A lightweight desktop code editor with first-class AI. Bring your own model — Anthropic, OpenAI, Ollama, or Claude Code.
Website · codetta.dev Issues · github.com/getcodetta/codetta/issues
Codetta is a small, fast desktop code editor that doesn't try to be VS Code. It ships in ~30 MB instead of 200+, has no telemetry, and treats AI as a first-class panel — your AI, with your keys.
Highlights
- BYOK AI panel — Anthropic Claude (API), OpenAI, local Ollama models, and the Claude Code CLI all in one chat. The Claude Code option lets you use your existing Claude Pro / Max subscription instead of paying API rates.
- Multi-workspace — open several projects side by side; each has its own isolated, persistent state (open files, terminals, layout)
- Multi-terminal with pop-out — drop terminals into the bottom panel, or pop them out into their own OS window and re-dock when done
- Drag-and-drop tab splits — drag any tab to an edge to split a pane horizontally or vertically
- Integrated git — branch picker, source-control panel, line-level gutter markers, diff viewer
- Monaco editor under the hood — same engine as VS Code, with syntax highlighting, IntelliSense (LSP-free), find/replace, formatting
- Native Windows installer (NSIS / MSI) — no Electron, no Node runtime required to run
Download the installer from the latest release:
| File | Use this if… |
|---|---|
Codetta_<version>_x64-setup.exe |
Recommended — NSIS installer, adds Start Menu entry + uninstaller |
Codetta_<version>_x64_en-US.msi |
You're deploying via SCCM / Intune / GPO |
codetta.exe |
Portable — run without installing (single executable) |
After install, launch Codetta from the Start Menu. The first run prompts you to open a folder.
Locations on disk
| Item | Path |
|---|---|
| Binary (per-user install) | %LocalAppData%\Codetta\ |
| Binary (system install) | C:\Program Files\Codetta\ |
| Workspace state | %AppData%\codetta\ |
| Uninstall | Settings → Apps → Codetta |
Coming soon. The codebase is Tauri 2 and already cross-platform — only the bundling/release pipeline is Windows-first today. Contributions welcome.
Open Settings → AI Providers and add a key for whichever provider(s) you want.
| Provider | What you need | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Code CLI ⭐ | Install Claude Code and claude login |
Uses your existing Claude.ai Pro / Max subscription — no extra billing. Or pay-per-token if you log in with an API key. |
| Anthropic Claude (API) | API key from console.anthropic.com | Pay-per-token |
| OpenAI | API key from platform.openai.com | Pay-per-token |
| Ollama (local) | Install Ollama and ollama pull qwen2.5-coder:7b (or any model) |
Free, local |
💡 Already pay for Claude Pro or Max? Use the Claude Code CLI option instead of the API. After
claude login, Codetta talks to Claude through the CLI, which runs against your subscription (5-hour usage caps per your plan tier) rather than the metered API. For most coding work this is significantly cheaper than per-token API billing.
You can mix providers freely — switch models from the chat panel's model picker mid-conversation.
| Version | Install | |
|---|---|---|
| Node.js | 18+ | https://nodejs.org |
| Rust toolchain | 1.77+ stable | https://rustup.rs |
| Tauri prerequisites | per-OS | https://tauri.app/start/prerequisites/ |
| (Windows) WebView2 | Auto-installed by Edge / Tauri bootstrapper | usually already present |
After installing Rust, make sure cargo is on your PATH. On Windows:
[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("PATH", $env:PATH + ";$env:USERPROFILE\.cargo\bin", "User")Then close and reopen your terminal.
git clone https://github.com/getcodetta/codetta.git
cd codetta
npm install
npm run tauri devThe first run pulls Rust crates and builds the Tauri shell — expect 3–10 minutes. Subsequent runs are seconds (incremental).
npm run tauri buildOutputs land in src-tauri/target/release/bundle/:
nsis/Codetta_<version>_x64-setup.exe— recommended Windows installermsi/Codetta_<version>_x64_en-US.msi— enterprise MSIsrc-tauri/target/release/codetta.exe— portable executable
codetta/
├── src/ # React + TypeScript frontend
│ ├── components/ # UI: editor panes, terminal, AI chat, sidebar, etc.
│ ├── providers/ # AI provider adapters (anthropic, openai, ollama, claude-code)
│ ├── store.ts # Zustand state (workspaces, panes, files, terminals)
│ ├── actions.ts # Command palette commands
│ └── App.tsx # App shell + popout-window routing
├── src-tauri/ # Rust backend
│ ├── src/
│ │ ├── lib.rs # Tauri command registration
│ │ ├── pty.rs # PTY (terminal) backend via portable-pty
│ │ ├── git.rs # Git operations
│ │ ├── fs_ops.rs # File system commands
│ │ ├── search.rs # Workspace file listing & content search
│ │ ├── watcher.rs # File-system change watcher
│ │ ├── workspace.rs # Persistent workspace state
│ │ └── claude_code.rs # Claude Code CLI bridge
│ ├── capabilities/ # Tauri 2 permission capabilities
│ └── tauri.conf.json # Bundle / window config
├── index.html # Vite entry
└── package.json
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
npm run dev |
Vite dev server only (no Tauri shell) |
npm run build |
Type-check + build the frontend (no Tauri) |
npm run tauri dev |
Full app with Rust backend + hot reload |
npm run tauri build |
Production installers |
Issues and PRs welcome at github.com/getcodetta/codetta.
Please follow DCO sign-off on commits (git commit -s) — no CLA required.
Scope statement — to keep Codetta lightweight and finishable, we deliberately do not plan to add: a full extension/plugin system, language-server protocol support, integrated debugger, telemetry, or built-in cloud sync. The goal is a fast, focused editor that does its job well.
MIT © 2026 Codetta Maintainers