diff --git a/src/kitty_workbench/backends/__init__.py b/src/kitty_workbench/backends/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8daa689
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/kitty_workbench/backends/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+"""Terminal backend abstraction — detect and adapt to kitty, tmux, or plain terminal."""
+from __future__ import annotations
+import os
+from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
+from typing import Union
+
+class Backend(ABC):
+    @abstractmethod
+    def launch_pane(self, command: list[str], title: str) -> Union[int, str]:
+        """Split the terminal and run command in new pane. Returns pane ID."""
+    @abstractmethod
+    def close_pane(self, pane_id: Union[int, str]) -> None:
+        """Close the pane."""
+    @abstractmethod
+    def image_protocol(self) -> str:
+        """Return supported image protocol: 'kitty', 'sixel', or 'none'."""
+    @property
+    @abstractmethod
+    def name(self) -> str:
+        """Backend name for display/logging."""
+
+def detect_backend() -> Backend:
+    if os.environ.get("KITTY_PID"):
+        from kitty_workbench.backends.kitty import KittyBackend
+        return KittyBackend()
+    elif os.environ.get("TMUX"):
+        from kitty_workbench.backends.tmux import TmuxBackend
+        return TmuxBackend()
+    else:
+        from kitty_workbench.backends.plain import PlainBackend
+        return PlainBackend()
diff --git a/src/kitty_workbench/backends/__pycache__/__init__.cpython-313.pyc b/src/kitty_workbench/backends/__pycache__/__init__.cpython-313.pyc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0b1de8b
Binary files /dev/null and b/src/kitty_workbench/backends/__pycache__/__init__.cpython-313.pyc differ
diff --git a/src/kitty_workbench/backends/__pycache__/kitty.cpython-313.pyc b/src/kitty_workbench/backends/__pycache__/kitty.cpython-313.pyc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..67b23e2
Binary files /dev/null and b/src/kitty_workbench/backends/__pycache__/kitty.cpython-313.pyc differ
diff --git a/src/kitty_workbench/backends/__pycache__/plain.cpython-313.pyc b/src/kitty_workbench/backends/__pycache__/plain.cpython-313.pyc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..de18a60
Binary files /dev/null and b/src/kitty_workbench/backends/__pycache__/plain.cpython-313.pyc differ
diff --git a/src/kitty_workbench/backends/__pycache__/tmux.cpython-313.pyc b/src/kitty_workbench/backends/__pycache__/tmux.cpython-313.pyc
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0ceaf03
Binary files /dev/null and b/src/kitty_workbench/backends/__pycache__/tmux.cpython-313.pyc differ
diff --git a/src/kitty_workbench/backends/kitty.py b/src/kitty_workbench/backends/kitty.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..67577ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/kitty_workbench/backends/kitty.py
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+"""Kitty terminal backend — native splits via kitty @ remote control."""
+from __future__ import annotations
+import subprocess
+from typing import Union
+from kitty_workbench.backends import Backend
+
+class KittyBackend(Backend):
+    name = "kitty"
+    def launch_pane(self, command: list[str], title: str) -> int:
+        result = subprocess.run(
+            ["kitty", "@", "launch", "--location=vsplit", "--title", title] + command,
+            capture_output=True, text=True,
+        )
+        return int(result.stdout.strip())
+    def close_pane(self, pane_id: Union[int, str]) -> None:
+        subprocess.run(["kitty", "@", "close-window", f"--match=id:{pane_id}"], capture_output=True)
+    def image_protocol(self) -> str:
+        return "kitty"
diff --git a/src/kitty_workbench/backends/plain.py b/src/kitty_workbench/backends/plain.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3ff43d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/kitty_workbench/backends/plain.py
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+"""Plain terminal backend — opens a new terminal window."""
+from __future__ import annotations
+import os
+import platform
+import shutil
+import subprocess
+from typing import Union
+from kitty_workbench.backends import Backend
+
+class PlainBackend(Backend):
+    name = "plain"
+    def launch_pane(self, command: list[str], title: str) -> str:
+        terminal = os.environ.get("TERMINAL")
+        if terminal and shutil.which(terminal):
+            proc = subprocess.Popen([terminal, "-e"] + command)
+            return str(proc.pid)
+        system = platform.system()
+        if system == "Darwin":
+            proc = subprocess.Popen(["open", "-a", "Terminal.app", command[0], "--args"] + command[1:])
+            return str(proc.pid)
+        for term_cmd in ["x-terminal-emulator", "gnome-terminal", "konsole", "xterm"]:
+            if shutil.which(term_cmd):
+                if term_cmd == "gnome-terminal":
+                    proc = subprocess.Popen([term_cmd, "--", *command])
+                else:
+                    proc = subprocess.Popen([term_cmd, "-e", *command])
+                return str(proc.pid)
+        raise RuntimeError(f"Could not find a terminal emulator. Please run manually:\n  {' '.join(command)}")
+    def close_pane(self, pane_id: Union[int, str]) -> None:
+        pass
+    def image_protocol(self) -> str:
+        term = os.environ.get("TERM_PROGRAM", "")
+        if term in {"iTerm.app", "iTerm2", "WezTerm", "foot", "contour", "xterm", "mlterm", "mintty"}:
+            return "sixel"
+        vte = os.environ.get("VTE_VERSION", "")
+        if vte and int(vte) >= 7600:
+            return "sixel"
+        return "none"
diff --git a/src/kitty_workbench/backends/tmux.py b/src/kitty_workbench/backends/tmux.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eba293a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/kitty_workbench/backends/tmux.py
@@ -0,0 +1,27 @@
+"""Tmux backend — pane splits via tmux split-window."""
+from __future__ import annotations
+import os
+import subprocess
+from typing import Union
+from kitty_workbench.backends import Backend
+
+SIXEL_TERMINALS = {"iTerm.app", "iTerm2", "WezTerm", "foot", "contour", "xterm", "mlterm", "mintty"}
+
+class TmuxBackend(Backend):
+    name = "tmux"
+    def launch_pane(self, command: list[str], title: str) -> str:
+        result = subprocess.run(
+            ["tmux", "split-window", "-h", "-d", "-P", "-F", "#{pane_id}"] + command,
+            capture_output=True, text=True,
+        )
+        return result.stdout.strip()
+    def close_pane(self, pane_id: Union[int, str]) -> None:
+        subprocess.run(["tmux", "kill-pane", "-t", str(pane_id)], capture_output=True)
+    def image_protocol(self) -> str:
+        term = os.environ.get("TERM_PROGRAM", "")
+        if term in SIXEL_TERMINALS:
+            return "sixel"
+        vte = os.environ.get("VTE_VERSION", "")
+        if vte and int(vte) >= 7600:
+            return "sixel"
+        return "none"
diff --git a/tests/test_backends.py b/tests/test_backends.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..11ad288
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_backends.py
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+import os
+from unittest.mock import patch, MagicMock
+from kitty_workbench.backends import detect_backend, Backend
+from kitty_workbench.backends.kitty import KittyBackend
+from kitty_workbench.backends.tmux import TmuxBackend
+from kitty_workbench.backends.plain import PlainBackend
+
+
+def test_detect_kitty():
+    with patch.dict(os.environ, {"KITTY_PID": "12345"}, clear=False):
+        backend = detect_backend()
+        assert isinstance(backend, KittyBackend)
+
+def test_detect_tmux():
+    env = os.environ.copy()
+    env.pop("KITTY_PID", None)
+    env["TMUX"] = "/tmp/tmux-1000/default,12345,0"
+    with patch.dict(os.environ, env, clear=True):
+        backend = detect_backend()
+        assert isinstance(backend, TmuxBackend)
+
+def test_detect_plain():
+    env = os.environ.copy()
+    env.pop("KITTY_PID", None)
+    env.pop("TMUX", None)
+    with patch.dict(os.environ, env, clear=True):
+        backend = detect_backend()
+        assert isinstance(backend, PlainBackend)
+
+def test_kitty_image_protocol():
+    b = KittyBackend()
+    assert b.image_protocol() == "kitty"
+
+def test_tmux_image_protocol():
+    b = TmuxBackend()
+    with patch.dict(os.environ, {"TERM_PROGRAM": "unknown"}, clear=False):
+        assert b.image_protocol() in ("sixel", "none")
+
+def test_plain_image_protocol():
+    b = PlainBackend()
+    assert b.image_protocol() in ("sixel", "none")
+
+def test_kitty_launch_pane():
+    b = KittyBackend()
+    with patch("kitty_workbench.backends.kitty.subprocess") as mock_sp:
+        mock_sp.run.return_value = MagicMock(stdout="42", returncode=0)
+        pane_id = b.launch_pane(["kitty-workbench", "tui", "test"], "Test")
+        assert pane_id == 42
+        call_args = mock_sp.run.call_args[0][0]
+        assert "kitty" in call_args[0]
+        assert "--location=vsplit" in call_args
+
+def test_tmux_launch_pane():
+    b = TmuxBackend()
+    with patch("kitty_workbench.backends.tmux.subprocess") as mock_sp:
+        mock_sp.run.return_value = MagicMock(stdout="%5", returncode=0)
+        pane_id = b.launch_pane(["kitty-workbench", "tui", "test"], "Test")
+        assert pane_id == "%5"
+        call_args = mock_sp.run.call_args[0][0]
+        assert "tmux" in call_args[0]
+        assert "split-window" in call_args