Crush
Charm's terminal coding agent with a polished TUI, LSP-aware context, MCP and the freedom to switch models mid-session.
- Free plan
- Agentic tool
- Mixed sources
- Verified 13 Nov 2026Sources are dated on this profile
- 5 sourcesLinked, typed and dated
- Vendor and third-party sourcesHow this profile was compiled
- Not an endorsementStack18 has not tested this product
What is Crush?
Crush is a terminal-based AI coding agent from Charm, the team behind Bubble Tea and Glow. Written in Go, it connects to many LLM providers, uses language servers for code context, supports MCP and Agent Skills, and organises work into per-project sessions.
- Best forTerminal-first developers who value a polished TUI
- PricingFree; you pay only your model provider. Free plan available.
- Main limitationLicence is source-available (FSL), not OSI open source.
- AlternativesOpenCode · Aider · Claude Code · compare all
Crush overview: who it is for and what it does.
Crush launched in July 2025 and quickly gathered tens of thousands of GitHub stars. It runs as a full-screen terminal interface, lets developers switch models mid-conversation while keeping context, and uses LSPs such as gopls or the TypeScript language server for richer code understanding.
Crush is free to use; you pay only your model provider. Its licence is FSL-1.1-MIT, a source-available licence that converts each release to MIT over time, which matters for teams with strict open-source-only policies.
Main problem it solves
Gives terminal users a polished, provider-neutral coding agent with real code intelligence from language servers.
Typical customer segment
Individual developers and small teams.
Target users
- Terminal-first developers
- Developers who switch between model providers
- Go and TypeScript developers using LSPs
Primary use cases
- Terminal coding with LSP context
- Switching models mid-session
- MCP tool use
- Per-project sessions
What makes it distinct
- Polished TUI from the makers of Bubble Tea.
- LSP-grounded context.
- Runs on macOS, Linux, Windows and BSDs.
Crush features explained.
Agent
- LSP context
- Uses language servers for diagnostics and code intelligence.
- Sessions
- Multiple sessions and contexts per project.
Extensibility
- MCP
- HTTP, stdio and SSE MCP transports.
- Agent Skills
- Reusable skill packages using the Agent Skills standard.
Crush pricing and plans.
Figures reported consistently by independent sources; vendor page not reviewed directly. Checked 13 Nov 2026 against Ry Walker Research · Charm (docs) · FreeAPIHub.
Pricing model
Free software; pay your chosen model provider.
Free plan
Yes. Crush is free; you pay only for the models you use.
Free trial
Not applicable.
Crush plans and prices (USD)
-
Crush CLI
Free
n/a
FSL-1.1-MIT licence; bring your own model provider.
No paid plan is documented. Model costs depend on the provider you configure.
Prices change. Confirm current plans and terms on the vendor's site before you decide.
Visit official website (external) ↗See alternativesCrush integrations, API and platforms.
Important integrations
- Anthropic, OpenAI and Gemini
- Groq and OpenRouter
- Ollama (local)
- Language servers (LSP)
- MCP servers
- Agent Skills
Supported platforms
- macOS
- Linux
- Windows
- FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD
API
Open configuration via crush.json; models listed in the Catwalk repository.
Data import and export
Not reviewed for this profile.
Integration availability can depend on plan. Confirm with the vendor before you rely on a specific connector.
How Crush works as an AI product.
Attributes are listed only where documented. We do not infer autonomy levels, certifications or model capabilities.
Classification: Agentic tool. A human-directed tool that can plan, edit and run actions, with the user reviewing or approving changes. Developer: Charm.
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Supported models | Many providers including Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini, Groq, OpenRouter and local Ollama, switchable mid-session. [1] [3] |
| Tools and integrations | LSP context, MCP servers and Agent Skills. [2] |
| Ability to execute actions | Reads, writes and executes code from the terminal. [2] |
| Execution environment | Local terminal. [4] |
| Human-in-the-loop controls | Not documented in the sources reviewed. |
| Permissions and access | Not documented in the sources reviewed. |
| Memory and context | Not documented in the sources reviewed. |
| Deployment options | Not documented in the sources reviewed. |
| Data handling and privacy | Not documented in the sources reviewed. |
| Security and compliance | Not documented in the sources reviewed. |
| Pricing and usage limits | Not documented in the sources reviewed. |
| Languages and platforms | Not documented in the sources reviewed. |
| Limitations and known constraints | FSL-1.1-MIT is source-available rather than OSI open source. [1] |
Primary tasks
- Terminal coding
- Model switching
- Tool use via MCP
Best-fit workflows
- Terminal-first developers
- Multi-provider setups
- BSD and Linux users
Crush pros and cons.
Strengths, limitations and best fit. Each point cites a source; editorial summaries are not customer reviews.
Strengths
Limitations
Best for
- Terminal-first developers who value a polished TUI
- Developers who switch models often
- Users who want LSP-aware context
May be less suited to
- Organisations with OSI-only licence policies
- Teams needing admin controls
Top Crush alternatives and competitors.
Crush alternatives
Developers look for Crush alternatives when they need an OSI open-source licence, team administration, or a…
Explore →Related productOpenCode
An open-source, provider-agnostic AI coding agent for the terminal, with 75+ model providers, MCP, LSP…
Explore →Related productAider
An open-source terminal tool for AI pair programming that edits your local git repository and commits each…
Explore →Related productClaude Code
Anthropic's agentic coding tool for the terminal, IDEs, a desktop app and the web, built around…
Explore →Crush compared with similar AI coding agents.
Summaries come from each profile. This is a side-by-side aid, not a ranking.
| Product | Interface | Model choice | Free tier | Pricing model | Human oversight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crush | Terminal TUI | Many providers, switchable mid-session | Yes (free software) | Free software; pay model usage | Not documented in sources reviewed |
| Aider | Terminal (command line) | Almost any LLM, including local models | Yes (open source) | Free software; pay model usage | Git commits can be reviewed and undone (third-party) |
| Amp | CLI and editor extensions | Several frontier models | Yes (ad-supported daily grant) | Credits and subscriptions | Not documented in sources reviewed |
| Claude Code | Terminal, VS Code, JetBrains, desktop app, web | Claude models (Anthropic) | Not documented in sources reviewed | Included in paid Claude plans, or usage-based API billing | Permissions, sandboxing and checkpoints documented |
| Codebuff | Terminal (command line) | Not documented in sources reviewed | Yes (500 credits a month) | Free credits; paid $100 to $500 | Not documented in sources reviewed |
| Deep Agents Code | Terminal (Python) | Any tool-calling LLM | Yes (open source) | Free software; pay model usage | Not documented in sources reviewed |
Crush vs competitors: head-to-head comparisons.
Crush discussions and buying questions.
Crush questions and answers
What is Crush used for?
Crush is a terminal-based AI coding agent from Charm, the team behind Bubble Tea and Glow. Written in Go, it connects to many LLM providers, uses language servers for code context, supports MCP and Agent Skills, and organises work into per-project sessions.
Is Crush free?
Yes. Crush is free; you pay only for the models you use.
How much does Crush cost?
Free; you pay only your model provider.
Which models does Crush support?
Many providers including Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini, Groq, OpenRouter and local Ollama, switchable mid-session.
What are the limitations of Crush?
Licence is source-available (FSL), not OSI open source. No team or admin features are documented. Model costs are separate.
Which platforms does Crush run on?
Crush is documented as available on: macOS, Linux, Windows, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD.
Is Crush an AI agent or an AI assistant?
We classify Crush as: Agentic tool. A human-directed tool that can plan, edit and run actions, with the user reviewing or approving changes. The classification is based on vendor documentation and is not an endorsement.
What are the main alternatives to Crush?
The main alternatives to Crush covered on Stack18 are OpenCode, Aider, Claude Code and goose. See the Crush alternatives guide for a side-by-side table.
When was the Crush profile last verified?
Sources for this profile were last reviewed on 13 Nov 2026. 5 sources are listed under Sources, and prices and plans can change, so confirm with the vendor.
Where this information comes from.
- Crush research Ry Walker Research Third-party Accessed 13 Nov 2026
- Crush introduction Charm (docs) Official docs Accessed 13 Nov 2026
- Crush FreeAPIHub Third-party Accessed 13 Nov 2026
- Crush CLI AlternativeTo Third-party Accessed 13 Nov 2026
- Crush Amplifying Third-party Accessed 13 Nov 2026
Further official pages: Crush pricing (external)
Plans, features and status were checked against Crush's published pages and the third-party sources listed. Agent behaviour was not tested, and security certifications were not independently verified.
Stack18 has not tested this product or received anything from the vendor for this profile. Editorial summaries of vendor information are not endorsements. Confirm details with the vendor before buying.
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