CodePilot provides a native desktop GUI for interacting with Claude Code, offering a visual alternative to terminal-based workflows for chatting, coding, and project management. It targets developers and power users seeking an enhanced, project-aware, and controllable AI coding assistant experience, streamlining complex interactions through a polished interface.

How It Works

This application is built using Electron for its desktop shell and Next.js (App Router) for its web application framework, integrating seamlessly with the Claude Agent SDK. It leverages SQLite for local persistence of chat sessions and conversation history. Core features include real-time streaming of Claude's responses with full Markdown rendering and syntax-highlighted code blocks, alongside project context provided by a live file tree and file previews. This architecture combines native desktop performance with modern web development practices for a rich, interactive, and persistent user experience.

Quick Start & Requirements

Pre-built releases are available on the project's Releases page. Alternatively, clone the repository, install dependencies using npm install, and run in development mode with npm run dev (browser) or npm run electron:dev (full Electron app).

• Prerequisites: Node.js (18+), npm (9+), Claude Code CLI (installed and authenticated via claude login).
• Supported Platforms: macOS (Universal binary), Windows (x64). Linux builds are planned.

Highlighted Details

• Conversational coding with real-time, Markdown-rendered responses and tool-call visualization.
• Project-aware context via a live file tree and previews linked to a chosen working directory.
• Granular permission controls for tool use, with configurable approval modes.
• Multiple interaction modes (Code, Plan, Ask) to tailor Claude's behavior.
• In-conversation model selection between Claude Opus, Sonnet, and Haiku.
• Custom skills definable as global or per-project slash commands.
• Token usage tracking and estimated cost display per response.

Maintenance & Community

Contributions are welcomed. Specific community channels (e.g., Discord, Slack) or roadmap links are not detailed in the provided README.

Licensing & Compatibility

The project is licensed under the MIT license, which generally permits commercial use and integration with closed-source projects.

Limitations & Caveats

CodePilot is not yet code-signed, necessitating manual security overrides on initial launch across supported operating systems. Linux support is planned but not yet implemented. The application requires the Claude Code CLI to be installed and authenticated separately.