# Ghost in Shell — the free AI terminal for macOS (full description)

Ghost in Shell is a free, AI-powered terminal app for Mac (version 0.2.2, September 2026). It runs your real zsh or bash, turns plain English into shell commands, puts a git-aware file editor beside the prompt, and supervises every AI coding agent you have running from one floating, always-on-top panel. Bring your own model: OpenAI GPT, Anthropic Claude, any custom model id, or a fully local model through Ollama. No account required. Website: https://ghostinshell.co/

## Natural language to shell commands, right at the prompt

There is no mode to switch into. A line your shell can run goes to the shell untouched: Ghost keeps an index of every name your shell accepts, so anything that could be a command is never intercepted. A question ("why did that build fail") is answered inline, where you typed it, opened by a violet "ghost >" label with a dim gutter down the left so the answer never looks like something you ran. A task ("compress the logs folder into a tarball named for today") comes back as a ready-to-run command staged on your prompt with the note "staged below — press Enter to run, or edit it first"; Ghost never presses Enter for you. A typo the shell would reject ("nmp run dev -- --host") gets a second look instead of dying as command not found. Start a line with a space to force the shell, or with ? to force the AI. Press Cmd K to describe a command and have it streamed straight into your prompt. Every answer already knows your shell, your directory, your git branch and how far ahead it is, and the kind of project you are in. The inline assistant stays out of tabs where an agent is running and never takes over while a full-screen app is on screen.

## One dashboard for every AI coding agent (Cmd J)

Run claude, codex, gemini, aider, goose or copilot in as many tabs and windows as you like. The agents panel is a small floating window (296 by 372 px) in frosted glass that lists every one of them across all windows. Each row shows the agent, its folder, a state readout (needs you, working, finished, running) and how long it has been in that state ("2m", "inactive 5m"). A summary line counts how many need you, are working, finished or idle. Blocked agents (stopped at a permission prompt) jump to the top, the panel lights up with an alert ("claude is waiting on your answer") and raises itself; a click on a row brings that window forward on that exact tab. When nobody needs you it shrinks to a slim 68 px rail of state orbs; hover an orb for a card with the agent, its folder, its state and a hint. Overflow pills ("↑ 3 more") page a long list. It stays in the foreground (a switch turns that off), wears the colors of the window that summoned it, and can be dragged anywhere on the desktop. It covers every agent vendor together rather than one tool's own sessions.

## Files and editor beside the shell (Cmd E)

Press Cmd E and your working directory unfolds next to the prompt: a directory tree with live git status (modified, added, untracked) and the current branch, a search box that matches folder names, file names or file contents (with Folders / Files / In files scope chips), and a syntax-highlighted editor with line numbers and five code themes. Fix the config, save with Cmd S, rerun. The panel follows the terminal as it changes directory (a "Follow terminal" switch), keeps a separate view per tab, can be docked left, right or bottom, collapses to a slim rail, and pops out into its own window when you want the room.

## Bring your own model, cloud or local

Settings lists the providers side by side: OpenAI (GPT-5.5, GPT-5.4, GPT-5.4 mini, GPT-5.4 nano, GPT-5 mini, GPT-5 nano), Claude (Opus, Sonnet, Haiku), or Local (Ollama models browsed, installed and run from inside Settings, free and private). Any custom model id works too. You pick the brain; the terminal stays the same. Every AI behavior (ask at the prompt, Cmd K) can be switched off, and the system prompt behind it can be opened, edited, given house rules, or reset to the default.

## Local-first privacy

Nothing leaves your machine until you ask. Your directory, recent commands and a slice of output travel only with the question you asked. With a local Ollama model, not even that. API keys are stored on this Mac only.

## A real terminal, a native Mac app

- Your actual zsh or bash on a true PTY (xterm.js and node-pty), not a shell re-implementation
- Tabs are named for their folder. Each wears a chip for its foreground process (claude, codex, gemini, node, python, vim, git, docker, ssh, cargo...) colored by family. Agent chips show a spinner while working, a "?" when blocked on a question and a check when done. Hover a tab for its full path and what it is doing
- Drag tabs to reorder, tear one off into its own window, or drop it onto another window
- A custom titlebar in your profile's colors that leads with the folder you are in ("LANDING — GHOST IN SHELL TERMINAL")
- Ten color profiles: Ghost (phosphor green on black, with CRT scanlines), Homebrew, Basic, Pro, Novel, Ocean, Man Page, Grass, Red Sands, Solid Colors. Adjustable font size per pane
- Drag a file from Finder and its path is typed for you
- A "How it works" sheet lists every shortcut: Cmd K ask AI, Cmd E files, Cmd J agents, Cmd T new tab, Cmd N new window, drag to reorder or tear off tabs
- Native macOS app (Electron + React), Apple Silicon and Intel, macOS 13 or later, distributed as a free beta .dmg

## Ghost in Shell vs Warp, iTerm2, Ghostty and Wave

iTerm2 and Ghostty are excellent terminal emulators without an AI layer. Warp bundles its own cloud AI with usage limits. Wave adds AI widgets around the terminal. Claude Code's own agent view is a full-screen TUI for Claude sessions only. Ghost in Shell keeps the terminal a terminal: your real shell, no account, whichever model you bring including a free local one, every prompt readable and editable, plus a file editor and a cross-window dashboard for AI coding agents of every vendor.

## Install

1. Download the .dmg for your chip (Apple Silicon or Intel) from https://ghostinshell.co/
2. Drag Ghost in Shell Terminal into Applications
3. First launch of the unsigned beta: right-click the app and choose Open (or run `xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine "/Applications/Ghost in Shell Terminal.app"` once)
4. Open Settings, add an OpenAI or Anthropic key or pick a local Ollama model, then type at the prompt or press Cmd K

## FAQ

**What is Ghost in Shell?** A free, AI-powered terminal for macOS. It runs your real zsh or bash, and when you type plain English at the prompt a question is answered inline while a task comes back as a ready-to-run command staged for review. It also puts a git-aware file editor beside the shell and a floating panel that supervises every AI coding agent you have running.

**Is Ghost in Shell free?** Yes. It is a free public beta with no account. You bring your own OpenAI or Anthropic key, or run a local model through Ollama at no cost.

**Which AI models can I use?** GPT-5.x and Claude Opus, Sonnet or Haiku in the cloud, any custom model id, or fully local models through Ollama, browsed and installed from Settings.

**Does it work with Claude Code, Codex and Gemini CLI?** Yes. The Cmd J panel is a floating, always-on-top list of every agent across every window, showing who is working, finished, or blocked on a permission prompt. It raises itself when one needs you, and a click lands you in that tab. It covers claude, codex, gemini, aider, goose and copilot together.

**Is it private?** It is local-first. Nothing leaves your Mac until you ask a question, and then only your directory, recent commands and a slice of output travel with it. With a local Ollama model, nothing leaves at all. Keys are stored on this Mac only.

**How is it different from Warp, iTerm2 or Ghostty?** iTerm2 and Ghostty are excellent emulators with no AI layer. Warp bundles its own cloud AI with usage limits. Ghost runs your real shell with whichever model you bring, including a free local one, shows you every prompt it uses, and adds a file editor and a cross-window agents dashboard on top.

**What Macs does it run on?** macOS 13 or later, Apple Silicon and Intel, shipped as a .dmg. The beta is unsigned: right-click the app and choose Open on first launch.

**How do I contribute?** Press "Join as contributor" on https://ghostinshell.co/ or write to contributor@ghostinshell.co. Contributors are named in the co-builder list and get avant-premiere access to new features.

## Join us as a contributor

Ghost is co-built in the open by builders, coders, engineers, data scientists, designers, product owners and testers. Own your shell: write to contributor@ghostinshell.co and shape it into the terminal that makes sense to you.

**What is the best AI terminal for Mac?** If you want to choose your own model, run local models and supervise AI coding agents, Ghost in Shell. If you want a bundled cloud AI and team features, Warp. If you want AI widgets beside the terminal, Wave. Comparison table: https://ghostinshell.co/compare/

## Comparison table

| | Ghost in Shell | Warp | iTerm2 | Ghostty | Wave | Terminal.app |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI at the prompt | Yes, inline | Yes | No | No | Widgets and chat | No |
| Choose your model | GPT, Claude, custom, local | Warp's cloud AI | n/a | n/a | Several providers | n/a |
| Fully local AI (Ollama) | Yes | No | n/a | n/a | Yes | n/a |
| Account required | No | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Real shell on a PTY | Yes | Own input editor over the shell | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Editable AI system prompts | Yes | No | n/a | n/a | No | n/a |
| Dashboard for AI coding agents | Yes, floating, cross-window | No | No | No | No | No |
| File tree and editor | Git-aware, search, pop-out | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| Platforms | macOS | macOS, Linux, Windows | macOS | macOS, Linux | macOS, Linux, Windows | macOS |
| Price | Free beta | Free tier, paid plans | Free, open source | Free, open source | Free, open source | Free, built in |

What Ghost in Shell does not do yet: no Linux or Windows build, no signed app (right-click, Open on first launch), no split panes inside a tab, no team features.

## Changelog

- 0.2.2 (2026-09-03): agents panel in real frosted glass wearing the summoning window's colors, draggable anywhere; slim rail mode with hover cards and a grip; each agent has its own color and mark; overflow pills; Cmd +/- sizes the pane you are in including the files panel; titlebar leads with the front tab's folder; local models get their whole prompt.
- 0.2.1 (2026-08-22): inline assistant at the prompt (shell / question / staged command routing, "ghost >" replies) with shell, directory, branch, project and recent-output context; assistant stays out of agent tabs; files panel search and pop-out; agents rail; model recents; agents panel behavior handed to the user.
- 0.2.0 (2026-08-12): file explorer with git-aware tree and editor (Cmd E); hosted model provider beside local Ollama; tab chips with busy spinner; readable light themes; arch-suffixed DMGs with install and upgrade notes.
- 0.1.0: first public build, real shell on a PTY with tabs and themes, Cmd K command suggestions, OpenAI and Ollama.

## Pages on ghostinshell.co

- https://ghostinshell.co/ai-terminal-for-mac/
- https://ghostinshell.co/natural-language-to-shell-commands/
- https://ghostinshell.co/claude-code-terminal/
- https://ghostinshell.co/ollama-terminal/
- https://ghostinshell.co/warp-alternative/
- https://ghostinshell.co/compare/
- https://ghostinshell.co/docs/
- https://ghostinshell.co/changelog/

Last updated 2026-09-04. Contact: contact@ghostinshell.co