Elio is a developer-focused CLI application that unifies the world's most advanced reasoning models — Anthropic Claude, Google Gemini, and OpenAI ChatGPT — into a single, uninterrupted terminal workflow.
- Zero-dependency installation — Packaged as a standalone executable. No Python, pip, or environment configuration required.
- Unified conversation interface — Use the exact same commands and UI regardless of whether you are talking to Claude, Gemini, or ChatGPT.
- Secure by design — API keys are stored safely in your OS credential vault (macOS Keychain, Windows Credential Manager, Linux Secret Service). None are stored in plain text.
- Native file attachments — Attach code files, PDFs, and images directly in the terminal without leaving your workflow.
- Local privacy — Conversation history is stored in a local SQLite database. No telemetry, no cloud syncing.
User Terminal (Textual TUI)
│
┌───┴───┐
↓ ↓
Session File
Manager Handler
│ │
└───┬───┘
↓
Provider Registry
/ | \
Claude Gemini OpenAI
Download the latest installer from the elio page.
| Operating System | Download File | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Windows 10/11 (64-bit) | Elio-Setup.exe |
Standard Windows Setup Wizard. Adds elio to PATH automatically. |
| macOS 12+ (Apple Silicon & Intel) | Elio-macOS.pkg |
Native macOS Package Installer. |
| Linux (Debian/Ubuntu) | Elio-Linux.deb |
Debian Package (.deb). |
Elio connects directly to provider APIs. You only need at least one to get started:
elio loginSelect a provider (Anthropic, Google, or OpenAI) and paste your API key when prompted. The key is hidden as you type.
elioRun these directly from your terminal prompt.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
elio |
Start the interactive chat UI |
elio login |
Add or update API keys for providers |
elio logout |
Securely wipe all stored credentials |
elio status |
Check which providers are currently connected |
elio models |
List all available models and aliases |
elio history |
Browse saved conversation sessions |
elio config |
Open the config file in your default editor |
elio update |
Check for and install the latest version |
While inside the Elio chat interface.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Enter | Send message |
| Shift+Enter | New line in input |
| Ctrl+M | Open the interactive model selector |
| Ctrl+U | Open file attachment prompt |
| Ctrl+N | Start a new session |
| Ctrl+L | Clear chat panel |
| Ctrl+H | Show session history |
| Ctrl+C | Interrupt streaming / Quit |
Type these directly into the chat input bar.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
/model <alias> |
Switch active model inline (e.g., /model gemini) |
/attach <path> |
Attach a file to the next message |
/clear |
Clear the current conversation context |
/history |
List recent sessions in the chat log |
/load <id> |
Load a previous session by its ID |
/export |
Export the current session as a Markdown file |
/tokens |
Show current context window token usage |
/status |
Show auth status for all providers |
/help |
Show all commands in chat |
Elio utilizes an alias system to route requests to the best model for the job.
| Alias | Provider | Underlying Model | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
claude / coding |
Anthropic | claude-sonnet-4-5 | Coding, debugging & technical reasoning |
fast |
Anthropic | claude-haiku-4-5 | Fast, cheap tasks |
gemini / research |
gemini-2.5-pro | Research, summarization & web-grounded queries | |
gpt / writing |
OpenAI | gpt-4o | General content writing & creative tasks |
vision |
OpenAI | gpt-4o | Multi-modal vision tasks |
Elio natively processes attachments directly through the CLI context.
| File Type | Handling Strategy |
|---|---|
Images (.png, .jpg, .webp) |
Base64 encoded, sent as image block (Claude + GPT-4o support) |
PDF (.pdf) |
Base64 encoded as document block (Claude native PDF support) |
Text/Code (.py, .md, .json, etc.) |
Read as UTF-8 text, injected into message as code block |
Elio stores all local data in the ~/.elio/ directory:
~/.elio/config.toml— Theme settings, default models, context token limits.~/.elio/history.db— SQLite database containing session history.~/.elio/logs/— Application logs for debugging.
You can edit your configuration at any time by running elio config.
- "Command not found: elio"
The installer may not have updated your current terminal session. Try restarting your terminal. On Windows, you may need to restart your PC. On macOS, ensure
/usr/local/binis in your path:export PATH="$PATH:/usr/local/bin" - "Invalid API Key" error
Run
elio loginand paste the key fresh. Make sure there are no extra spaces before or after the key. - TUI looks broken in my terminal Elio requires a terminal with Unicode and 256-color support. We recommend Windows Terminal (Windows), iTerm2 (macOS), or standard Linux terminals. Avoid using the default macOS Terminal.app or legacy CMD on Windows.
- Windows: Go to Settings > Apps > Elio and click Uninstall. | Control panel > uninstall a program > find Elio > right & uninstall
- macOS: Drag Elio from Applications to Trash.
- Linux: Run
sudo apt remove elio. - Deep Clean: To completely delete all history and configs across any OS, delete the hidden
.eliofolder in your User/Home directory.
 Mitesh |
MIT
v0.2.6