Jack is a free desktop app that wraps the Claude Code CLI you already use. A real side-by-side diff editor, an in-app three-way conflict resolver, a full git panel, per-session Docker sandboxes, and a permission inbox you can answer from your phone — all on top of the same claude binary, with your same Pro/Max subscription or API key.
Why a GUI?
The claude CLI is the right interface for short prompts and quick agentic loops. But the moment Claude Code touches more than one file, reviewing what it did inside a terminal scrollback becomes painful. Jack is the surface you reach for when you want to see the change, not just trust it.
diff --colorSide-by-side diff with hunk-level staging, soft-wrap, syntax highlighting and inline comments. Stage hunks individually before commit; revert a specific edit without unwinding the rest.
Three-way merge view inside the app. When Claude Code touches the same hunks as your editor or a teammate, you resolve in place — no shelling out to git mergetool.
A workspace is a project: folders, agents, shared docs, screenshots. Pinned to the dock, themable, persistent. Single chat history died with one-shot prompts.
Spin Claude Code inside an ephemeral container with your repo mounted. Network policy, FS scope, allowed binaries — all per-session, all reversible. The CLI doesn't know it's sandboxed.
Every tool call Claude Code wants to run is gated. Approve, deny, or "always allow pnpm test" — from the desk or the bus. Pair via QR; push cards arrive in seconds.
Branches, stash, worktrees, push, pull, rebase — backed by simple-git, audited through a single git_ops surface. The git panel lives inside the workspace.
What it looks like
Terminal vs Jack
Jack runs the same claude binary you run today. Same model access, same agentic loop, same MCP servers. What Jack adds is the surface around it.
| Claude Code CLI in a terminal | Claude Code via Jack | |
|---|---|---|
| Reviewing edits | Scrollback + git diff | Side-by-side diff with hunk-level staging |
| Conflict handling | Shell out to git mergetool | Three-way resolver inside the app |
| Permission gating | Inline Y/N prompts at the cursor | Inbox with always-allow scopes, mirrored to your phone |
| Multiple sessions | N terminal tabs, N cds | Workspace board — slots, drag-positioned, persistent |
| Sandboxing | Your own Docker / firejail glue | Per-session container, scoped FS & network, opt-in toggle |
| Quota visibility | Hidden until you hit the limit | Provider-aware chip — Pro/Max quota, tokens, reset time |
| Remote approval | Tail SSH from your phone | Push-card approval from a paired iPhone |
If Jack disappeared tomorrow, your Claude Code install, your agents folder, and your _shared/ coordination files keep working in plain claude. Jack is the surface, not the lock-in.
Bonus
Jack isn't only a Claude Code GUI. OpenAI Codex and Google Gemini CLI ship in the same app, side by side in the same workspace. Use Claude Code as your daily driver, drop in Codex for a second opinion, route Gemini to a long-context summarisation slot — same UX, same permission inbox, same diff editor. Different providers, one app, three terminals collapsed into one.
FAQ
No. Jack is an independent third-party desktop client built by Oglut Srl. It runs the official Claude Code CLI under the hood — you still use your own Claude Pro/Max subscription, and your prompts go directly to Anthropic. Jack is the shell, not the model.
Yes — Jack runs your local Claude Code CLI, which in turn uses your Claude Pro/Max account or an Anthropic API key. Jack itself is free, no account required, no Oglut-side data collection.
No. Jack wraps the Claude Code CLI. The CLI does the work; Jack adds the GUI surface — workspaces, diff editor, conflict resolver, git panel, sandboxed sessions, and the permission inbox. If you uninstall Jack, your Claude Code CLI keeps working untouched.
Both are third-party GUIs that wrap the Claude Code CLI. Jack focuses on IDE-grade tooling — a real side-by-side diff editor with hunk-level staging, an in-app three-way conflict resolver, a full git panel, per-session Docker sandboxes, and a mobile permission inbox. Jack also runs OpenAI Codex and Gemini side by side in the same workspace, with file-mediated cooperation between agents.
No. Sessions run on your machine and talk directly to Anthropic via the Claude Code CLI. Jack stores its own metadata locally in SQLite under ~/Library/Application Support/jack/. Telemetry is opt-in only, gated by a consent dialog at first boot, with no prompt content and no project paths collected.
Either. Jack runs the Claude Code CLI exactly as you have it configured. Pro/Max subscriptions, Anthropic API keys, Bedrock, and Vertex are all supported through the underlying CLI. Jack's provider-aware usage chip shows quota state so you know where you stand.
Not yet. macOS ships today (Apple Silicon and Intel). Windows and Linux are on the roadmap — blocked by a handful of native dependencies (better-sqlite3, node-pty, dockerode) that need clean cross-platform builds.
Jack is free, local, and reuses the Claude subscription you already pay for. Every keystroke stays on your machine.