iflow-ai/iflow-cli

README

Important

iFlow CLI will be shutting down on April 17, 2026 (UTC+8). Thank you for every moment with iFlow CLI in your terminal. For details and migration guidance, please see our farewell post.

🤖 iFlow CLI

iFlow CLI is a powerful AI assistant that runs directly in your terminal. It seamlessly analyzes code repositories, executes coding tasks, understands context-specific needs, and boosts productivity by automating everything from simple file operations to complex workflows.

✨ Key Features

Free AI Models: Access powerful and free AI models through the iFlow open platform, including Kimi K2, Qwen3 Coder, DeepSeek v3, and more
Flexible Integration: Keep your favorite development tools while integrating into existing systems for automation
Natural Language Interaction: Say goodbye to complex commands, drive AI with everyday conversation, from code development to life assistance
Open Platform: Install SubAgents and MCP with one click from the iFlow Open Market, quickly expand intelligent agents and build your own AI team

Feature Comparison

Feature	iFlow Cli	Claude Code	Gemini Cli
Todo Planning	✅	✅	❌
SubAgent	✅	✅	❌
Custom Commands	✅	✅	✅
Plan Mode	✅	✅	❌
Task Tools	✅	✅	❌
VS Code Plugin	✅	✅	✅
JetBrains Plugin	✅	✅	❌
Conversation Recovery	✅	✅	❌
Built-in Open Market	✅	❌	❌
Memory Auto-compression	✅	✅	✅
Multimodal Capability	✅	⚠️ (Limited in China)	⚠️ (Limited in China)
Search	✅	❌	⚠️ (Requires VPN)
Free	✅	❌	⚠️ (Limited Usage)
Hook	✅	✅	❌
Output Style	✅	✅	❌
Thinking	✅	✅	❌
Workflow	✅	❌	❌
SDK	✅	✅	❌
ACP	✅	✅	✅

⭐ Key Features

Support 4 running modes: yolo (model has maximum permissions, can perform any operation), accepting edits (model only has file modification permissions), plan mode (plan first, then execute), default (model has no permissions)
Upgraded subAgent functionality: Transform CLI from general assistant to expert team, providing more professional and accurate advice. Use /agent to see more pre-configured agents
Upgraded task tool: Effectively compress context length, allowing CLI to complete your tasks more thoroughly. Auto-compression when context reaches 70%
Integrated with iFlow Open Market: Quickly install useful MCP tools, Subagents, custom instructions and workflows
Free multimodal model usage: You can also paste images in CLI now (Ctrl+V to paste images)
Support for conversation history saving and rollback (iflow --resume and /chat commands)
Support for more useful terminal commands (iflow -h to see more commands)
VSCode plugin support
Auto-upgrade: iFlow CLI automatically detects if current version is latest

📥 Installation

System requirements

Operating Systems: macOS 10.15+, Ubuntu 20.04+/Debian 10+, or Windows 10+ (with WSL 1, WSL 2, or Git for Windows)
Hardware: 4GB+ RAM
Software: Node.js 22+
Network: Internet connection required for authentication and AI processing
Shell: Works best in Bash, Zsh or Fish

Installation Commands

MAC/Linux/Ubuntu Users:

One-click installation command (Recommended)

bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://cloud.iflow.cn/iflow-cli/install.sh)"

Using Homebrew installation

brew tap iflow-ai/iflow-cli
brew install iflow-cli

Using Node.js installation

npm i -g @iflow-ai/iflow-cli

This command automatically installs all necessary dependencies for your terminal.

Windows Users:

Go to https://nodejs.org/en/download to download the latest Node.js installer
Run the installer to install Node.js
Restart your terminal: CMD or PowerShell
Run npm install -g @iflow-ai/iflow-cli to install iFlow CLI
Run iflow to start iFlow CLI

If you are in China Mainland, you can use the following command to install iFlow CLI:

Go to https://cloud.iflow.cn/iflow-cli/nvm-setup.exe to download the latest nvm installer
Run the installer to install nvm
Restart your terminal: CMD or PowerShell
Run nvm node_mirror https://npmmirror.com/mirrors/node/ and nvm npm_mirror https://npmmirror.com/mirrors/npm/
Run nvm install 22 to install Node.js 22
Run nvm use 22 to use Node.js 22
Run npm install -g @iflow-ai/iflow-cli to install iFlow CLI
Run iflow to start iFlow CLI

🗑️ Uninstall

npm uninstall -g @iflow-ai/iflow-cli

🔑 Authentication

iFlow offers two authentication options:

Recommended: Use iFlow's native authentication
Alternative: Connect via OpenAI-compatible APIs

Choose option 1 to login directly, which will open iFlow account authentication in a web page. After completing authentication, you can use it for free.

If you are in an environment like a server where you cannot open a web page, please use option 2 to login.

To get your API key:

Register for an iFlow account
Go to your profile settings or click this direct link
Click "Reset" in the pop-up dialog to generate a new API key

After generating your key, paste it into the terminal prompt to complete setup.

🚀 Getting Started

To launch iFlow CLI, navigate to your workspace in the terminal and type:

iflow

Starting New Projects

For new projects, simply describe what you want to create:

cd new-project/
iflow
> Create a web-based Minecraft game using HTML

Working with Existing Projects

For existing codebases, begin with the /init command to help iFlow understand your project:

cd project1/
iflow
> /init
> Analyze the requirements according to the PRD document in requirement.md file, and output a technical document, then implement the solution.

The /init command scans your codebase, learns its structure, and creates an IFLOW.md file with comprehensive documentation.

For a complete list of slash commands and usage instructions, see here.

💡 Common Use Cases

iFlow CLI extends beyond coding to handle a wide range of tasks:

📊 Information & Planning

> Help me find the best-rated restaurants in Los Angeles and create a 3-day food tour itinerary.

> Search for the latest iPhone price comparisons and find the most cost-effective purchase option.

📁 File Management

> Organize the files on my desktop by file type into separate folders.

> Batch download all images from this webpage and rename them by date.

📈 Data Analysis

> Analyze the sales data in this Excel spreadsheet and generate a simple chart.

> Extract customer information from these CSV files and merge them into a unified table.

👨‍💻 Development Support

> Analyze the main architectural components and module dependencies of this system.

> I'm getting a null pointer exception after my request, please help me find the cause of the problem.

⚙️ Workflow Automation

> Create a script to periodically backup my important files to cloud storage.

> Write a program that downloads stock prices daily and sends me email notifications.

Note: Advanced automation tasks can leverage MCP servers to integrate your local system tools with enterprise collaboration suites.

🔧 Switch to customized model

iFlow CLI can connect to any OpenAI-compatible API. Edit the settings file in ~/.iflow/settings.json to change the model you use.

Here is a settings demo file:

{
    "theme": "Default",
    "selectedAuthType": "iflow",
    "apiKey": "your iflow key",
    "baseUrl": "https://apis.iflow.cn/v1",
    "modelName": "Qwen3-Coder",
    "searchApiKey": "your iflow key"
}

🔄 GitHub Actions

You can also use iFlow CLI in your GitHub Actions workflows with the community-maintained action: iflow-cli-action

🖥️ Graphical Interface

Looking for a graphical interface?

AionUi A modern GUI for command-line AI tools including iFlow CLI

👥 Community Communication

If you encounter problems in use, you can directly raise Issues on the github page.

You can also scan the following Wechat group to join the community group for communication and discussion.

Wechat group