vs lpm
lpm and Zashiki both care about multiple local projects on a Mac. The fork in the road is configuration tax versus observe-only catalog — and whether AI agent terminals are in scope.
Short answer
lpm (and similar local project managers) shine when you want a defined multi-service workspace — often with explicit config, live terminals, and AI-agent-oriented flows.
Zashiki Warashi shines when you want a house spirit for folders you already have: scan roots, infer start commands, stop process groups, peek Compose DBs, open Compass — without taxing every AI-generated repo with a new schema.
Side-by-side
| Concern | lpm (typical) | Zashiki Warashi |
|---|---|---|
| Project model | Services you define | Observe existing repo signals |
| Per-project config | Central to the workflow | Optional later; none required in v1 |
| AI coding agents in-app | Strong focus in current lpm | Out of scope |
| Compose DB URI / Compass | Not the core story | First-class peek |
| Port reconciliation | Varies | Catalog / docker / native occupants |
| Cloud accounts | No (local) | No (local) |
Exact lpm features move quickly — treat their site as source of truth. This page is about category fit, not a scorecard of version N.
Who should pick Zashiki
- You have a pile of Cursor / vibe-coded folders and refuse another YAML per folder
- You care about Compose DB peek and Compass more than embedded agent terminals
- You want login-shell start/stop with process-group semantics — Start and stop
Who should pick lpm (or similar)
- You want one workspace that runs services and AI agent terminals side by side
- You are happy maintaining explicit service definitions and profiles
- Duplicating checkouts for parallel agents is a primary workflow
Honest product principle: prove the mechanism; do not invent superiority. Both can be right for different Mondays.
Download Zashiki: Releases.
FAQ
Which one needs YAML in the project?
lpm is built around defining services (and profiles) in config. Zashiki infers start commands and keeps overrides in app data — no required per-repo YAML.
Does Zashiki run Claude Code or Codex terminals?
No. It is not an agent workspace. It operates the projects agents leave behind and can open Cursor.
Can I use both?
Yes in principle — they optimize different workflows. Pick one as the daily house to avoid duplicate lifecycle ownership.