Branching
Branching AI chat that keeps your whole problem in view.
Slashspace is branching AI chat on an infinite canvas. A chat scroll shows one thread and only its last few messages. Here every branch, PDF and web page sits side by side, so you can hold far more of the problem in your head and connect ideas across all of it. Branch any answer or a single sentence, compare models on the same context, and pull branches back together.
$89/year, starting with a 3-day trial (card required). Or $249 one-time lifetime.
Why branch on a canvas
Big problems don't fit in one thread. A side question, a second model, a PDF you keep checking: in a linear chat, each one pushes the rest out of view, and you're left holding the picture in your head or scrolling back to find it.
On a canvas you can see it all at once. Every branch, source and answer stays where you put it, so a glance takes in what a long scroll hides. You can keep many lines of thinking in mind, spot how they connect, and take on more complex work across many sources without losing your place.
- See more at once. Branches sit side by side instead of stacked in one scroll.
- Keep your place. Each branch stays next to the chat it came from, so you always know where an idea started.
- Connect across it all. Wire branches and sources into a new chat when you're ready to pull them together.
Branch without losing the thread
Every branch is a new chat connected to the one it came from. It starts with everything the parent knew, and the original stays exactly as it was.
- Submit in new branch. Type your message and press ⌘⇧Enter (Ctrl+Shift+Enter on Windows and Linux). A new chat opens to the right and runs it. The original never receives the message.
- Empty branch. Press ⌘B (Ctrl+B) to open a blank branch beside the chat you're in.
- Branch from any node. Drag from the right handle of a note, PDF, web page or video to start a chat about just that source.
Branch from one sentence
The tangent is usually one line in a long answer. Select it, and an "Ask about this…" bubble appears. Type your question and press Enter: a branch opens with the passage quoted and your question under it. Press Enter without typing to ask the AI to expand on it.
Branches stay live
A branch is joined to its parent by a live connection.
- It keeps up. Keep talking in the parent and the branch sees those messages the next time you send.
- Siblings stay apart. Branches from the same parent can't see each other, so one tangent never leaks into another.
- Nothing flows back. The parent never sees what happens in its branches.
Compare models on the same context
Press ⌘B once per model, pick a different model in each branch, and send the same prompt. Every answer works from identical context, side by side on the canvas.
Bring branches back together
Branches in a chat app only split. On a canvas, connect two finished branches (and a PDF or web page, if you like) into a new chat. It reads every connection in full, so you get a synthesis without copy and paste.
Keep the map readable
The more of the canvas you can take in at a glance, the more you can keep in mind. These keep a big canvas easy to scan.
- Name and color each line of thinking.
- Group related branches into one labeled box.
- Tidy Up lays the canvas out left to right, each branch next to its parent.
- Collapse finished branches to their last exchange.
- Zoom out and every node becomes a title you can click to jump back.
Any AI, per branch
Each branch can run a different model.
- Your Claude or ChatGPT plan. Slashspace drives the official Claude Code and Codex CLIs on your computer, signed in with your own account. Usage counts against your plan.
- Your keys. OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Perplexity, xAI, OpenRouter, DeepSeek, Groq and more.
- Local models. Ollama runs models on your machine, free per message.
- Optional built-in AI. Hosted models, with Auto picking one for each message.
Branching compared
| Feature | ChatGPT | Claude | Gemini | Slashspace |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How you branch | Branch in new chat | Edit an earlier message | Branch in a new chat | ⌘⇧Enter, ⌘B, or select text |
| Branch from a selected sentence | No | No | No | Yes |
| See all branches at once | No | No | No | Yes |
| Branch sees later parent messages | No | No | No | Yes |
| Combine branches | Copy and paste | Copy and paste | Copy and paste | Connect them into one chat |
Slashspace is a desktop app for Mac, Windows and Linux. Web and mobile apps are coming soon, so for branching on your phone today, the built-in options are the way to go.
Frequently asked questions
What is branching AI chat?
Branching AI chat lets you split a conversation at any point and follow a new direction in its own branch, while the original thread stays as it was. In Slashspace, each branch is a chat on a canvas, connected to the chat it came from.
How is this different from ChatGPT's Branch in new chat?
ChatGPT copies the conversation into a separate chat in your sidebar. In Slashspace, branches sit side by side on one canvas, stay connected to their parent, and can be combined into a new chat. You can also branch from a single selected sentence.
Why branch on a canvas instead of in one chat?
A chat scroll shows one thread and only its last few messages, so everything else lives in your head or further up the page. On a canvas, every branch and source stays in view side by side, so you can see more at once, keep more of the problem in mind and connect ideas across it.
Does a branch see what I add to the original later?
Yes. The connection is live, so a branch sees new parent messages the next time you send in it. Sibling branches can't see each other.
Can I compare models in branches?
Yes. Open one branch per model, pick a model in each, and send the same prompt. Every answer works from the same context.
Can I merge branches?
Connect two or more branches into a new chat and it reads all of them in full. That's how you bring separate lines of thinking back together.
Which AI models can I use?
Your Claude or ChatGPT plan through the official Claude Code and Codex CLIs, your own API keys, local models through Ollama, or Slashspace's optional built-in models.
Does it work in a browser or on my phone?
Not yet. Slashspace is a desktop app for Mac, Windows and Linux. Web and mobile apps are coming soon.
How much does it cost?
$89/year, starting with a 3-day trial (card required), or $249 one-time lifetime.
Start your 3-day trial
Keep every branch and source in view, compare models side by side and pull your branches back together, on one canvas. It's $89/year, starting with a 3-day trial (card required). Rather pay once? It's $249 one-time lifetime.