Surfaces
A surface is where you interact with Cosine. Cosine can be used from Cloud, CLI, and Desktop, but these are not separate products. They are different entry points into the same agentic software engineering system.
For help choosing which surface to start with, see Ways to use Cosine.
The three surfaces
Section titled “The three surfaces”- Cloud — A browser-based workspace for running tasks remotely, managing projects, reviewing changes, and coordinating work with your team
- CLI — A terminal-first interface for local development, debugging, command execution, and tool-heavy workflows
- Desktop — A native app that combines a visual workspace with access to local files and local workflows
Many teams use more than one surface. For example, you might connect repositories and review work in Cloud, use the CLI for local implementation, and use Desktop when you want a visual workspace on your machine.
Surfaces vs environments
Section titled “Surfaces vs environments”Surfaces and environments answer different questions:
- Surface — Where you control Cosine from
- Environment — Where Cosine runs code, commands, tools, and tests
For example, you can interact with Cosine from Cloud while the work runs in a remote environment. You can also interact from the CLI while Cosine works directly in a local repository on your machine.
Related pages
Section titled “Related pages”- Ways to use Cosine — Compare Cloud, CLI, and Desktop
- Locations and environments — Where Cosine runs code and commands
- Cloud Overview — Browser-based workspace
- CLI Overview — Terminal-first interface
- Desktop Overview — Native desktop workspace