Mesa – A collaborative canvas IDE built for agent-first development
Hi HN - I'm Ryan a product designer who codes, and I built Mesa. Current IDEs feel wrong for the type of development being done now - the focus is still on files. Mesa puts the focus on the full workflow: your agent, terminal, browser, and files all live as equal nodes on a canvas with full multiplayer support. (think figma but for code) I was tired of the overhead of switching windows, tabs, and terminals across multiple projects. Inspired by TouchDesigner and Factorio, I wanted something more fluid and visual. Been using it as a total replacement for Cursor at work every day now. Being…
Mesa – A collaborative canvas IDE built for agent-first development launched on March 13, 2026 with 16 votes, #953 of 23,380 launches that month and more than 90% of that year's launches.
In plain words
Mesa is a collaborative canvas IDE designed for agent-first development. It organizes workflows by placing agents, terminals, browsers, and files as equal elements on a canvas rather than relying on traditional file-focused interfaces, with full multiplayer support. Built for developers working with AI agents and multiple projects simultaneously, Mesa reduces window-switching overhead by allowing users to view and control multiple repositories at once. The tool is free to try and functions as a complete IDE replacement.
written from the facts on this page · September 2026
From the sources
A spatial workspace where every project is a node on a canvas. Attach Claude terminals, browser previews, and tools to each one. Run as many AI agents as you want and see them all working simultaneously.
Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI — watch them work across every project, in real time. Agents, terminals, browsers, databases — drag anything onto your workspace. An infinite canvas. Drag folders on, zoom out to see everything at a glance. Code, terminal, preview, docs — all visible. No hunting through windows. Stop navigating file trees. Describe what you want — agents find the files, write the code, run the tests. Bring your own API keys. No markup, no rate limits, no per-seat AI pricing. You pay providers directly. Every repo on one canvas. Agents working across your entire stack simultaneously. React component + manifest. Your custom tools live on the canvas alongside everything else.…from getmesa.dev
In the maker’s words, at launch
Hi HN - I'm Ryan a product designer who codes, and I built Mesa. Current IDEs feel wrong for the type of development being done now - the focus is still on files. Mesa puts the focus on the full workflow: your agent, terminal, browser, and files all live as equal nodes on a canvas with full multiplayer support.…
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