SeaShell
SeaShell: A model-agnostic terminal agent with plans, permissions, diffs, and local-model support. Ranked #72 of 103 in AI Coding Assistants by our editors (3.0/10); pricing: Free plan; best for terminal-first teams using local models.
At a glance
- Editor score3.0 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forTerminal-first teams using local models
- Free planYes
- Coding agentYes
- Facts checked22 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Plan-before-edit workflow with reviewable diffs
- Bring hosted, local, self-hosted, or open-source models
- Permission controls, MCP, agents, and Git snapshots
Where it doesn't
- Core includes community support rather than priority support
- Pro updates are included for 12 months
- Its workflow is centered on terminal-native development
Our verdict on SeaShell
SeaShell is a model-agnostic AI coding agent that runs in the terminal and on the developer’s machine. It is designed for solo developers, private engineering teams, and larger organizations that want control over model routing, code, tools, and deployment boundaries. Its core workflow reads repositories, proposes plans, applies reviewable diffs, and runs tools behind permission controls. SeaShell supports Windows, macOS, and Linux, with both terminal-native TUI and CLI workflows.
The product’s main strength is flexibility around models and execution. Users can bring hosted, local, self-hosted, or open-source models, including connections through Ollama, LM Studio, and OpenRouter. Local embeddings provide codebase context, while MCP server connections extend the tool environment. Multi-agent workflows, reusable agents, Git-aware sessions, and change snapshots add structure for larger coding tasks. The Core plan includes local execution with model keys, terminal workflows, plans, diffs, permissions, plugins, MCP servers, local models, and ongoing Core updates. Pro adds multi-agent and background workflows, full project memory and indexing, and multi-repository orchestration.
Teams and enterprises get governance features beyond individual development. Team adds central model and permission policies, SSO, roles, audit, seat management, shared configuration, release channels, continuous updates, and priority support. Enterprise adds SAML, SCIM, policy-as-code, air-gapped deployment, release mirrors, audit export, customer-managed keys, onboarding, SLA, and named support. SeaShell fits teams that prioritize terminal workflows, model choice, and deployment control. Developers seeking a conventional IDE-centered assistant or a simpler chat-only tool should consider alternatives, while organizations needing governed local or self-hosted model workflows have a more relevant use case here.
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SeaShell pricing
All 6 SeaShell plans and prices →
SeaShell fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Not verified |
| Code completion | Not verified |
| Chat assistance | Yes |
| Coding agent | Yes |
| Supported IDEs | Not verified |
| Codebase indexing | Yes |
| Terminal access | Yes |
| Deployment | Cloud, Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Compliance & security | SSO/SAML |
| Support | Email, Community, Docs |
| Built for | Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 4 integrations: Ollama, LM Studio, OpenRouter, Model Context Protocol See all → |
| Pricing | Free plan (source) |
| Website | seashell.sh |
| Facts checked | 22 Sep 2026 |
SeaShell integrations
SeaShell lists 4 integrations on its own site.
- Ollama
- LM Studio
- OpenRouter
- Model Context Protocol
See all SeaShell integrations →
Alternatives to SeaShell
- GitHub CopilotA broad coding assistant with a free entry point and agent workflows.9.3
- Claude CodeA strong fit for multi-step coding work across codebases, tools, and pull requests.9.2
- DevinA broad autonomous coding workspace with usage-based plan differences.9.1
See all SeaShell alternatives →
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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