Agent workspace · Mohamad Yahia (GitHub user maddada)
Ghostex
Native desktop workspace that runs coding agent CLIs in chat or terminal views with a built-in browser and editor, can connect other computers, and has phone apps that pair by code or Tailscale.
Ghostex review
Ghostex is a native desktop workspace for running coding agent CLIs in chat or terminal views, with a built-in browser, editor and phone apps. It is MIT licensed and free, and it suits developers who want a free native app to run several coding agents side by side, with worktrees and a phone companion. This page rests on the vendor's site and GitHub pages as read in November 2026; no independent test was run.
The site says 20+ agents are supported, and a session can be handed to another agent. Agents can open sessions and send prompts to other agents through the `ghostex` command. The README lists a worktree per task and split panes. Other computers can be added with an Easy Connect code or SSH, and the phone app pairs by scan or over Tailscale.
Installers cover macOS, Windows and Linux, plus an Android APK. Release v11.0.0 was published on 7 November 2026, and the repository showed 1,626 stars that day. The site footer says "Free forever. No tracking." and you bring your own agent subscriptions. The README and LICENSE file give MIT, though the website does not state the licence.
Some details deserve caution. The repository was created in April 2026 and is already at version 11.0.0, with several releases a week. iOS is available only through TestFlight, arranged via Discord, and no store listing was found. The macOS download listed is Apple Silicon only. For another desktop agent workspace, see cmux or Orca; for a phone-first client, see Happier.
Facts: platforms, price and licence
- platforms
- macOSWindowsLinuxiOSAndroidNative desktop app (Rust, GPUI, Ghostty terminals). macOS download is an Apple Silicon DMG (also brew install ghostex); Windows x64 and ARM64; Linux deb, rpm, AUR, AppImage, tarball. Android is an APK on GitHub releases; iOS is a TestFlight build whose access is arranged through the project's Discord. No App Store or Google Play listing is linked from the site or README.
- price
- FreeSite footer says 'Free forever. No tracking.' (seen 2026-11-07). README says 'free and open source under the MIT License'. No pricing page seen. You bring your own agent CLIs and subscriptions.
- source
- Open sourceLicence: MIT
- github
- maddada/Ghostex 1.7k stars, seen 2026-11-13
Ghostex features
- ✓ yes AI agents
- ✓ yes Multi-agent
- ✓ yes Git worktrees
- ? not verified MCP
- ✓ yes Phone control
- ✓ yes Mobile app
- ? not verified SSH
- ? not verified SFTP
- ? not verified Tabs
- ✓ yes Split panes
- ? not verified Cloud sync
- ? not verified Team sharing
✓ documented · – absent or not in its feature list · ? not verified
Ghostex strengths
- MIT licence with source, Windows, Linux and macOS installers on GitHub releases, and a PowerShell install script
- Agents can open sessions and send prompts to other agents through the ghostex command; the site says 20+ agents are supported
- Remote computers can be added with an Easy Connect code or SSH, and the phone app pairs by scan or over Tailscale
- Worktree per task, split panes, a built-in browser and an optional VS Code editor
Ghostex weak points
- Repository created in April 2026 and the version number is already 11.0.0, with several releases per week, so behaviour changes quickly
- iOS is distributed only by TestFlight through the project's Discord, and Android only as an APK; no store listing was found
- The macOS download listed is Apple Silicon only
- The website does not state the licence; the MIT statement appears only in the README and LICENSE file
Who Ghostex is for
- best for
- Developers who want a free native app to run several coding agents side by side, with worktrees and a phone companion.
- look elsewhere if
- Users who need a general SSH client with SFTP or a plain terminal emulator, or a store-installed iOS app.
Lists that include Ghostex
- > Best SSH clients for Mac
- > Best SSH clients for Windows
- > Best SSH clients for Linux
- > Best SSH apps for iPhone, iPad and Android
- > Best workspaces for running AI coding agents
- > Best AI agent workspaces for Windows
- > Control Claude Code and Codex from your phone
- > Best free SSH clients
- > Best open-source terminals and SSH clients
Sources and what we could not verify
Checked 2026-10-21. Prices and features change; the vendor's page is the authority.
- ghostex.dev — platforms named, 'Free forever. No tracking.', 20+ agents, multi-agent, worktrees, remote machines, phone pairing by scan or Tailscale; no pricing, licence, store or MCP text on page
- ghostex.dev/docs — docs welcome page is brief; navigation lists Git and worktrees, The ghostex command, Other computers, Your phone
- github.com/maddada/Ghostex — README: install options per OS, Android APK, iOS TestFlight via Discord, split panes, worktree per task, remote machines via Easy Connect or SSH, ghostex command for agents, MIT
- raw.githubusercontent.com/maddada/Ghostex/main/LICENSE — MIT text, copyright 2026 Mohamad Yahia (maddada)
- api.github.com/repos/maddada/Ghostex — 1626 stars, MIT, created 2026-04-27, pushed 2026-11-07, default branch main
- api.github.com/repos/maddada/Ghostex/releases/latest — v11.0.0 published 2026-11-07; assets for macOS arm64 dmg, Windows x64/arm64, Linux deb/rpm/AppImage/tar.zst, Android APK; v10.45.0 to v10.49.0 published 2026-11-03 to 2026-11-06
- raw.githubusercontent.com/maddada/Ghostex/main/CHANGELOG.md — 11.0.0 notes (Collab share link, Autopilot, iPhone features); 'ghostex browser mcp' answers Claude Code and Codex
Not verified
- ssh as a client, sftp, tabs, port_forwarding, jump_host, x11_forwarding, serial, telnet, mosh, cloud_sync not stated (README mentions SSH only as a way to add a remote machine)
- mcp is true only for a browser MCP command named in the changelog; a general MCP server for controlling sessions was not seen
- Docs subpages (Git and worktrees, The ghostex command, Your phone) were not opened; only the docs welcome page
- Supported-agent count differs by source (site '20+', README lists about 9 names plus 'many more'); exact count not verified
- iOS TestFlight build and Android APK were not installed; no App Store or Google Play listing found (iTunes search for 'ghostex' returned no match)
- Windows and Linux builds are described by the README and release assets, not run
- Site says nothing about the MIT licence; the MIT statement comes from README and LICENSE only
- team_sharing: only a 'Collab share link' line in the 11.0.0 changelog; not verified, left null