CLI vs Desktop App

The Command Code CLI and the Command Code Desktop App run the same agent. Both apps read the same settings, save chats to the same folder, and load the same skills, MCP servers, Taste, and custom commands. The CLI runs in your terminal. Desktop adds Changes, Files, Terminal, Plan, and Browser views next to the chat.

You can use both apps on the same project. An interactive chat started in one app appears in the other.

Note

Command Code Desktop is in beta. Some CLI features aren't in Desktop yet.

Which one to use

Use the CLI to work in your own terminal, script runs with headless mode, start sessions with flags such as --worktree, or connect your own model providers.

Use Desktop to review diffs and plans next to the chat, preview a local app with Design mode, or commit and push from the app.

Shared files

Desktop includes the Command Code agent, so you don't need to install the CLI to use it. Both apps read and write these files:

Item	Location
Sign-in	`~/.commandcode/auth.json`
Settings	`~/.commandcode` and `<project>/.commandcode`
Chats	`~/.commandcode/projects`
MCP servers	`~/.commandcode/mcp.json` and `<project>/.mcp.json`
Taste	`~/.commandcode/taste` and `<project>/.commandcode/taste`
Skills	`~/.commandcode/skills` and `<project>/.commandcode/skills`
Custom commands	`~/.commandcode/commands` and `<project>/.commandcode/commands`
Mods	`~/.commandcode/mods` and `<project>/.commandcode/mods`
Worktrees	`~/.commandcode/worktrees`

Keybindings aren't shared. The CLI reads ~/.commandcode/keybindings.json, and Desktop uses Settings > Shortcuts. Desktop keeps window layout and other app state in its own app data folder.

Feature comparison

Feature	CLI	Desktop	Desktop notes
Model and reasoning effort	Yes	Yes	Model picker or Settings > Agent
Permission modes	Yes	Yes	See Permission modes
Queued follow-up messages	Yes	Yes	Delivered to the agent while it works
Plans	Yes	Yes	Plan view
Fork a chat	Yes	Yes	`/fork`
Rewind to a checkpoint	Yes	Yes	`/rewind` opens a list of checkpoints
Resume past chats	Yes	Yes	History in the sidebar
Subagents	Yes	Yes	Each subagent shows an activity card
Background tasks	Yes	Partial	Shown in the chat, but you can't stop them
Scheduled tasks	Yes	No	Use the CLI
Skills	Yes	Yes	Settings > Skills
MCP servers	Yes	Yes	Settings > MCP for user-level servers
Taste	Yes	Yes	Settings > Taste
Custom commands and mods	Yes	Yes	Asks before it runs a project's mods
Hooks	Yes	Yes	Hook output shows in the chat
Git worktrees	Yes	Partial	Create isolated worktree in the chat menu
`/design`	Yes	Yes	Design mode is in the Browser view
`/goal`	Yes	Yes	Goal status shows in the chat
IDE context	Yes	Yes	Settings > Agent
Remote control	Yes	Yes	`/rc` or Settings > Remote control
Headless mode	Yes	No	Use `cmd -p`
Providers and BYOK	Yes	No	Set up BYOK providers in the CLI
Share a chat	Yes	No	Use `/share` in the CLI
Git changes and diffs	No	Yes	Changes view
Commit and push	No	Yes	Ship menu
File browser and editor	No	Yes	Files view
Local browser preview	No	Yes	Browser view
OS notifications	No	Yes	When a chat needs input or a run finishes
Custom keybindings	Yes	Yes	Settings > Shortcuts

Slash commands

Type / in either app to open the command menu. The Slash Commands reference describes each command.

Available in both

/clear        /new          /compact      /context      /design
/feedback     /fork         /goal         /help         /mcp
/mode         /model        /plan         /plans        /plan-review
/pr-comments  /rc           /rename       /review       /rewind
/skills       /taste        /todos        /usage

Custom commands, mod commands, and skill commands also work in both apps. In Desktop, /help opens the command palette, /mcp, /skills, and /taste open their page in Settings, and /usage opens the same page as Settings > Usage.

Replaced by Desktop controls

These CLI commands aren't in the Desktop command menu. Use the Desktop control in the second column instead.

CLI command	Desktop control
`/resume`, `/sessions`	History in the sidebar
`/effort`	Model picker or Settings > Agent
`/theme`	Settings > Appearance
`/config`	Settings > Advanced
`/compact-mode`	Settings > Agent
`/hotkeys`	Settings > Shortcuts
`/learn-taste`	Settings > Taste
`/worktree`	Create isolated worktree in the chat menu
`/update`, `/changelog`	Automatic updates, applied when you restart
`/exit`, `/quit`	Close the window

CLI only

These commands aren't in Desktop yet. Run them from the CLI in the same project folder.

/add-dir      /agents       /clone        /connect      /copy
/export       /ide          /import       /init         /learn
/login        /logout       /memory       /name         /reload
/session-file /share        /status       /terminal-setup
/trace        /tree         /unshare      /upgrade      /extra

Permission modes

Both apps use the same permission modes. Desktop gives them different names.

CLI	Desktop	Behavior
`default`	Ask for approval	Asks before edits and commands
`accept-edits`	Auto-accept edits	Applies edits, asks before risky commands
`plan`	Plan mode	Plans without changing files
`yolo`	Full access	Runs edits and commands without asking
`dont-ask`	Not available	Runs only pre-approved calls, denies others

In Desktop, Shift+Tab cycles the first three modes. To switch to Full access, choose it from the mode menu in the composer or type /mode full-access, then confirm. Desktop rejects /mode yolo and /mode bypass.

See Permissions for rules and how Command Code decides each tool call.

CLI-only features

cmd -p runs a prompt without the interactive UI and prints text or JSON for scripts and CI. See Headless mode.
Start-up flags such as --resume, --continue, --worktree, --model, --permission-mode, --add-dir, and --skill set up a session before it starts. See the CLI reference.
Subcommands such as cmd config, cmd mcp, cmd taste, cmd skills, cmd mods, cmd login, and cmd update manage Command Code without opening a chat.
/connect and cmd login add other model providers and BYOK keys. See BYOK Providers.
Ctrl+G opens the prompt in your external editor, and Ctrl+B opens the background tasks panel.

Desktop-only features

The Changes, Files, Terminal, Plan, and Browser views open next to the chat. See Workbench.
The Ship menu commits, commits and pushes, or pushes the project's changes.
Design mode sends an element you select in a local preview to the chat. See Browser and design mode.
Desktop shows an OS notification when a chat needs input or a run finishes, and plays a sound when a chat needs input.
Cmd+K on macOS or Ctrl+K on Windows and Linux opens the command palette to find commands and files.
Open in new window in the chat menu opens a chat in a separate window.

Continue a chat in the other app

Desktop calls a conversation a chat, and the CLI calls it a session. Both are the same transcript file in ~/.commandcode/projects, so you can continue one in either app.

To continue a CLI chat in Desktop, open the project in Desktop and select the chat under History in the sidebar.
To continue a Desktop chat in the CLI, run cmd --resume in the project folder and select the chat. cmd --continue opens the most recent chat.

Desktop doesn't list headless cmd -p runs in History.

Next steps

Read the Desktop App guide.
Browse the CLI reference and Slash Commands reference.
Report a missing Desktop feature on GitHub.