Mel – the agentic terminal
The AI terminal for teams.
Learn · AI command line
What is an AI command line?
Updated
An AI command line is a command line with an AI model behind the prompt: you type a request in plain English, and it answers, writes the command, or runs the steps itself. It comes in two forms, a CLI tool you start inside your terminal, or a terminal app with AI built in.
Mel – the agentic terminal is the second form: a terminal app with AI agents built in, which also runs the AI CLI tools you already use. The command line is where builds, tests, git and deploys happen, so it is a natural home for AI that does work rather than only chat about it.
The two forms
An AI CLI tool. A program you install and start by name, such as claude, codex or gemini. It runs inside whatever terminal you use, works in the folder you started it in, and talks to its maker's models. While it runs, it owns that terminal session.
A terminal app with AI built in. The whole terminal is AI-aware. Your normal shell runs in it, and agents work beside it in the same window, in tabs and panes. CLI tools still run inside it like any program.
What an AI command line can do
- Answer: explain a command, a flag or an error.
- Write: turn a sentence into a command for you to run.
- Act: run commands, edit files and run tests until a task is done.
- Coordinate: in the built-in form, run several agents and show which one needs you.
AI command line tools in 2026
- Claude Code (Anthropic), Codex CLI (OpenAI), Gemini CLI (Google) and GitHub Copilot CLI (GitHub): coding agents from the big model companies.
- OpenCode and Aider: open source coding agents that work with many models.
- ShellGPT: a small tool for sentence-to-command and quick answers.
Each of these runs inside Mel's terminal, and Mel recognises Claude Code, Codex CLI, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot CLI and OpenCode and shows them as live sessions.
How Mel does it
- Your shell first. Normal commands run as they always did, in command blocks.
- Agents built in. Describe a task and a team of agents plans, builds, tests and ships it, under configurable approvals.
- One input for both. In an agent conversation, a line that is a terminal command runs in the shell, and
!forces it. - Model choice: Claude, GPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, Qwen and more.
- Free with your own API key on Mac, Windows and Linux, plus a VS Code extension.
How the forms compare
| AI CLI tool in a terminal | Terminal app with AI built in (Mel) | |
|---|---|---|
| Install | One program per tool | One app |
| Normal shell while the AI works | Another tab or window | The same window |
| Several agents at once | One per session | Tabs, panes and a team of agents |
| See which agent needs you | Check each session | Sidebar, inbox and Runs screen |
| Models | Usually the maker's | Claude, GPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, Qwen and more |
| Runs the other form | n/a | Yes, CLI tools run inside Mel |
FAQ
What is an AI command line? A command line with an AI model behind the prompt, as a CLI tool you run in your terminal or as a terminal app with AI built in.
What is the best AI command line tool? For one company's models, that company's CLI agent. For several agents, model choice and a normal shell in one window, a terminal with AI built in such as Mel.
Is Mel a CLI tool? No. Mel is a desktop terminal app with AI agents built in. AI CLI tools run inside it.
Can I use Claude Code inside Mel? Yes. Type claude in a Mel pane. You need Claude Code installed and signed in.
Claude Code, Codex CLI, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot, OpenCode, Aider and ShellGPT are trademarks of their owners. Mel is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of them or their makers.
Mel – the agentic terminal · openmel.dev. A multi-agent, multi-model AI terminal for Mac, Windows, Linux and VS Code. Free with your own API key.