Transform your AI conversations with visual branching - like Git, but for chat. Start a conversation, then branch off at any point to explore different directions while preserving context.
ChatBranch lets you have non-linear conversations with AI models. Instead of a single thread of messages, you can branch your conversation at any point to explore alternative topics, approaches, or solutions. Think of it as version control for your thoughts and discussions.
🌳 Branching: Create new conversation paths from any message without losing your original thread. Perfect for exploring "what if" scenarios or diving deeper into specific topics.
👁️ Visualization: Switch between Chat view (traditional message interface) and Tree view (visual diagram) to see the full structure of your branched conversations.
🤖 Multi-Model Support: Seamlessly switch between different AI models mid-conversation to compare responses or leverage different AI strengths.
- Right-click any message to create a new branch from that point
- Name your branches with descriptive labels for easy organization
- Branch colors help distinguish different conversation paths in tree view
- Independent contexts - each branch maintains its own conversation history
- Use ◀▶ (Back/Forward) system for navigating between conversation states
- Branch switching to jump between different conversation paths
- Message selection to resume conversations from specific points
- Conversation persistence - all your work is automatically saved
- Interactive tree diagram showing your entire conversation structure
- Click any message in the tree to jump to that point
- Visual branch relationships to understand conversation flow
- Zoom and pan to navigate large conversation trees
- Switch AI models anytime during conversations
- Compare responses by branching and trying different models
- Model-specific capabilities - use the right AI for the right task
- Seamless transitions between different AI providers
- Test without API costs using built-in dummy responses
- Explore all features before connecting your own API keys
- Perfect for learning the branching workflow
- Create a new conversation with a descriptive title
- Type your message and send to start the conversation
- Choose your AI model from the dropdown (GPT, Claude, etc.)
- Get AI response and continue the conversation normally
- Right-click any message (yours or the AI's) in the conversation
- Select "Branch from here" from the context menu
- Name your branch (e.g., "Alternative approach", "Deep dive")
- Continue the conversation in this new direction
- Switch between branches using the branch selector
- Use undo/redo arrows (◀ ▶) to step through conversation history
- Switch to Tree view to see the visual structure
- Click messages in tree view to jump to specific points
- Use branch selector to switch between conversation paths
- Conversation sidebar shows all your saved conversations
- Delete branches you no longer need (except main branch)
- Rename conversations by clicking the edit icon
- Automatic saving preserves all your work
- Compare different approaches to solving a problem
- Explore multiple angles of a complex topic
- Deep dive into specifics without losing the main thread
- Document your thinking process with clear visual structure
- Draft multiple versions of content in parallel branches
- Explore different writing styles or tones
- Develop ideas incrementally while preserving alternatives
- Collaborate with AI on creative projects
- Try different solution strategies in separate branches
- Compare AI model responses to the same problem
- Build on partial solutions without losing progress
- Document decision-making process with clear paths
- Explore concepts from multiple perspectives
- Create study guides with branching topics
- Compare different explanations of complex subjects
- Build knowledge trees that grow with your understanding
ChatBranch consists of a React frontend for the user interface and a FastAPI backend for data management and AI integration. All conversations are stored in PostgreSQL with a tree structure that preserves the branching relationships between messages.
- Tree-structured storage preserves conversation branching relationships
- Real-time updates keep the interface synchronized with your actions
- Efficient navigation with intelligent state management
- Scalable design ready for multi-user deployment
- URL-based routing for conversations - each conversation has its own URL
- Browser back/forward works for switching between conversations
- Within-conversation navigation uses the built-in undo/redo system
- Bookmarkable conversations - share specific conversation URLs
- FastAPI — Backend API (Python)
- React + TypeScript — Frontend UI
- OpenRouter — LLM gateway for model calls
- PostgreSQL — Primary datastore (runs in Docker)
- SQLAlchemy — ORM for DB models
- Docker — Full Stack Deployment
- Nginx — Static frontend serving / proxy
Preferred deployment for developers is via Docker. For full technical details and alternative local development steps, see QUICKSTART.md.
From the repository root run (recommended):
docker compose up --build -dView logs:
docker compose logs -f frontend backendStop and remove containers:
docker compose downFor full developer setup (venv, npm install, DB setup, and local server runs) see QUICKSTART.md.
This project is actively developed. For development setup and commands, follow QUICKSTART.md. Contributions and issues are welcome via GitHub.
- 📷 Document and Image upload support
- 🔄 Multi-user support (like Google Docs for AI Chats!)
- 📚 Improved History Management for large contexts and long conversation chains
- 📈 Better use of React Flow!
The codebase is designed for extensibility and contribution. Key areas for development include additional AI model integrations, advanced visualization features, and collaborative conversation tools.