What is Context Mode?
Context Mode is a free, local plugin for 10 coding agents. It keeps tool output out of the agent's context window and keeps all usage data on your machine. A coding agent reads files, runs commands and fetches pages, and every result normally goes into its context window. Context Mode runs that work in a local sandbox, keeps the full output in a SQLite index on your machine, and gives the agent the part it asks for.
The plugin is free, with its source open on GitHub under a source-available licence. Hooks, the sandbox and search run as local processes next to the agent, and every index lives in ~/.context-mode, with one context.db per project. The README states zero telemetry and says sandbox runs, file indexing and search work offline after install.
It needs Node 24.15.0 or later and installs as the npm package and command context-mode. Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI and Qwen Code install from GitHub, and the README also covers Pi, OpenCode and Copilot CLI. On Windows you add Git for Windows, because the shell tools run in Git Bash. A separate hosted service, Context Mode Gateway, has its own account and subscription and is not part of the free plugin.
Key capabilities
- A local sandbox that runs agent work and keeps full output out of the context window.
- A SQLite index per project stored in ~/.context-mode.
- Support for 10 coding agents, including Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Qwen Code, Pi, OpenCode and Copilot CLI.
- Hooks, MCP and skills, depending on the agent.
- A "Thinking in Code" approach where the agent writes a script and only its output enters context.
- Offline operation after install and zero telemetry.
Where Context Mode fits
Context Mode fits AI-assisted development workflows that involve inspecting large logs, exploring repositories, processing command output, or consulting documentation. The agent can write a script to analyse the data and return a result, then search indexed material when further detail is needed.
Before deployment, teams should verify the selected client's hook support, runtime prerequisites, routing configuration, and session recovery behaviour. Tool connectivity alone does not establish that routing hooks are active. Local storage retention and credential passthrough also require review, since execution tools inherit environment variables and configuration paths used by authenticated command-line tools.
Install
npm install -g context-modeReviews of Context Mode
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