by MaxonT
Aisync review, pricing and verdict
Advisory file claims and a shared journal for your AI coding agents.
- Best for
- Developers using several coding agents
- Not for
- Windows users
Should you use Aisync?
Pick Aisync if two or more coding agents work in the same repositories and keep colliding. It is free, local and dependency-free. Skip it if you need claims that block edits, or you use Windows: claims here are advisory and the command does not start on that system.
One local hub gives three different agent tools shared rules, claims and mid-session news without any server or dependency.
There is no moat beyond being early: the design is plain files, git and hooks that others can copy.
Also for
- Tool tinkerers on macOS or Linux
- Developers running Claude Code, Codex and Cursor on the same repositories
Show 2 more
- Solo builders who keep one rules file across several agent tools
- Teams experimenting with multi-agent coding on macOS or Linux
Also not for
- Teams that need enforced locks
Main trade-off
Claims are advisory, so nothing stops an agent that ignores them.
Aisync pricing
MIT licence. Free to install and run, with no paid tier or hosted service listed.
Install Aisync
curl -fsSL https://maxont.github.io/aisync/install.sh | bash
Before you start
- Python 3.11 or newer and git, on macOS or Linux
- The script installs with uv, pipx or pip from the GitHub release wheel and never edits shell config; add --dry-run to see what it would do
- Run aisync install-hooks --dry-run first, because it changes tool configs and the global git hooks path
- For the MCP server, install the release wheel with its mcp extra: it needs the mcp package, version 2.3 or newer below 3
Works with
- Claude Code
- Codex
- Cursor
- Any MCP client, through aisync mcp
Required runtime
- Python 3.11 or newer (standard library only)
- git
- macOS or Linux
Where it runs
- Desktop
- CLI
Data it can reach
- A local hub in ~/.ai-sync, which is a git repository
- Git commits in the repositories you watch
- Tool config and rule files edited by install-hooks
- Journal events, claims and shared rules
The permissions this connector asks for, as its own documentation states them.
What Aisync can do
20 actions an agent can call. Open one for its parameters and an example.
initCreates the hub: shared rules, journal, config and a local git repository, in ~/.ai-sync unless AISYNC_HOME points elsewhere.
Example call
aisync init --projects-dir ~/projects
Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Needed | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| --seed-from | string | Optional | A file whose owner-preferences block becomes the shared rules; the default is a starter block. |
| --projects-dir | string | Optional | Watch every git repository directly inside this folder. |
| --target | string | Optional | A tool rule file to carry the shared block; repeatable. |
| --force | booleandefault false | Optional | Recreate an existing hub. |
Returns
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| hub | directory | The new hub with rules, journal and config. |
claimSays you are working on files of a repository now. An overlap with another agent exits with code 3 and names who holds the files, but the claim is still recorded and no edit is blocked. The same action exists as an MCP tool.
Example call
aisync claim -a codex -p api -f app/payments/ -m "SDK upgrade"
Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Needed | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| --summary | string | Required | What you are about to do (-m). |
| --agent | string | Optional | The tool making the claim, such as codex (-a, or the AISYNC_AGENT variable). |
| --project | string | Optional | The repository name (-p). |
| --files | string | Optional | Comma-separated paths (-f); omit it to claim the whole repository. |
| --ttl | numberdefault 120 | Optional | Minutes until the claim expires. |
Returns
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| exit_code | number | Zero when free, 3 when another agent holds an overlapping claim. |
releaseDrops your claims for one project, or all of them.
Example call
aisync release -a codex -p api
Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Needed | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| --agent | string | Optional | Whose claims to drop (-a). |
| --project | string | Optional | Limit the release to one project (-p). |
Returns
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| released | number | How many claims were dropped. |
claimsShows who is working on which files right now.
Example call
aisync claims
Returns
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| claims | text | Each live claim with its agent, files and expiry time. |
logAppends one event to the hash-chained journal: a commit note, decision, blocker or plain note.
Example call
aisync log -a claude-code -k decision -m "Keep retries at 3"
Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Needed | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| --summary | string | Required | The event text (-m). |
| --kind | stringdefault dev_log | Optional | dev_log, decision, blocked, unblocked, rule_change or note (-k). |
| --project | string | Optional | Defaults to the name of the current git repository (-p). |
| --files | string | Optional | Comma-separated paths the event touches (-f). |
| --ref | string | Optional | A key=value reference such as pr=45; repeatable. |
Returns
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| event | text | The id of the appended event. |
ruleManages shared rules: add writes a When, Do and Not rule that every tool copy receives on the next sync; list, lint, rewrite and enforcement review them.
Example call
aisync rule add -a codex --when "changing an API" --do "add a contract test"
Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Needed | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| --when | string | Optional | For add: the trigger. |
| --do | string | Optional | For add: the action the rule asks for. |
| --not | string | Optional | For add: what the rule forbids. |
| --topic | string | Optional | Heading the rule goes under; required once rules are grouped (-t). |
| --reason | string | Optional | Why the rule exists; the reason goes to the journal (-r). |
| --replaces | string | Optional | An ID such as R-087, or part of the text of the rule this one replaces. |
| --enforced-by | string | Optional | Comma-separated paths of the test, hook or checker that enforces it. |
| --judgment-only | string | Optional | Why no code can check the rule. |
| --file | string | Optional | For rewrite: a JSON file mapping rule IDs to new text. |
| --archived | booleandefault false | Optional | For list: show retired rules. |
Returns
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| rule | text | The new rule with its stable ID, such as R-088. |
tidyThe rules clerk: proposes likely duplicates, rules nobody cited lately and a core layer over budget; it never edits.
Example call
aisync tidy --write
Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Needed | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| --write | booleandefault false | Optional | Write a dated file into the hub instead of printing. |
| --json | booleandefault false | Optional | Print the proposals as JSON. |
Returns
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| proposals | text | Proposals you tick off yourself. |
rulecheckChecks that a rules cleanup lost no hard fact such as a path, number, command or ID; exits 1 if one was lost.
Example call
aisync rulecheck before.md after.md
Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Needed | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| before | string | Required | The rules file before the cleanup. |
| after | string | Optional | The file after the cleanup; the default is the hub rules. |
| --archive | string | Optional | The retired-rules file; the default sits next to the after file. |
| --accept-drop | string | Optional | A reason that accepts a dropped fact. |
Returns
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| verdict | text | Which hard facts are still current or superseded, and which were lost. |
Show all 20 actions
instinctKeeps an optional habit list grown from past mistakes, injected into every session.
Example call
aisync instinct add "Run the migration dry run first" --from EB-014
Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Needed | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| --from | string | Optional | For add: the EB id in the error log the habit comes from (required for add). |
| --agent | string | Optional | Who adds the habit. |
Returns
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| habits | text | The habit list. |
newsReports what other tools did and which rules changed since this session last looked; the first call only sets the cursor.
Example call
aisync news -a cursor -s chat-42
Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Needed | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| --agent | string | Optional | Which tool is asking. |
| --session | string | Optional | Any stable id for this chat or session (-s). |
Returns
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| news | text | Events from other agents and rule changes, or nothing. |
install-hooksWires the news hooks into Claude Code, Codex and Cursor, seeds the rules block and adds the git Agent trailer hook; it shows each change as a diff and asks before writing.
Example call
aisync install-hooks --only claude-code --dry-run
Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Needed | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| --only | string | Optional | A comma list of the install steps to run. |
| --dry-run | booleandefault false | Optional | Show the diff and write nothing. |
| --yes | booleandefault false | Optional | Apply without asking (-y). |
Returns
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| diff | text | The changes to tool configs, rule files and git hooks. |
statusShows health, per-agent activity, conflicts, claims, blockers and metrics; exits 1 when something needs you.
Example call
aisync status --json
Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Needed | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| --json | booleandefault false | Optional | Print the status as JSON. |
| --accept-drop | string | Optional | A reason that accepts a flagged rules drop. |
Returns
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| status | text | The live picture of the hub. |
boardWrites the hub as one static HTML page with claims, blockers, who did what and a timeline.
Example call
aisync board -o team-board.html
Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Needed | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| --out | stringdefault board.html | Optional | The output file (-o). |
Returns
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| file | html | A single self-contained status page. |
reportA read-only self-check: tools that stay silent, commits without an Agent trailer and stale blockers.
Example call
aisync report --days 14
Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Needed | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| --days | numberdefault 7 | Optional | How many days to look back. |
| --json | booleandefault false | Optional | Print the report as JSON. |
Returns
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| hints | text | Plain hints; it never acts on them. |
tailPrints the latest journal events.
Example call
aisync tail -n 5
Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Needed | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| -n | numberdefault 20 | Optional | How many events to show. |
Returns
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| events | text | The newest journal lines. |
verifyChecks the journal hash chain, so an edited, lost or reordered line is spotted.
Example call
aisync verify
Returns
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| result | text | Whether the chain is intact. |
sync and watchsync runs one cycle (harvest commits, distribute rules, render progress, flush); watch runs the debounced, event-driven loop.
Example call
aisync watch --max-seconds 600
Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Needed | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| --max-cycles | number | Optional | For watch: stop after this many cycles. |
| --max-seconds | number | Optional | For watch: stop after this long. |
Returns
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| cycle | text | Per-step results; one failing step never blocks the others. |
resolve and resumeresolve gives your ruling on a shared-rule conflict; resume clears the failure counters after a paused sync is fixed.
Example call
aisync resolve R-087 --take truth
Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Needed | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| label | string | Required | For resolve: the conflict label. |
| --take | string | Required | For resolve: truth or target. |
Returns
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| result | text | The conflict closed with your choice. |
demoBuilds a throwaway hub with a synthetic two-week journal and shows its status.
Example call
aisync demo --dir demo-hub
Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Needed | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| --dir | string | Optional | Where to build it; the default is a new temp directory. |
Returns
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| hub | directory | A demo hub with synthetic data. |
mcpServes the hub to any MCP agent over stdio with eight tools: rules, rule_add, log, claim, release, news, status and tidy.
Example call
aisync mcp
Returns
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| server | MCP server | An MCP server over stdio; it needs the optional mcp extra. |
What Aisync is for
Aisync is an open-source command line tool, hook set and MCP server that coordinates AI coding agents on one machine through a shared rules block, a hash-chained journal and advisory file claims. It supports Claude Code, Codex and Cursor, needs Python 3.11 and git on macOS or Linux, and its latest release is 0.2.0.
File claims with a lifetime
A claim lasts 120 minutes by default, and an overlap exits with code 3 and names the other holder.
Hash-chained journal
Each event stores the id of the one before it, so verify spots an edited, lost or reordered line.
Mid-session news hooks
Hooks tell a running session what the other tools did and say nothing when nothing changed.
Rules as interfaces
Each rule is one line with a trigger, an action and a prohibition under a stable ID, and layered loading folds topics until a prompt needs them.
Show all 6 features
Three doors in
Agents can use the AGENTS.md rules block, the command line or an MCP server with eight tools.
Dependency-free core
The core runs on the Python standard library; only the MCP server needs an extra package.
What people use it for
Stop two agents editing one directory
Before editing app/payments/, each agent runs claim; the second one gets exit code 3 and the holder name, and can pick other work.
Keep one set of rules across three tools
One rules block is copied into each tool rule file and synced 3-way, and a conflicting edit is never overwritten.
Tell a running session what another tool just did
Hooks add news from the other tools to a live Claude Code, Codex or Cursor session and stay silent when nothing changed.
Audit who did what
The hash-chained journal records commits, decisions and blockers per agent, and report flags tools that never log.
Strengths and limits
Strengths
- It runs locally with no dependencies and no server: the hub is a git repository you can read, diff and back up.
- The journal is tamper-evident, because each event carries the id of the previous one and verify checks the chain.
- The install path is reviewable: the script is short, supports a dry run, and the installer page asks before changing anything.
- It reaches agents three ways, so a tool without hooks can still use claims through the CLI or the MCP server.
Limits
- Claims are advisory: an overlapping claim is still recorded and nothing blocks the edit, so an agent that skips the claim step collides anyway (source code, read 11 November 2026).
- It is macOS and Linux only; the package failed to start on Windows in a clean test.
- It is not published on PyPI, so the README line pip install aisync with the mcp extra does not resolve; use the release wheel instead.
- It is a young single-author project with 37 GitHub stars, its token figures were measured by its author on their own hub, and install-hooks edits tool configs and the global git hooks path.
Aisync alternatives
The nearest AI agent skills on Hokai for the same job.
| Skill | Works with | Connects by | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aisync This page | Claude · Codex · Cursor | Skill file | 11 Nov |
 CloakroomMasks secrets and personal data before your coding agent sees them. | Claude · Codex · Cursor · Gemini | Skill file | 11 Nov |
 FactIQGives an agent read-only SQL over 100M+ official economic and financial series. | Claude · ChatGPT · Codex | MCP | 21 Oct |
 KrolikSelf-hosted MCP server that gives coding agents a call graph and review memory | Claude · Cursor · Windsurf | MCP | 21 Oct |
Aisync facts
- Protocol
- Custom
- Latency class
- Fast
- Open source
- Yes
- Maintainer founded
- 2026
What changed
Questions about Aisync
What does Aisync cost?
Nothing. It is MIT-licensed and the README lists no paid tier or hosted service. Your cost is the extra tokens your agents spend reading the shared rules and news that the hooks inject, which the 0.2.0 layered loading is meant to reduce.
Do I need an account, and does it ask for anything?
No account is needed, and nothing beyond the Python standard library is required. After your first successful command the CLI asks once whether to star the project on GitHub, with no as the default; set NO_STAR_PROMPT to 1 to skip the question, and it stays silent in CI, pipes and scripts.
Does a claim actually stop two agents editing the same file?
No. A claim is advisory: when an overlapping claim exists, the CLI exits with code 3 and the MCP tool says to coordinate or pick other work, but the new claim is still recorded and no hook blocks the edit. Claims expire after 120 minutes unless you set a different lifetime.
What does install-hooks change on my machine?
According to the install page it edits the Claude Code, Codex and Cursor hook configs, seeds the rules block into rule files and sets the global git hooks path. It shows every change as a diff and asks first, and the dry-run flag changes nothing. Review the diff before you accept it.
How do I use Aisync from an MCP client?
Run the aisync mcp command, which serves eight tools over stdio. It needs the optional mcp package, and since aisync is not on PyPI the working route found in testing is installing the release wheel with the extra: pip install "aisync[mcp] @ https://github.com/MaxonT/aisync/releases/download/v0.2.0/aisync-0.2.0-py3-none-any.whl".
About Aisync
Aisync is a small open-source coordination layer for AI coding agents, published on GitHub by an individual developer, MaxonT. It is a skill rather than an app: agents such as Claude Code, Codex and Cursor call its command line, hooks or MCP server to claim files before editing, log decisions to a shared journal and hear what the other tools did. The repository was created on 21 October 2026 and version 0.2.0 shipped on 9 November 2026.
Read the full background
Everything lives in one local hub, ~/.ai-sync, which is a git repository. A claim records which files an agent is working on for 120 minutes by default. If another agent holds an overlapping claim, the command exits with code 3 and names the holder, but the claim is still recorded and nothing stops an edit, so claims work only as far as agents obey them. Hooks inject news into a running session, and the journal chains each event to the one before so that a verify command can spot a changed line. The core uses only the Python standard library.
Version 0.2.0 added rules written as When, Do and Not lines with stable IDs, loaded in layers, plus the MCP server. The author reports that on the author's own hub this cut always-loaded rules from 20,673 to 7,876 tokens; these figures are not independently checked. On 11 November 2026 Hokai installed the 0.2.0 release wheel with the mcp extra into a clean Python 3.13 environment on Windows: it pulled in mcp 2.3.0, but the command stopped at import with No module named fcntl, which fits the macOS and Linux requirement. The name aisync is not on PyPI, since pip found no versions, so install from the release wheel.
Look elsewhere if claims must be enforced or you work on Windows. An npm package called agent-ops, which Hokai does not list yet, says its pre-commit hook blocks commits that touch another agent's claims; its repository shows no stars and no push since July 2026. For a different hook-based agent add-on see Cloakroom, and for more connectors the developer skills and MCP skills lists.
Sources and guides
Official sources
- Aisync official site Vendor
- GitHub repository GitHub
Protocol, authentication, permissions and the call contracts on this page are read from MaxonT's own documentation. The verdict is Hokai's reading of them, not the maintainer's claim.
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