# FAQ

> Short answers to what a newcomer asks first, each with the page that has the detail.

Source: https://nodecode.ai/docs/faq
Updated: 2026-10-07

## What does it cost?

Nodecode is free, under the MIT license. It runs on your own provider key and the provider bills you; `/usage` reports the spend. A hosted model is sold separately: see [Pricing](https://nodecode.ai/pricing). Keys: [Models and providers](https://nodecode.ai/docs/models).

## Which models and providers work?

Any provider that speaks one of four wire dialects: `openai-completions`, `openai-responses`, `anthropic` or `google`. `/connect` saves a key for a provider from the models.dev catalog, and a local server works through `base_url`. See [Models and providers](https://nodecode.ai/docs/models).

## Which platforms?

Linux x86_64 with glibc 2.38 or newer, macOS 15 or newer on Apple Silicon, and Windows x86_64. No build exists for arm64 Linux or Intel Macs. See [Current support](https://nodecode.ai/docs/support).

## Where does my data live?

In the home, `~/.nodecode/`: the config, your keys, the store of every session, the cells and what the agent kept. What a turn sends goes to the provider you chose. See [Files](https://nodecode.ai/docs/files).

## What can the model touch on my machine?

Everything your user account can. `eval` runs Lisp and shell commands with full host authority, and Nodecode ships no sandbox. Run it in a container before you leave it working alone. See [Safety and trust](https://nodecode.ai/docs/security).

## How is it different from other coding agents?

The model has one tool, `eval`, which evaluates Lisp in the running Nodecode. What it defines runs at once and is kept: one file per definition, committed with git, loaded at every start. See [Eval and the layer](https://nodecode.ai/docs/eval).

## How do I undo something it kept?

A top-level `(fmakunbound 'name)` forgets a kept function. `git revert` in the layer's folder and a restart undo a whole change. `/undo` rewinds the last turn; in the shell it also restores the files it changed in the session's folder. See [Eval and the layer](https://nodecode.ai/docs/eval#inspect-and-undo).

## How do I update?

An installed build updates itself by default. `nodecode update` moves to the latest release now, and `nodecode --version` names the build you run. See [Updates](https://nodecode.ai/docs/updates).

## How do I uninstall?

No uninstall command exists. On Linux and macOS, run `nodecode gateway off`, then delete `~/.local/share/nodecode/` and `~/.local/bin/nodecode`. On Windows, delete `%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\nodecode\` and its user PATH entry. Delete `~/.nodecode/` only to remove your sessions, keys and definitions too. See [Install](https://nodecode.ai/docs/install#where-files-land).

## Can it run without a terminal?

Yes. `nodecode gateway on` keeps it running in the background and at login on Linux and macOS. On Windows, keep `nodecode serve` open in a terminal. See [The gateway](https://nodecode.ai/docs/gateway).

## Where do I get help?

Run `/doctor`. It lists what is missing and prints a fix for each problem. To ask a person, write to [hi@nodecode.ai](mailto:hi@nodecode.ai). See [Troubleshooting](https://nodecode.ai/docs/troubleshooting).