not plaintext config files.
## Architecture
```
src/
main.rs Entry point
lib.rs Library root
app.rs State, Message enum, update loop, view
model.rs Conversation, ChatMessage, Provider
config.rs AppConfig, model routing, keychain integration
db.rs SQLite + FTS5 persistence, migrations, search
cost.rs Pricing table, token estimation
diff.rs Word-level LCS diff
export.rs Markdown / HTML / JSON export
import.rs ChatGPT import parser
shortcuts.rs Shortcut specs + key matching
commands.rs Command palette entries
web_search.rs DuckDuckGo search integration
theme.rs Color palette
handlers/
streaming.rs Stream lifecycle, auto-titling
send.rs Message sending, retry, review, analyze
api/
mod.rs LlmEvent, stream dispatch, shared HTTP client
openai.rs OpenAI + Ollama + OpenRouter streaming
anthropic.rs Anthropic streaming
ollama.rs Model discovery via /api/tags
ui/
chat_view.rs Messages, comparison mode, diff panel
input_bar.rs Input, model picker, file/image attach
sidebar.rs Nav, search, history, tags, pins
right_panel.rs Streams, system info, cost, shortcuts
analytics.rs Per-model stats dashboard
settings.rs Provider config, keybindings
quick_switcher.rs Cmd+K overlay
command_palette.rs Cmd+P overlay
shortcut_help.rs Shortcut cheat sheet
markdown.rs Markdown renderer (pulldown-cmark)
diagnostics.rs Debug diagnostics view
bottom_bar.rs Status bar
```
## Roadmap
- [ ] MCP tool support
- [ ] RAG / Knowledge base
- [ ] PDF/DOCX file attachment
- [ ] Conversation folders
- [ ] Plugin system
- [ ] Voice input/output
- [ ] Cross-platform testing (Windows, Linux)
## License
MIT