Quickstart
Install Plandex
curl -sL https://plandex.ai/install.sh | bash
Click here for more installation options.
Note that Windows is supported via WSL. Plandex only works correctly on Windows in the WSL shell. It doesn't work in the Windows CMD prompt or PowerShell.
Hosting Options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Plandex Cloud | Winding down as of 10/3/2025 and no longer accepting new users. Learn more. |
| Self-hosted/Local Mode | • Run Plandex locally with Docker or host on your own server. • Use your own OpenRouter.ai key (or other model provider accounts and API keys). • Follow the local-mode quickstart to get started. |
If you're going with a 'BYO API Key' option above (whether cloud or self-hosted), decide on the model provider(s) you want to use. The quickest option is to use OpenRouter.ai, but you can also use many other providers.
If you're using OpenRouter.ai, first sign up here. Then generate an API key here. Set the OPENROUTER_API_KEY environment variable:
export OPENROUTER_API_KEY=...
Get Started
If you're starting on a new project, make a directory first:
mkdir your-project-dir
Now cd into your project's directory.
cd your-project-dir
Then just give a quick the REPL help text a quick read, and you're ready go. The REPL starts in chat mode by default, which is good for fleshing out ideas before moving to implementation. Once the task is clear, Plandex will prompt you to switch to tell mode to make a detailed plan and start writing code.
plandex
or for short:
pdx
Then just give the REPL help text a quick read, and you're ready go.