SayDeploy Plain comparisons of developer tools, AI coding tools included

How to see which servers an AI coding agent started in 2026

See which dev servers an AI coding agent started, check their status and logs, and compare tools that can show running local servers in one place.

By SayDeploy ยท

SayDeploy is published by LunarWerx, which makes some of the tools compared here.

Look for a tool that lists the servers it manages and shows each one's status and logs, then check that list after an agent starts a server. DevWebUI is one option that shows status, CPU, memory and logs from one dashboard. [1]

OptionWhat it doesCost
DevWebUIStarts, stops and restarts local dev servers from one dashboard and shows status, CPU, memory and logs. [1]Free, and core features need no account. [1]
Terminal commands and scriptsCheck whether it shows which processes are running and which ports they use.not published
Editor run configurationsCheck whether it groups the agent's servers and shows their logs.not published

What you need before you start

Before you can see which servers an AI coding agent started, you need to know which agent you use and which project folder it works in. Write down the start command and port for every server the project should run, so that anything the agent launches can be matched to a known project. Check that each server runs when you start it by hand, so that a failed start can be traced to the project and not to the agent. Choose one place to look, such as a single terminal window, a log file, or a dashboard, because checking several places makes it easy to miss a process. If the agent is allowed to start and stop servers itself, decide which projects it may touch before you give it that permission. It also helps to note which processes are already running on your machine, so that new ones are easy to spot. Keep this list in a file you can open again later.

Step by step

Work through these steps in order the first time, then reuse the same list each time the project starts.

  1. Write down the servers the project should run, with the folder, start command and port for each one. A written list gives you something to compare against when the agent reports what it started.
  2. Note which processes are already running on your machine. This makes new processes stand out when you check later.
  3. Ask the agent to start the project's servers, or start them yourself, and record which command was used. A record of the command makes it possible to restart the same server the same way.
  4. Open a process view or dashboard and check that each server appears with its name, port and status. A server that is missing from the list may have failed quietly.
  5. Read the logs for each server and note any errors that name a file. Those file names help you trace an error back to the project folder that produced it.
  6. Check for port conflicts. If a port is held by a process you did not expect, find out which process it is before stopping it, so you do not end a server another project still needs.
  7. Save the working list of commands or the project settings, so the same servers can be found again later.
  8. Repeat the check after the agent restarts a server, because the process list can change each time a server starts or stops.

Tools that can do it

DevWebUI is made by the team that publishes this site. It starts, stops and restarts local dev servers from one dashboard, and shows each server's status, CPU, memory and logs. [1]

An AI coding agent can work with the same servers through a connector, called an MCP server, that gives it 43 tools. [1] The agent controls the same background process that the dashboard uses. [1]

A command-line tool from DevWebUI talks to the same API, so the server list can be checked without opening the dashboard. [1] Errors from the servers are collected into one log that merges repeats and is kept across restarts. [1] When a port is already taken, DevWebUI shows which process holds it and can free the port if you ask. [1]

Terminal logs and scripts are another option. Check whether a given tool lists running processes, shows their logs, and reports which ports they use before relying on it.

Editor run configurations are a third option. Check whether the editor shows which servers are running and where their output goes.

Common mistakes to avoid

Starting servers without a written record makes it hard to tell which one an agent launched. Letting an agent restart a server while an old copy still holds its port can cause a conflict that looks like a broken start. Reading only the terminal where the agent writes its output can hide errors that appear in a separate window. Giving an agent access to every project on the machine makes it harder to tell which servers belong to which work. Before you let another program or device use a server's API, check whether authentication is turned on. With DEVWEBUI_REQUIRE_AUTH=1, a credential is required on every API route except a few listed exceptions. [1] Test the startup process again after each change, so the group of servers stays easy to follow.

Frequently asked questions

How can developers see which servers an AI coding agent started?

Keep a list of the expected servers and their ports, then check the process view or dashboard after the agent works on the project. Each server should appear with its name, port and status, and its logs should point back to the project folder it came from. Anything that is not on your list is worth checking before you continue. A tool that lists running processes makes this comparison quicker than scanning several terminal windows.

Can DevWebUI show which servers an AI coding agent started?

DevWebUI lets an AI agent control the same background process that the GUI uses, through a connector with 43 tools. [1] The dashboard shows each server's status, CPU, memory and logs. [1] After each run, compare that list with what the agent reported, so that any server the agent did not mention stands out.

Is DevWebUI free to use?

DevWebUI is free, and its core features need no account. [1] It is open source under the MIT License. [1] An anonymous install ping is sent with update checks unless you set DEVWEBUI_NO_PING=1. [1] Check the terms of your AI coding tool separately, since this page does not cover them.

Does DevWebUI run on macOS or Linux?

There is a prebuilt Windows x64 app. [1] On other systems you run DevWebUI from source with Bun, and the tray app is Windows-only for now. [1] On any operating system, setup starts with bun install, followed by bun run dev. [1] Check which system your team uses before choosing a setup method.

Can DevWebUI free a port that an agent's server is using?

When a port is already taken, DevWebUI shows which process holds it and can free the port if you ask. [1] Check the process owner first, so you do not stop a server that another project still needs. Once the port is free, start the server again and confirm that it appears in the dashboard with its status. [1]

DevWebUI is free, and its core features need no account. [1]

Try DevWebUI

Sources

  1. DevWebUI's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)

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