Every Agent gets the same library: the folders you opened, the text prepared from difficult formats, search, and bounded file operations. You choose where the Agent runs.
In the app: Chat
The Agent picker in the Chat composer offers three runtimes.
| Runtime | Needs | Account |
|---|---|---|
| Default Agent | Nothing to install; fallback when you cannot use Claude Code or Codex | StashBase sign-in; free credits on an allowance that resets every 7 days |
| Claude Code | The Claude Code CLI | Your Anthropic subscription or API key |
| Codex | The Codex CLI | Your ChatGPT sign-in |
Use Default Agent as a fallback if you cannot use Claude Code or Codex. It sends prompts and necessary context through StashBase’s hosted model gateway. Its credits do not cover search by meaning, which requires your own OpenAI or OpenRouter key.
Hemmingway is a writing skill, not a runtime. Ask your agent for a draft and it writes with Hemmingway-1, an open-weight model trained to write the way a person does. Like Default Agent, the skill sends prompts and necessary context through StashBase’s hosted model gateway, so you need no Hemmingway account. It is free for a limited time. Its makers call it English-first. You can try the model in your browser first.
Claude Code and Codex use your existing provider account. When the CLI is missing, StashBase shows Install and continue; Codex then asks you to Sign in with ChatGPT. StashBase wires their MCP connection during that setup, so nothing needs to be pasted. Settings → Agents shows each runtime’s status.
Scope and instructions
- Chat works across the Library or within one folder. Choose the folder when asking for Wiki work.
- Type
@to insert a file or folder path. - Agent Instructions in the Chat toolbar adds guidance for that scope.
StashBase stores it; it does not create or rewrite
AGENTS.mdorCLAUDE.mdin your folders. - Tool calls and file edits show in the Chat for review.
External MCP clients
Any MCP-capable client can use the same library while StashBase is running. Open Settings → MCP, copy the Local command or the MCP JSON configuration, and register it in the client:
- Claude Desktop: paste the JSON snippet into its config file and restart.
- Claude Code in a terminal:
claude mcp add stashbase -- ~/.stashbase/bin/stashbase-mcp(%USERPROFILE%\.stashbase\bin\stashbase-mcp.cmdon Windows). - Codex CLI: add the same command under
[mcp_servers.stashbase]in~/.codex/config.toml. - Server-side clients that cannot launch a local command: Settings → MCP → Server connection shows a Streamable HTTP URL and bearer token.
The client gets library_info, search_library, reindex, and file
helpers that work inside opened folders only. MCP is not a general
filesystem interface. The
MCP configuration reference
covers Docker access, ports, and token rotation.
Which one?
- Building and maintaining a Wiki from inside the app: Claude Code or Codex with your existing provider account; Default Agent is a fallback.
- Drafting emails, messages and other everyday prose in English that should read as written by a person: any agent, with the Hemmingway skill.
- Coding in a terminal with the library as extra context: Claude Code or Codex with the MCP server added.
- Chatting in Claude Desktop or another app: connect it over MCP. The library stays where it is.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a Claude or ChatGPT subscription to use StashBase?
No. If you have neither, sign in to StashBase and use the built-in Default Agent, which comes with free credits on an allowance that resets every 7 days. Browsing, editing and keyword search need no account at all.
Does StashBase charge extra for Claude Code or Codex?
No. They run on the Anthropic or ChatGPT account you already have, and StashBase adds no fee on top. Your plan's usage limits, or your API pricing, still apply.
Can I write with Hemmingway-1 in StashBase?
Yes. Hemmingway is a writing skill your agent uses: ask for a draft and it writes with the open-weight Hemmingway-1 model through StashBase's hosted model gateway, so you sign in to StashBase and need no Hemmingway account. It is free for a limited time. You can try the model first in the free demo at stashbase.ai/try/hemmingway-1/.
Can an agent read files outside the folders I opened?
No. Agent file operations are limited to the folders in your Library, and an external MCP client reaches only the project you select and authorize. MCP in StashBase is not a general filesystem interface.
Can I use Cursor or another MCP client?
Yes. Any MCP-capable client can use the same library while StashBase is running. Copy the local command or the MCP JSON configuration from Settings → MCP and register it in the client.