Desktop app
The app
A window onto the same gateway and the same account the CLI uses.
The gateway is the product and the CLI is the main way to reach it. The desktop app is a client of both. It ships the CLI inside it and shares its sign-in, so anything you set up in one is already set up in the other.
What it gives you over the terminal
| Surface | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Chat | A conversation window over any model in the catalog, or one on your machine, without composing a request by hand. |
| Models | Browse the catalog with prices and capabilities. Pull an open model if you want one on your machine. |
| Endpoints | Where your requests can go: the gateway, a Conifer host on your network, a provider you hold your own key for. |
| Marketplace | Installable tools and agents that run against your models. |
Using it with your editor
You do not need the app to point an editor or a coding agent at Conifer. Each has its own short recipe.
- Claude Code: two environment variables.
- Codex: one config entry, on the Responses wire.
- Cursor: the base URL override.
- VS Code: Conifer models in the Copilot Chat picker.
- Everything else: any tool that takes an OpenAI-compatible base URL, including OpenClaw, Hermes and droid.
Install & update
| Platform | The app | The CLI |
|---|---|---|
| macOS (Apple Silicon) | Shipping. A signed, notarized .dmg. Drag it to Applications. | Shipping. Runs open models on the machine too. |
| Windows (x86-64) | Not published yet. | Shipping. Runs open models on the machine too. |
| Linux (x86-64) | Not published yet. | Shipping. Talks to the gateway and to Conifer hosts on your network. |
The CLI is on all three platforms whatever the state of the app.
The install script detects your platform, verifies the download, installs without sudo, and opens conifer setup.
curl -fsSL https://conifer.build/setup | bashSign it in
The app and the CLI share one sign-in. conifer login checks your key against the gateway and stores it, readable only by your user. conifer login --status tells you where you stand. Mint the key at the console.
How updates arrive
The app updates itself. Every update is checked against a signing key built into the installed app, and a build that is not signed by Conifer is refused before it is applied. conifer version prints the build you are running.
Next
Platform detail is on Platforms. The wire every surface shares is in the API reference, and the full list of surfaces is on The surfaces.