Termly Cli is live · free · last verified 8 Nov 2026 · viability monitor
Termly Cli
A free CLI bridge that mirrors any terminal AI coding assistant to iPhone, iPad, or Android.
Termly does one job and doesn't oversell it: your desktop runs the agent, your phone becomes a remote screen and microphone for it. The encryption posture is unusually explicit for a free tool — AES-256-GCM, Diffie-Hellman, per-session keys, 24-hour deletion — and setup really is an npm install plus a QR scan. It won't help if the desktop is asleep or you need on-device editing. Against a full mobile IDE, it is the lower-friction path to reviewing AI-generated diffs or committing by voice from the couch.
Verdict generatedVerified 6d ago · liveness 58/100 · cite: rightaichoice.com/tools/termly-cli
- Developers running Claude Code or Gemini CLI who want to check in from a phone.
- Reviewing AI-generated diffs and approving commits away from the desk.
- iPad users pairing Magic Keyboard and Pencil for a near-laptop review surface.
- Hands-free voice commands to refactor, commit, or debug while multitasking.
- Developers who need a full mobile IDE with on-device file editing and debugging.
- Teams that require multi-user or shared collaborative sessions.
- Projects that need self-hosted infrastructure with an audit trail they control.
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Skip Termly if you need to edit files and run debugging directly on the phone, or if your desktop can't stay awake and connected while you work remotely.
The product is free, but your phone must be connected over WiFi or cellular during the whole session, so a long mirrored session consumes mobile data if WiFi isn't available.
Termly is free for solo developers and small teams: the vendor states no subscriptions, no ads, and no paywalls, funded by optional coffee donations. That undercuts paid mobile IDEs and paid remote-terminal tools, though those products bundle on-device editing that Termly deliberately does not. For individuals already running a terminal AI assistant, the price is the whole reason to try it.
In short
Termly Cli — A free CLI bridge that mirrors any terminal AI coding assistant to iPhone, iPad, or Android. Best for Developers running Claude Code or Gemini CLI who want to check in from a phone., Reviewing AI-generated diffs and approving commits away from the desk., iPad users pairing Magic Keyboard and Pencil for a near-laptop review surface.. Free to use.
What is Termly Cli?
Termly Cli — A free CLI bridge that mirrors any terminal AI coding assistant to iPhone, iPad, or Android. Best for Developers running Claude Code or Gemini CLI who want to check in from a phone., Reviewing AI-generated diffs and approving commits away from the desk., iPad users pairing Magic Keyboard and Pencil for a near-laptop review surface.. Free to use.
Termly is a free command-line bridge that puts whatever AI coding assistant you run in a terminal onto your phone. Your Mac, Windows, or Linux machine keeps running the agent — Claude Code, Gemini CLI, OpenCode, Qwen Code, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Grok, or OpenAI Codex — and the Termly mobile app mirrors the session to iPhone, iPad, or Android in real time. Setup is three steps: a one-time `npm install -g @termly-dev/cli`, then `termly start` (or `termly start --ai claude-code` to pin an assistant), then scan the QR code the terminal prints. The CLI scans the host for AI tools already installed. The vendor's headline capability is session mirroring — whatever the assistant prints (diffs, plans, tool calls) lands on the handset without a manual sync. Speech-to-code turns voice into real actions like refactor, commit, or debug, which is what makes a phone useful away from a keyboard. On iPad the vendor pitches Magic Keyboard, Apple Pencil, and Split View as a review surface. The security copy is specific: AES-256-GCM encryption with Diffie-Hellman key exchange, fresh keys per session for forward secrecy, relay servers that only forward encrypted bytes, terminal content never logged, and session data deleted after 24 hours. Termly mirrors your existing assistant rather than replacing it — it is a remote screen and microphone for the tool you already trust, not a mobile IDE.
Key features
- Real-time session mirroring from terminal AI assistants to iPhone, iPad, and Android
- Speech-to-code voice input for refactor, commit, and debug commands
- QR-code pairing from terminal to phone, claimed under 60 seconds
- Auto-detects installed AI tools on the host during setup
- Single command start: termly start, or --ai claude-code to pin a tool
- AES-256-GCM end-to-end encryption with Diffie-Hellman key exchange
- Zero-knowledge relay servers that only forward encrypted bytes
- Forward secrecy via new encryption keys generated per session
- Session data automatically deleted after 24 hours; terminal content never logged
- Cross-platform CLI for Mac, Windows, and Linux
- Mobile apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android (iOS 15 or later)
- Mirrors Claude Code, Gemini CLI, OpenCode, and Qwen Code sessions
- Also mirrors GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Grok, and OpenAI Codex sessions
- iPad support with Magic Keyboard, Apple Pencil, and Split View
- Single-package npm install: npm install -g @termly-dev/cli
Behind the verdict
Termly is best understood as a remote control, not a development environment. The CLI runs on your Mac, Windows, or Linux box, discovers installed terminal AI tools (Claude Code, Gemini CLI, OpenCode, Qwen Code, and the vendor also lists GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Grok, and OpenAI Codex), and pairs to the mobile app with a QR code. That pairing is the whole onboarding — the vendor claims under 60 seconds and the three documented commands (install, termly start, scan) match that claim. Where Termly earns its place is continuity. Session mirroring means diffs, plans, and tool calls appear on your phone in real time, so you can review a proposed change or approve work while commuting, and speech-to-code lets you say refactor, commit, or debug instead of typing on glass. The iPad angle — Magic Keyboard, Apple Pencil, Split View — is presented as a near-laptop review surface, and for reading AI output that holds up better than for writing code. The security model is the most specific thing about the product: AES-256-GCM with Diffie-Hellman key exchange, fresh keys per session for forward secrecy, zero-knowledge relay servers that only forward encrypted bytes, terminal content never logged, and session data purged after 24 hours. Those are the claims a security reviewer will actually want, and Termly states them plainly rather than in vague marketing language. Its limits are structural, not fixable by a roadmap. The host machine must stay awake and connected — the docs say so directly, with performance tips telling you to prevent computer sleep and keep the terminal window open. Termly does not supply an AI model or a mobile IDE; it has nothing to mirror until you have already installed and authenticated one of the supported assistants. If your workflow needs on-device editing, multi-user shared sessions, or a self-hosted relay with your own audit trail, this is not that tool. For anyone whose work is already in a terminal AI assistant and who wants a free, end-to-end-encrypted window into it from the phone in their pocket, Termly is the lowest-setup option we've seen.
Models under the hood
as of 2026-11-08
Limitations
- Termly is a mobile mirroring bridge, not a standalone app: your terminal session runs on your Mac, Windows, or Linux machine, and that machine must stay awake and connected for your phone to see the session.
- It works only with AI coding assistants you've already installed and run in a terminal — it doesn't supply its own AI model or mobile IDE.
- Setup requires installing the npm CLI (@termly-dev/cli) and the iOS/Android app, then pairing via QR code.
- Multi-user shared sessions and self-hosted relay infrastructure are not offered.
as of 2026-11-01
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Is Termly Cli still active?
Termly Cli is live · free · last verified 8 Nov 2026 · viability monitor.
Viability score
How well maintained and how widely used is Termly Cli? Built from what the vendor actually publishes (docs, changelog, tutorials, integrations, pricing), whether the site is live, and how much real users discuss it. How we calculate this
Last calculated: November 2026
How we score →What do users say about Termly Cli?
What people actually say about Termly Cli — is it worth it?
We ran a structured research pass across product reviews, community discussions, and post-purchase forum threads to surface the patterns vendors won't publish themselves. Below: the recurring strengths, the hidden costs people mention most, and the cohort that consistently regrets adopting this tool.
ResearchedDiscussed by users across 1 source (GitHub) · researched Nov 9, 2026.
Weighted by the 5 posts each of 1 source contributed.
- +Genuinely free with no paid tier or usage cap mentioned anywhere
- +Three-step setup: npm install, termly start, scan QR code
- +Auto-detects installed AI assistants on the host machine
- +Specific encryption story: AES-256-GCM, Diffie-Hellman, fresh keys per session
- +Mirrors your existing assistant instead of forcing a new mobile IDE
- −Production pairing endpoint broken as of 22 August 2026, per open issue
- −QR codes reportedly expire immediately when the pairing route is missing
- −OpenCode sessions render squished and are hard to select in the app
- −27 open issues on the repo with bugs outnumbering resolved reports
- −Feature requests for more assistants keep piling up unresolved
- • Your own compute keeps running the agent on the host machine
- • Relay dependency means outages cost you time, even though the tool is free
- • No paid support tier exists, so troubleshooting happens on GitHub
How we verified this
Every listed fact about Termly Cli — pricing, features, links, status — is re-read from the vendor's own pages by our verification pipeline and each change is logged with a date; the last pass ran on 8 Nov 2026. Analysis is drafted with AI models and checked against our editorial standards before publishing; see how we verify.
Verification history
We have re-verified Termly Cli 13 times since . Each pass re-reads the vendor's own pages and re-checks every listed field against that evidence; passes where nothing had changed are marked as such.
- — changed limitations, who it suits, who should skip it, switching in, switching out, summary, our verdict, description, setup time, pricing fit, features, hidden costs, integrations, pricing tiers
- — changed SSL certificate, domain expiry
- — changed summary, who should skip it, integrations, description, our verdict, features, pricing tiers
- — changed limitations, models
- — changed use cases, who it suits, description, our verdict, features, hidden costs, limitations, switching in, switching out, who should skip it, pricing fit, setup time, summary
- — changed summary, who it suits, who should skip it, features, pricing tiers, our verdict, description
Showing the 6 most recent of 13 verification passes.
Free to cite with attribution — this page re-verifies continuously.
How much does Termly Cli cost in 2026?
Termly Cli: Free to use. Pricing last verified 8 Nov 2026.
Plans compared
Every published Termly Cli tier, its price as the vendor publishes it, who it fits, and what it adds over the tier below. The 12-month cost projection follows.
| Plan | Price | Billing | Who it's for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | — | Solo developers already running Claude Code, Gemini CLI, OpenCode, or another terminal AI assistant who want to review and approve work from iPhone, iPad, or Android.Adds: Starting tier and only tier: everything is included — session mirroring, speech-to-code, AES-256-GCM encryption, and 24-hour session deletion, at $0. |
12-month cost
Project the real annual outlay, including the implied monthly cost when only an annual tier is published.
Vendor list price only. Add-on usage, seat overages, and contract minimums are surfaced under Hidden costs & gotchas.
Where the pricing makes sense
The company stage and team size where Termly Cli's pricing actually pencils out — and where peers do it cheaper.
Termly is free for solo developers and small teams: the vendor states no subscriptions, no ads, and no paywalls, funded by optional coffee donations. That undercuts paid mobile IDEs and paid remote-terminal tools, though those products bundle on-device editing that Termly deliberately does not. For individuals already running a terminal AI assistant, the price is the whole reason to try it.
Has Termly Cli's pricing changed?
No plan price for Termly Cli has moved since we began logging in Aug 2026; the pricing page is re-read on every verification pass.
Who should pick Termly Cli?
Pick Termly Cli if you are Developers running Claude Code or Gemini CLI who want to check in from a phone., Reviewing AI-generated diffs and approving commits away from the desk., iPad users pairing Magic Keyboard and Pencil for a near-laptop review surface., Hands-free voice commands to refactor, commit, or debug while multitasking..
Look elsewhere if you are Developers who need a full mobile IDE with on-device file editing and debugging., Teams that require multi-user or shared collaborative sessions., Projects that need self-hosted infrastructure with an audit trail they control., Anyone who needs AI assistance with the desktop machine powered off or asleep..
Skip it if Skip Termly if you need to edit files and run debugging directly on the phone, or if your desktop can't stay awake and connected while you work remotely.
GeneratedReal-world workflow fit
Concrete scenarios for the personas Termly Cli actually fits — and what changes day-one when you adopt it.
Leaves a refactor running on the office Mac, opens the Termly app on the phone, scans the QR code from the terminal, and watches diffs arrive in real time.
Outcome: Reviews and approves the change before reaching the office instead of losing an hour of the session.
Uses Split View with Termly on one side and notes on the other, dictating 'debug' and 'commit' through speech-to-code rather than typing on glass.
Outcome: Gets a near-laptop review surface with Apple Pencil for annotations, without carrying a second laptop.
Runs termly start --ai gemini on the desktop, then keeps the phone paired while walking to a meeting and speaks a commit message when the agent finishes.
Outcome: The session keeps moving while they're away from the keyboard.
Use cases
- Review and approve AI-generated code diffs while on your phone during commutes.
- Initiate a refactoring session entirely via voice commands from your mobile device.
- Debug a production issue from your phone by connecting to your desktop's AI assistant.
- Demonstrate a terminal AI workflow to a colleague using only your iPad with Magic Keyboard.
- Run a series of AI-powered code generation tasks without being at your computer.
- Stay in the flow by continuing an AI pair programming session from your phone when stepping away.
- Voice-command a commit from your phone while walking away from your desk.
Setup time & first value
How long it actually takes to get something useful out of Termly Cli — broken out by persona, not the marketing-page minute.
Under 60 seconds per the vendor: one npm install -g @termly-dev/cli, then termly start (or --ai <tool>), then scan the QR code with the mobile app. The CLI auto-detects installed AI tools, so no assistant configuration is needed as long as the tool is already installed and authenticated on the host.
Switching to or from Termly Cli
How to bring data in from common predecessors and how to get it back out — written for the switcher, not the buyer.
- →From a phone-only workflow: install @termly-dev/cli on the machine that already runs your assistant, then pair the app via QR code.
- →From a manual screenshot-and-sync habit: replace it with termly start, which mirrors the live session instead of a stale capture.
- ↗To a full mobile IDE: use Termly only as a review surface until you need on-device editing, then move the editing workflow to the IDE.
- ↗To a self-hosted relay: if policy requires your own infrastructure, Termly's zero-knowledge relay is not replaceable component-by-component.
Integrations
Resources & guides
Tutorials & Learning
YouTube returned 6 videos for “Termly Cli”, and we withheld 5: 5 did not mention Termly Cli. Showing the 1 we can prove is about Termly Cli.
Official links
What are the best Termly Cli alternatives?
The closest alternatives to Termly Cli we list are Crush, Omni and Firebender. Ranked by direct product-type match, not category overlap.
| Alternative | Pricing | Starts at | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crush | Freemium | Pricing not published | — |
| Omni | Free | Free | — |
| Firebender | Freemium | Pricing not published | — |
Alternatives to Termly Cli
View all
Omni
Omni (now Contexere) distils terminal output and folds repeated reads so your AI coding agent burns fewer tokens
Firebender
Firebender is an Android-native AI coding agent that writes Jetpack Compose and tests changes in the emulator.
Tools that pair well with Termly Cli
Common stack mates teams adopt alongside Termly Cli, with the specific reason each pairing earns its keep.
Crush
Crush: agentic coding in your terminal with multi-model switching and LSP context
Omni
Omni (now Contexere) distils terminal output and folds repeated reads so your AI coding agent burns fewer tokens
Firebender
Firebender is an Android-native AI coding agent that writes Jetpack Compose and tests changes in the emulator.
Termly Cli vs its closest rival
Termly Cli's closest head-to-head is with Spider Cloud.
Our Termly Cli vs Spider Cloud verdict written Jul 3, 2026 is more than 90 days old, so it is being re-reviewed against current data and is not shown.
Frequently asked questions
Categories
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For makers of Termly Cli
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