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Unship

Open-source tool that works with your coding agent to produce UI, copy or state variations inside your running app, so you can compare them in a local picker and keep the one you like.

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What it does

Unship works alongside a coding agent such as Claude Code, Codex or Cursor. You ask the agent for alternative versions of a piece of UI, wording or app state, and Unship shows them inside your running app through a local picker. You browse the options, copy your choice, and paste it into your AI chat so the agent applies your direction in source. From version 0.2 a Canvas view lets you open the options together, pan and zoom, switch the Canvas theme, and interact with the original components. The README says state and event handlers stay with the actual app, because Canvas does not clone or restart it. The agent handles setup and cleanup, and the project advises keeping Unship out of production builds. Installation uses npm (npm install -g @unship/cli, then unship install) and needs Node.js 20 or newer. The README describes a single injected script with no runtime dependencies, accounts or telemetry, and says it is free and MIT licensed.

Capabilities

  • Ask your coding agent for UI, copy or state variations
  • Local picker for browsing options in the running app
  • Copy a choice and paste it into your AI chat
  • Canvas view with pan, zoom and a theme switch
  • Installs for Claude, Codex and Cursor through the unship CLI
  • No accounts, runtime dependencies or telemetry

When to use it

  • You are choosing between several hero copy or layout directions and want to see them in the real app.
  • You want to review agent-made UI variants side by side before committing to one.
  • You want alternatives tested against your actual component state and event handlers.