Bifrost CLI | Launch Claude Code & Coding Agents Through Bifrost

Interactive terminal tool to launch Claude Code, Codex CLI, Gemini CLI, and Opencode through Bifrost gateway with automatic configuration, MCP integration, and secure credential storage.

Key Features

  • AutomaticZero-config setup. Bifrost CLI handles all technical setup automatically, including base URLs, API keys, and model settings. No manual configuration files or environment variables to manage.
  • Multi-sessionTabbed session management. Work with multiple coding agents simultaneously in a persistent tabbed interface. Switch between sessions, open new tabs, or close existing ones using simple keyboard shortcuts.
  • MCP readyNative MCP integration. When launching Claude Code, Bifrost CLI automatically registers Bifrost's MCP server, making configured tools immediately available without manual setup.
  • OS keyringSecure credential storage. Virtual keys are stored securely in your OS keyring (macOS Keychain, Windows Credential Manager, or Linux Secret Service) rather than plaintext files.

Setup Steps

  1. 01Install Bifrost CLI. Launch Bifrost CLI with a single npx command. No global installation required. Works with Node.js 18+ and connects to your running Bifrost gateway.
    Install Bifrost CLI
    npx -y @maximhq/bifrost-cli
  2. 02Configure gateway. Enter your Bifrost gateway URL (default: localhost:8080), optionally provide a virtual key, and the CLI will fetch available models and configure everything automatically.
    Configure gateway
    # CLI prompts you for:
# 1. Gateway URL
# 2. Virtual key (optional)
# 3. Select agent (Claude Code, etc)
# 4. Choose model
# 5. Review and launch
  3. 03Launch and code. Select your preferred coding agent and model through the guided setup. Bifrost CLI installs missing agents via npm automatically and launches your session with full MCP integration.
    Launch and code
    # Session starts with:
# - Tabbed terminal interface
# - Activity badges (active/idle status)
# - MCP tools auto-registered
# - Keyboard shortcuts enabled

CLI Features

  • Smart agent switching. Switch between Claude Code, Codex CLI, Gemini CLI, and Opencode before launching. The CLI remembers your previous selections across sessions.
  • Virtual key management. Securely store and manage virtual keys for different teams or projects. Keys are encrypted in your OS keyring and never touch plaintext files.
  • Session activity badges. Visual indicators show session status at a glance with clear markers for active processing, idle sessions, and alerts that need attention.
  • Persistent configuration. Settings stored in ~/.bifrost/config.json include gateway URL, default agent, and model preferences. Use -config flag for custom config paths.
  • Git worktree support. Create isolated git worktrees for Claude Code using the -worktree flag, keeping experimental changes separate from your main branch.
  • Auto-install missing agents. Don't have Claude Code or Codex CLI installed? Bifrost CLI automatically installs missing agents via npm when you select them.

Enterprise Benefits

  • Enterprise-grade security. All coding agent traffic routes through Bifrost gateway, applying guardrails, PII redaction, and content policies transparently.
  • Multi-provider routing. Access 1000+ models through a single interface. Switch between Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, and more without reconfiguring your agent.
  • Centralized observability. Every request from your coding agents is logged with full metadata including user, team, model, and latency. Export to any observability stack.

Open Source & Enterprise

OSS Features

  • 01Model Catalog. Access 8+ providers and 1000+ AI models through a unified interface. Also supports custom deployed models.
  • 02Budgeting. Set spending limits and track costs across teams, projects, and models.
  • 03Provider Fallback. Automatic failover between providers ensures 99.99% uptime for your applications.
  • 04MCP Gateway. Centralize all MCP tool connections, governance, security, and auth. Your AI can safely use MCP tools with centralized policy enforcement. [MCP Gateway resource]
  • 05Virtual Key Management. Create different virtual keys for different use cases with independent budgets and access control.
  • 06Unified Interface. One consistent API for all providers. Switch models without changing code.
  • 07Drop-in Replacement. Replace your existing SDK with just one line change. Compatible with OpenAI, Anthropic, LiteLLM, Google GenAI, LangChain, and more. [Drop-in replacement docs]
  • 08Built-in Observability. Out-of-the-box OpenTelemetry support. Built-in dashboard for quick visibility without complex setup.
  • 09Community Support. Active Discord community with responsive support and regular updates.

Enterprise Features

  • 01Governance. SAML support for SSO and role-based access control with policy enforcement for team collaboration. [Governance resource]
  • 02Adaptive Load Balancing. Automatically optimizes traffic distribution across provider keys and models based on real-time performance metrics.
  • 03Cluster Mode. High availability deployment with automatic failover and load balancing. Peer-to-peer clustering where every instance is equal.
  • 04Alerts. Real-time notifications for budget limits, failures, and performance issues on Email, Slack, PagerDuty, Teams, Webhook, and more.
  • 05Log Exports. Export and analyze request logs, traces, and telemetry data from Bifrost with enterprise-grade data export for compliance, monitoring, and analytics.
  • 06Audit Logs. Comprehensive logging and audit trails for compliance and debugging.
  • 07Vault Support. Secure API key management with HashiCorp Vault, AWS Secrets Manager, Google Secret Manager, and Azure Key Vault integration.
  • 08VPC Deployment. Deploy Bifrost within your private cloud infrastructure with VPC isolation, custom networking, and enhanced security controls. [Enterprise deployment resource]
  • 09Guardrails. Automatically detect and block unsafe model outputs with real-time policy enforcement and content moderation across all agents. [Guardrails resource]

FAQ

What coding agents does Bifrost CLI support?

Bifrost CLI supports popular coding agents like Claude Code, Codex CLI, Gemini CLI, and Opencode. All agents work seamlessly with the Bifrost gateway for multi-provider routing and enterprise controls. [Bifrost CLI]

How does MCP integration work with Claude Code?

When launching Claude Code through Bifrost CLI, the CLI automatically registers Bifrost's MCP server, making all configured tools immediately available. This includes filesystem tools, database connectors, and custom integrations without any manual configuration on your part. [MCP server]

Where are credentials and configuration stored?

Virtual keys are stored securely in your operating system keyring (macOS Keychain, Windows Credential Manager, or Linux Secret Service). Configuration settings like gateway URL and default preferences are stored in ~/.bifrost/config.json. You can specify custom config paths with the -config flag.

Can I use Bifrost CLI with multiple projects or teams?

Yes. Bifrost CLI supports virtual keys, allowing you to create separate credentials for different teams or projects. You can also use the -config flag to maintain different configuration files, and the -worktree flag to create isolated git environments for each project. Read more about virtual keys. [Read more about virtual keys]