Duckweed
Source-available terminal workspace for Windows, macOS and Linux that runs shells and coding agents in panes.
Duckweed is a desktop terminal workspace for Windows, macOS and Linux that keeps real shells, coding-agent CLIs, Git diffs, tabs and panes in one window, with its own interface for agents such as Claude Code and Codex. It is free under the Duckweed Source-Available License 1.0, which bars selling it and is not open source.
About Duckweed
Every pane runs a real PTY-backed shell, ConPTY on Windows and openpty on Linux and macOS, and panes can be split, resized, swapped, dragged or zoomed without killing the process. Launching Claude Code, Codex, Cursor Agent, Grok or OpenCode in a pane can replace the terminal UI with Duckweed's own timeline of conversation, tool calls, plans, permissions and diffs, and several of these can run side by side. The uncommitted Git diff opens from the status bar or with Ctrl+Shift+G.
A dock opened with Ctrl+Shift+X holds a file browser, saved pane layouts of up to 16 panes, reusable prompts, a per-tab checklist, session statistics, a Ports tool that can share a local server through a temporary public HTTPS link, and a power watch that sleeps or shuts down the computer once every pane has stayed idle. Settings → Usage compares token use and estimated cost over the last 7, 14, 30 or 90 days, read from the session files the agent CLIs already keep.
Official releases include a per-user Windows x64 installer, a universal macOS DMG for Intel and Apple Silicon, and Linux x64 AppImage and Debian/Ubuntu deb packages, all with in-app updates. Stable and beta builds follow separate update channels. An optional Android companion receives encrypted agent-completion notifications, shows completed responses and prompt templates, and can send a follow-up back to an open terminal; it pairs with the desktop through a QR code.
Duckweed runs the shells and CLIs already installed on your computer; it does not install coding agents, create provider accounts or provide API credentials. Projects, layouts, settings, agent sessions and usage indexes stay on your computer, and it does not upload repository contents or agent transcripts. It is built with React and TypeScript on Rust through Tauri 2, and can be built from source with Bun and Rust.
Sources: github.com/MusicMaster4/Duckweed, /MusicMaster4/Duckweed/blob/main/docs/releases.md, /MusicMaster4/Duckweed/blob/main/docs/quickstart.md, /MusicMaster4/Duckweed/blob/main/docs/mobile-notifications.md, /MusicMaster4/Duckweed/releases/tag/v1.0.34 and /MusicMaster4/Duckweed/releases/expanded_assets/v1.0.34, read 2026-10-27
Duckweed pros and cons
Pros
- There is no Duckweed account to create, no cloud workspace to set up and nothing to sync before the first command.
- Several coding agents can work at once in separate panes of one window, mixed with regular shells in any layout.
- The Windows installer is per-user and does not ask for administrator access, and the built-in updater verifies every update with the project's update signature.
- The usage scanner reads transcripts the agent tools already store on your machine and does not upload their contents.
Cons
- The licence is source-available, not an open-source licence as defined by the Open Source Initiative: selling Duckweed, charging for access to it or offering it as a paid service is not permitted.
- The Windows installer is not yet code-signed, so SmartScreen may warn on first install, and until notarization is set up, macOS Gatekeeper may require right-clicking Duckweed and choosing Open on first launch.
- Duckweed does not provide agent accounts, subscriptions or API credentials, so each CLI has to be installed and signed in first and work in a regular terminal.
- Anyone who has a public link from the Ports tool can reach that development server, and the README says public links are for development and testing, not production.
Tagged
- Self-hostable
- CLI
- Git Integration
- Terminal Execution
- Open Source
Duckweed alternatives
The closest alternatives to Duckweed.
- 01Freemium →Munder Difflin
Open-source desktop app that runs Claude Code, Codex and ten more terminal agents as one office of AI clones.
- 02→Airuncode
Run multiple local coding agents on your machine
- 03Freemium →Conan
Native macOS app that runs Claude Code in its own terminal beside a live HUD of tool calls, skills and tokens.
Related reading
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</a>Frequently asked questions
- What is Duckweed?
- Duckweed is a source-available terminal workspace for Windows, macOS and Linux that runs shells and coding agents in panes.
- Is Duckweed free?
- Duckweed is free to use. There is no paid tier as of the last index update.
- What platforms does Duckweed support?
- Duckweed's own site lists it for Windows, macOS and Linux.
- What are the alternatives to Duckweed?
- The closest alternatives to Duckweed are Munder Difflin, Airuncode, Conan.
- What are the downsides of Duckweed?
- The licence is source-available, not an open-source licence as defined by the Open Source Initiative: selling Duckweed, charging for access to it or offering it as a paid service is not permitted. The Windows installer is not yet code-signed, so SmartScreen may warn on first install, and until notarization is set up, macOS Gatekeeper may require right-clicking Duckweed and choosing Open on first launch. Duckweed does not provide agent accounts, subscriptions or API credentials, so each CLI has to be installed and signed in first and work in a regular terminal. Anyone who has a public link from the Ports tool can reach that development server, and the README says public links are for development and testing, not production.
- Is Duckweed open source?
- No. Its README says Duckweed is source-available under the Duckweed Source-Available License 1.0, which is not an open-source license as defined by the Open Source Initiative. You may use, study, modify, fork and share the source for free, but selling Duckweed or offering it as a paid service is not permitted.
- How do I install Duckweed?
- Download the latest stable release from GitHub: a per-user .exe installer for Windows x64, a universal .dmg for macOS on Intel and Apple Silicon, or an .AppImage or .deb for Linux x64. Make the AppImage executable before its first launch. Later updates install from inside the app.
- Which coding agents does it support?
- Custom interfaces currently cover Claude Code and compatible Claudex launches, Codex CLI, Cursor Agent, Grok CLI and OpenCode. Usage tracking also reads local sessions from Gemini CLI, Factory Droid, Kilo Code, Kimi CLI, Antigravity CLI and Pi Coding Agent. Install and sign in to each CLI first; Duckweed runs the copies already on your computer.
- Is there a mobile app?
- There is an Android companion app, shipped as an APK with the GitHub releases. It receives encrypted notifications when an agent finishes or needs attention, keeps completed responses and prompt templates, and can send a follow-up back to an open terminal. It pairs through a QR code, and no Duckweed account is required.
- Does Duckweed upload my code?
- The README says projects, layouts, settings, agent sessions and usage indexes stay on your computer and that Duckweed does not upload repository contents or agent transcripts. The agent CLIs may still contact their own services, and mobile notifications pass through a Cloudflare relay that receives only encrypted data.