#7979th of 87 in Coding agents and assistants

grok-cli

Terminal coding agent for the xAI Grok API with sub-agents and Telegram control

Stars: 3.5k
License: MIT
Last commit: May 2026
Last release: May 2026
Language: TypeScript

Missed the latest GitHub check; these facts may be older.

Overview

grok-cli is a TypeScript terminal coding agent built on Bun and OpenTUI that talks to xAI's Grok API. It runs interactively or headless (`--prompt`, optional `--format json` event stream, xAI Batch API), with X and web search tools, sub-agents, MCP servers, skills, hooks and saved sessions. It can also be driven from Telegram, and run shell commands in a Shuru microVM sandbox on Apple Silicon.

Who it is for: Developers who want a Grok-powered terminal coding agent for local use and CI

Strengths

Headless mode with newline-delimited JSON events and Batch API option suits CI and scripts
Supports MCP servers, Agent Skills, AGENTS.md and lifecycle hooks (17 events, exit code 2 blocks)
Custom sub-agents defined in user-settings.json alongside built-in explore, general, computer and verify
Telegram remote control with voice-note transcription through the Grok speech-to-text endpoint

Weaknesses

Tied to the xAI Grok API and requires a Grok API key; no other providers documented
Sandbox mode needs macOS 14+ on Apple Silicon; unavailable on Intel Mac or Linux
Computer sub-agent targets macOS only and needs Accessibility permission
Community project, not affiliated with xAI; interactive UI documented for four terminal emulators

What it needs

no GPU
Needs Grok API key (xAI), Bun, Telegram bot token (optional), Shuru (optional sandbox), agent-desktop (optional, macOS)
Models: grok-4.3, grok-4.20-non-reasoning, grok-4.20-multi-agent-0309

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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: Not checked
Top contributor: Not checked
Security advisories: Not checked
Package advisories: Not checked
OpenSSF Scorecard: Not checked

Not read for this project yet: each refresh reads the facts of a few projects. 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)

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

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