Comparison
Stacksmith vs process-compose
process-compose is the closest tool in capability: a docker-compose-style orchestrator for native processes, with dependencies, health checks, and a TUI. Here is where they differ.
Both tools orchestrate native local processes with dependency conditions and health probes, so on the core model they agree: readiness should be declared, not guessed. process-compose is free, open-source, cross-platform, and runs headless, which makes it a great fit for CI pipelines and remote machines.
Stacksmith focuses everything on the local macOS developer experience instead. It is a native GUI with a menu bar extra, so state, logs, dependency graphs, and startup timing are visual rather than terminal panes. Tunnels and their public URLs are first-class components, secrets come from the macOS Keychain and are injected only into launched processes, and failures resolve into role-aware diagnosis, optionally explained by Apple's on-device models with nothing leaving your Mac.
It also ships an MCP server, so Claude Code, Codex, and other MCP clients can inspect components, read logs, run jobs, and restart services with explicit permissions.
Choose process-compose if…
- You need cross-platform or CI usage
- You prefer a terminal TUI or headless operation
- You want free and open source
- Your config must run identically on Linux
Choose Stacksmith if…
- You work on a Mac and want a native GUI and menu bar control
- You want role-aware diagnosis and on-device AI incident briefs
- You want Keychain-backed secrets and modelled tunnels
- You want AI assistants driving the stack over MCP
| Capability | Stacksmith | process-compose |
|---|---|---|
| Dependency-aware startup with readiness conditions | Yes | Yes |
| HTTP and command health checks | Yes | Yes |
| Runs processes natively, no containers | Yes | Yes |
| Native macOS GUI and menu bar control | Yes | TUI |
| Role-aware failure diagnosis with next actions | Yes | — |
| On-device AI incident briefs | Yes | — |
| Tunnels with public URLs as components | Yes | — |
| macOS Keychain secret injection | Yes | — |
| MCP server for AI agents | Yes | — |
| Free and open source | paid, 7-day trial | Yes |
| Cross-platform and CI-friendly | macOS only | Yes |
Both lists are genuine recommendations: if the free tool fits your workflow, use it. If you want readiness, dependencies, diagnosis, and a native control surface in one place, try Stacksmith free for 7 days or read the docs first. More questions are answered in the FAQ.
Free 7-day trial. Buy any time to keep using it, your work is never locked away.
Requires macOS 26 · Apple silicon · Notarized