#3838th of 87 in Coding agents and assistants

chat-on-steroids

Desktop app that lets ChatGPT edit local files and run terminals via MCP

Documentation ↗ Repository on GitHub ↗

Stars: 4.8k
License: MIT
Last commit: Oct 2026
Last release: Oct 2026
Language: TypeScript

Stars, last 8 weeks+4,767

9 on 19 Aug 20264,776 on 14 Oct 2026

From GitHub's daily star counts.

Checked 15 Oct 2026 on GitHub.

Overview

Desktop app (Windows, macOS Apple silicon, Linux) that connects a ChatGPT conversation to local files, shell and desktop tools through a custom MCP server and a browser extension for Chrome, Edge or Brave. It adds worker sub-agents, Goal and Loop modes for long tasks, and Compact & Resume to carry history into a new chat. It drives the ChatGPT web UI rather than calling Codex or a public API.

Who it is for: ChatGPT subscribers wanting Codex-style local coding without a separate API

Strengths

Reuses an existing ChatGPT plan; no separate model API billing described
Workers keep context between tasks and run independent jobs in parallel
Prebuilt installers for Windows x64, macOS arm64 and Linux x64 (DEB)
MIT licensed, UI available in 12 languages

Weaknesses

Automates the ChatGPT browser UI, which is not a public API; account restrictions possible
Windows and macOS builds are unsigned; macOS prompts for a password after each update
Setup requires a tunnel, restricted OpenAI API key and custom MCP app in ChatGPT
Locked to ChatGPT; needs a plan that supports custom MCP apps

What it needs

no GPU
Needs ChatGPT account with custom MCP app support, Chrome 125+, Edge or Brave, OpenAI tunnel and restricted API key, Linux Secret Service keyring
Models: ChatGPT models (account-dependent)

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How to choose

Check which models it can use: your own keys, local models, or only the vendor's.
See what it may do without asking (edit files, run shell, push) and how you approve.
Prefer agents that work in a branch or worktree you can throw away.

Health

Releases: 38 in the last 12 monthsLast one today
Top contributor: 55% of commits768 of 1,394 in the last 12 months
Security advisories: NoneOn GitHub, in the last 12 months
OpenSSF Scorecard: Not checked

Read from GitHub, deps.dev and OpenSSF on 15 Oct 2026. Bots and coding-agent accounts are left out of the commit counts. Not part of the score: how we check.

License in plain words

MIT Permissive

Use it at work: Yes
Change it and rebrand it: Yes
Sell it or host it for others: Yes

Your part: Keep the copyright and license notice in copies you ship.

A plain summary, not legal advice. Read the license on GitHub ↗ (opens in a new tab)

#38 of 87 in Coding agents and assistants on Archestack, as of 15 Oct 2026.

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Best of Vibe Coding on GitHub

Each review comes from the project's README and facts we check on GitHub. The fix form opens with chat-on-steroids filled in.