How it compares
claude-code-ui is one of several ways to use Claude Code outside a plain terminal. This page says what sets it apart, so you can pick the right one. Details of other projects are taken from their own pages; check them for the current state.
In one sentence
claude-code-ui is a local daemon plus a web app: Claude Code runs on your own computer, and you watch and steer many sessions from any browser, including your phone, with no cloud service in between.
Compared with the Claude Code CLI
The CLI and claude-code-ui run the same Claude Code and share the same history in ~/.claude, so you can switch between them per session.
claude CLI | claude-code-ui | |
|---|---|---|
| Where you use it | One terminal per session | Any browser, many sessions in tabs |
| From a phone | Needs SSH and a terminal app | Built in (--tailscale), installs as an app, push notifications |
| Sessions after you close the window | End with the terminal | Keep running in the daemon |
| Waiting requests across sessions | Check each terminal | One Focus page |
| Files, diffs, git graph | Separate tools | Panels next to the chat |
| Install | npm i -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code | npx claude-code-ui (uses your logged-in Claude Code) |
Compared with Anthropic's own apps
Anthropic ships Claude Code as a CLI, IDE extensions, a desktop app and Claude Code on the web. Claude Code on the web runs sessions in Anthropic's cloud. claude-code-ui instead runs every session on your own machine, against your local files, tools and credentials, and only you can reach it. It is an unofficial community project.
Compared with other community UIs
| Project | What it is | License | Package / command |
|---|---|---|---|
| claude-code-ui (this one) | Local daemon + web app; many sessions, phone, worktrees, orchestration, WSL and Docker sides | MIT | npm claude-code-ui, command claude-ui |
CloudCLI (also called "Claude Code UI", repo claudecodeui) | Web and mobile UI for Claude Code and other coding CLIs (OpenCode, Cursor CLI, Codex) | AGPL-3.0 | see its README |
| opcode (formerly Claudia) | Desktop GUI app and toolkit for Claude Code | AGPL-3.0 | desktop app |
| claude-code-webui | Web chat interface for the Claude CLI | MIT | see its README |
The names are close. If you read about "Claude Code UI" elsewhere, check the repository: this project is cuonghuunguyen/claude-code-ui.
Pick claude-code-ui when
- You run several Claude Code sessions at once and want one place that shows which one needs you.
- You want to answer Claude from your phone while the work runs on your computer.
- Your code and credentials must stay on your machine: no account, no relay, no telemetry.
- You work on Windows with WSL or in Docker containers and want one UI for all of them.
- You want Claude Code's own behavior (permission prompts, modes, slash commands, skills,
/rewind) rather than a different agent.
Ready? Install & first run takes a minute. More answers: FAQ.