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Spectra

Spectra is a spec-driven development tool with a desktop app, CLI and skills for coding agents. Agents can use its skills to clarify requirements, propose changes, write specifications and implement tasks; the app lets developers browse specs, track task progress and archive completed changes.

Explore the practical guide ↓

Independent OpenViST project profile, based on linked sources.

Spectra — OpenViST project profile in Coding Agents.
OpenViST project illustration. See the linked sources for product details.
Understand the project

Practical overview

When it fits

Use Spectra when you want a structured specification and task workflow around coding-agent-assisted changes, with progress visible in a desktop app or accessible through its CLI.

Who it is for

  • Developers using coding agents to plan and implement software changes.
  • Teams that want to track specifications, proposals and task progress together.

Documented uses

  • Clarify requirements and compare approaches before proposing a change.
  • Create proposals with specifications, designs and tasks.
  • Implement or resume change tasks with a coding agent.
  • Monitor Markdown checklist progress and archive completed changes.
Before you choose

Requirements & limits

The README lists a macOS and Windows desktop app, and a Homebrew installation for macOS. The CLI is published through npm and requires Node.js 22.14 or newer.

  • The desktop app and CLI are independent channels and update separately.
  • The README lists agent skills for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Antigravity and JetBrains Junie.
  • Codex uses $ to invoke skills; the README gives slash-prefixed forms for other listed environments.
  • The desktop app can display task progress parsed from Markdown checklist markers.

Check current requirements in the official documentation. Source-based guidance does not mean OpenViST has run or independently tested this project.

Source-based practical guide

Initialize Spectra’s CLI workflow

Install the Spectra CLI and initialize its workflow.

Before you start

  • Node.js 22.14 or newer
  • npm

Steps

  1. Install the CLI globally with the command below.

    Documented command
    npm install -g @kaochenlong/spxa

  2. Run spxa init.

Expected outcome

The CLI workflow is initialized; the README identifies the CLI as a way to use the spec workflow and coding-agent skills without installing the desktop app.

Guide limitations

  • The CLI command is spxa, not spectra.
  • The desktop app and CLI are independent installation channels that update separately.
Documentation 1 ↗
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Compare options for AI coding assistance

These projects document a common task and share a project role. This is a source-based comparison, not an execution benchmark or a guarantee of interchangeability.

ProjectDocumented purposePlatformAccess and requirements
SpectraClarify requirements and compare approaches before proposing a change.CLI, DesktopThe README lists a macOS and Windows desktop app, and a Homebrew installation for macOS. The CLI is published through npm and requires Node.js 22.14 or newer.
Skills — michaelshimelesInstall reusable task-specific skills into a coding-agent setup.CLIThe repository README provides an npx installation command for most coding agents and describes automatic or explicit skill invocation in Claude Code.
Agent Skills — apifyInstall scraping instructions into a coding agent and request structured web data.CLIThe README lists an Apify account as a prerequisite and notes a free tier. It recommends installing and authenticating the Apify CLI; an API token is a fallback for headless or CI environments. Node.js 20.6 or later is required by the CLI and Ultimate Scraper skill.
Evidence and transparency

Sources & review

Official repository ↗
Source record details
Source availability
Active
Sources checked
16 October 2026
Original website title
kaochenlong/spectra-app · Official homepage title · retained in its source language
How we review sourcesSuggest a correction

Related options

OpenSpec — Spectra’s README says the project was inspired by OpenSpec and began as a GUI frontend before its workflow was rewritten.