planning-with-files vs Ruflo
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A file-based planning skill that keeps AI coding agents on track across resets and crashes.
Open source · MIT
An agent harness that adds multi-agent swarms, shared memory and coordination on top of Claude Code and Codex.
The short answer
Choose planning-with-files if you need…
- Developers running long multi-step tasks in Claude Code or Codex CLI
- People who lose agent progress when the context window fills or is cleared
- Teams wanting a plan that lives in the project as plain markdown files
- Users of agents that support the Agent Skills standard
Choose Ruflo if you need…
- Developers already using Claude Code or Codex who want multiple agents working together
- Teams experimenting with multi-agent workflows and shared memory
- People who want an MCP server exposing Ruflo tools to an MCP-capable client
- Users comfortable with the terminal and npm setup
Side-by-side
| planning-with-files | Ruflo | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Dev tool | Dev tool |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 27.8k | 80.6k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | Shell | TypeScript |
| Last code update | 6 days ago | 4 days ago |
What each one is
planning-with-files
This is a skill for AI coding agents that stores a task plan, research notes, and progress log as markdown files in your project. Lifecycle hooks re-inject that planning context so the agent can pick up where it left off after /clear, context compaction, or a crash. The README says it works across 60+ agents via the Agent Skills standard, with native plugins for several hosts including Claude Code and Codex CLI.
Ruflo
Ruflo is an open-source layer that sits around AI coding assistants such as Claude Code and Codex. It lets several AI agents split up tasks, coordinate as a swarm, and keep memory across sessions. The README describes it as the execution layer that gives a model tools, memory and controls so it can do longer jobs.
Best for
planning-with-files
- Developers running long multi-step tasks in Claude Code or Codex CLI
- People who lose agent progress when the context window fills or is cleared
- Teams wanting a plan that lives in the project as plain markdown files
- Users of agents that support the Agent Skills standard
Ruflo
- Developers already using Claude Code or Codex who want multiple agents working together
- Teams experimenting with multi-agent workflows and shared memory
- People who want an MCP server exposing Ruflo tools to an MCP-capable client
- Users comfortable with the terminal and npm setup
Strengths
planning-with-files
- Plain markdown files on disk that you can read, edit, and version-control or gitignore
- Works through the Agent Skills standard across many agents, with native plugins for several hosts
- MIT licensed with a published benchmark and install options via npm, the Claude Code marketplace, or npx
Ruflo
- Works with existing assistants (Claude Code, Codex, MCP clients) rather than replacing them
- Clear install paths documented in the README, including plugin and npx options
- MIT licensed with a large public project history and active recent commits
Not ideal for
planning-with-files
- Short one-off questions where a plan file adds overhead
- People who want a hosted service rather than local files in their repo
- Users of hosts not listed in the README, since native support depends on the host and results may vary
Ruflo
- Non-developers looking for a simple chat app, since setup and concepts take time to learn
- Anyone who needs fully audited, production-hardened security without reviewing the code, because the README says mods run with the account's permissions
- Users who do not already use Claude Code, Codex or another MCP-enabled client, since most integrations depend on them
Trade-offs
planning-with-files
- Benchmark figures are from the project's own measurements and are reported with stated limits; independent verification is not shown in the README
- Commands and tools vary by host, so the experience differs between integrations
- Session catchup modes can read local agent session records, which the README says requires an explicit opt-in
Ruflo
- The README is long and promotional in places, and many features and numbers are hard to verify from the text alone
- Some integrations (console, mods, hooks) are specific to Claude Code, and hook support depends on the client
- Memory and learning features require embeddings and configured modules, so they are not plug-and-play
Getting started
planning-with-files
Install the skill globally via npx skills
npx skills add OthmanAdi/planning-with-files --skill planning-with-files -gRuflo
Set up the project with the wizard (Codex or other MCP clients)
npx ruflo@latest init wizardStart the MCP server
npx -y ruflo@latest mcp startFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between planning-with-files and Ruflo?
planning-with-files: A file-based planning skill that keeps AI coding agents on track across resets and crashes. Ruflo: An agent harness that adds multi-agent swarms, shared memory and coordination on top of Claude Code and Codex. planning-with-files suits developers running long multi-step tasks in claude code or codex cli, while Ruflo suits developers already using claude code or codex who want multiple agents working together.
Are planning-with-files and Ruflo free?
planning-with-files: Free and open source. Ruflo: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, planning-with-files or Ruflo?
planning-with-files is easier to get started with (rated beginner); Ruflo is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is planning-with-files or Ruflo more popular?
Ruflo has more GitHub stars (80.6k) than planning-with-files (27.8k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to planning-with-files and Ruflo?
Other options people compare them with include OpenHands, wshobson/agents, 9Router, oh-my-claudecode, OpenSpec.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.