Start here#
Nodal is a young project and a lot of the same questions come up again and again, usually about whether it can be downloaded, what it costs, what it can see and how it differs from the tools big companies ship. This page answers them in plain language. If an answer is “not decided yet”, it says so, and if a feature is planned rather than built, the answer says that too.
The questions below are written as a list you can expand. The answers are in the page itself, so they are readable in a text-only browser, a screen reader or a search engine. For the longer story, start with the features overview, the beta page and the about page.
Questions and answers#
Each answer links to the page that covers its topic in depth.
What is Nodal?
Nodal is a desktop workspace for AI coding agents and terminals. Agent Mode is a conversation-first workspace for Codex (ChatGPT), Claude Code and local Ollama models, Tab Mode is a grid of real terminals, and a notification center tells you when an agent is done or needs you. It is themeable, has a plugin system in preparation and is built in public on The Late Build livestream. See the features overview.
Is Nodal the same thing as ToolTab v2?
Yes. Nodal is the product name, and ToolTab v2 is the earlier working name. Older records and some screenshots still say ToolTabv2. ToolTab v1 was a different, older Windows app written in WPF. The ToolTab v1 page explains the relationship.
Can I download Nodal?
Nodal is in beta testing. Beta 0.2.0 went to invited testers on Windows. This website does not offer a public download and does not link to one. The beta page explains the status and how to join the community to hear about testing.
Which operating systems does it support?
Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit) come first. Linux runs from the same codebase and has been built and measured on one distribution, with features landing a little after Windows. macOS is planned and not started. See the roadmap.
How much does Nodal cost?
No pricing has been announced. It is a beta built in public, and the records say no account with Nodal is required to run it. If pricing or licensing is ever decided, it will be said on the stream and in the community first, not discovered on a landing page. Note that the AI providers you connect have their own plans and limits, which Nodal shows but does not control.
Do I need a ChatGPT or Claude subscription?
Nodal drives the tools you already have. Codex sessions need the Codex command-line tool signed in with your ChatGPT account, Claude sessions need your installed Claude Code (a sign-in or an API key in your environment) and Ollama sessions need only Ollama and a local model. You can use any one of them. See providers.
Does Nodal store my passwords, tokens or API keys?
No. Nodal creates no credential store. Sign-in happens in your own browser through the provider’s own tool, Claude API keys come from your environment and not from a field in Nodal, and a token field that the Codex protocol returns is discarded before any other code sees it. The security page explains how this was measured.
Is Nodal open source?
Not at present. The repository is a private preview for review and is not licensed for redistribution. The project is open in another way: the development process, decisions and evidence are documented and the work is livestreamed. The beta notes say source code is available on request.
How is Nodal different from the Codex app, Claude Code Desktop, Warp or Cursor?
Honestly, it overlaps with all of them. OpenAI, Anthropic and others have shipped multi-session sidebars, built-in terminals, browsers, notifications and plugin hooks, and Nodal does not pretend otherwise. What it adds is a particular combination: Codex, Claude and local models in one window, a real-terminal mode beside a conversation mode, a notification center built around answering agents quickly, deep theming and a plan to make the app moddable. It is also one person’s tool shaped to the developer’s own way of working, which is the point. See the home page for the honest angle on cheap ideas.
Where does my code and prompt data go?
Nodal sends the requests you choose to the provider you chose, and nothing else. It does not collect personal data for advertising or analytics, diagnostics and telemetry are opt-in, and logs redact prompt text by default. Local Ollama models keep everything on your machine. Be aware that an agent you run can read and edit the folders you give it, and a provider’s own policies apply to what you send it.
Can I use only local models?
Yes. The Ollama connection is a local runtime with no sign-in, lists only models installed on your computer and gives them Nodal’s own six file and command tools, all confined to the project folder. Performance depends on your GPU and memory, and the app shows GPU share and warns when part of a model runs on the CPU.
What are NodalBeeper, NodalForge, NodalVoice and AgentBoard?
NodalBeeper is the notification center window. NodalForge is the plugin system. NodalVoice is the separate dictation app that can send prompts to agents. AgentBoard is the file-based message board agents use to coordinate while building the app, and the idea behind agent avatars. Each has its own page: notification center, plugins, NodalVoice and AgentBoard.
Do the agent avatars with eyes exist yet?
Not as a shipped feature. The beta uses status dots with text equivalents and shapes, and the animated avatars are the planned design direction shown as illustrations on this site. The AgentBoard page separates what is built from what is intended.
Can I write plugins or share themes?
Why is it built on a livestream, and is it really vibe coded?
Most of the code is written by AI agents under a human product owner who plans, tests and decides, and the owner is open about it. Ideas are cheap in the age of AI coding, so building in public is how the value gets proved and how the community can help. The stream is on The Late Build. The process page shows how the agents are managed.
How do I report a bug or suggest a feature?
Join the Discord, which the owner reads and calls the fastest route. A feature voting system is planned. Suggestions can also reach the idea board that feeds the plan; see IdeaBoard. The about page lists every place to find the project.