Choose Your Tools
You need one AI coding tool, Node.js, and a way to save your code. You do not need to understand the whole stack before opening the preview.
Choose one AI coding tool
| Tool | Ways to use it | Start here |
|---|---|---|
| Codex | Desktop app, editor extension, or terminal. | Ghoststack Codex setup |
| Claude Code | Use the Code workspace in Claude's desktop app, an editor extension, or the terminal. | Ghoststack Claude Code setup |
| Cursor | Agents Window, editor, or separate terminal agent. | Ghoststack Cursor setup |
Start with whichever one you already use or can access comfortably. All three let you describe a task, review changes, and work with the same Ghoststack files and prompts. Follow one setup guide, make a small change, and check it in the browser. Ask the agent to explain anything unfamiliar as you go.
Use your tool's current recommended coding model at first. You can switch to a more capable model for a difficult bug and a faster one for small edits. Model names and plan limits change, so this guide does not pin you to a particular release.
Before subscribing, check current plans and included usage for Codex, Claude Code, or Cursor. Ghoststack does not include an AI-tool subscription.
Each setup guide separates desktop/editor steps from terminal commands, then explains optional plugins and MCP connections. Choose one interface to begin. A normal chat window is not necessarily a coding session with access to your project; open the app folder in the tool's coding interface.
Ghoststack already includes shared project instructions. You do not need to install a plugin or turn on automatic memory to make the agent understand the starter. Project instructions, skills, and memory explains what each does.
The other tools
- Node.js runs the app on your computer. Install the current LTS version. npm, included with Node.js, installs the app's packages.
- Git saves versions of your code so you can inspect and undo changes.
- GitHub stores your repository online. You need a GitHub account to access the purchased starter and can keep your own app repository private.
- GitHub CLI (
gh) is optional: it lets your agent clone a repository and manage GitHub from the terminal. Downloading a ZIP also works.
A terminal is a place to enter commands. You can use your editor's terminal or ask your agent to run the documented commands and explain the result.
Coding AI and your app's AI are separate
Codex, Claude Code, or Cursor helps you build your app. OpenRouter lets your app's users use AI features you create. A coding subscription does not pay for your app's API calls. You can build a Ghoststack app without adding any AI feature.
How this differs from an app builder
Hosted builders can be a useful choice too; export, deployment, and integration options vary by provider. Ghoststack's approach is to start from a local, editable Next.js codebase and connect your own service accounts. That gives you direct control, with some setup and testing to learn.
Next: Install the tools, then get the app running.