I built a local-first AI CLI to replace Copilot (using Ollama)

I built a local-first AI CLI to replace Copilot (using Ollama)

Like a lot of developers, I hit a point where I was paying for tools I used daily… but didn’t fully control.

I wanted:

• something fast


• something private


• something that lived in my terminal


• something I didn’t have to pay for every month

So I built Billy.sh.

👉 https://jd4rider.github.io/billy-web/

🧠 What is Billy.sh?

Billy.sh is a local-first AI CLI assistant powered by Ollama.

It gives you a Copilot-like experience directly in your terminal — without sending your code to external APIs.

⚡ What it can do

• Turn natural language into shell commands
  


• Generate and explain code
  


• Help with debugging workflows
  


• Run entirely offline (after models are installed)
  


• Provide a clean terminal UI (TUI) experience
  

🖥️ Built for the terminal (not bolted onto it)

One thing that always bothered me about AI tools is how they feel added on.

Billy.sh is different — it’s built to live in the terminal.

It uses:

• 
  Bubble Tea for the TUI
  


• 
  Lip Gloss for styling
  


• A workflow-first CLI design
  

The goal wasn’t just functionality — it was feel.

🔐 Why local-first matters

Most AI tools today:

• require API keys
  


• send your code to external services
  


• charge monthly subscriptions
  

Billy.sh flips that:

• ✅ Runs locally
  


• ✅ No API keys
  


• ✅ No subscriptions
  


• ✅ Your data stays on your machine
  

⚙️ Tech stack

• Go (CLI + architecture)


• Bubble Tea + Lip Gloss (TUI)


• Ollama (local LLM runtime)

🚧 What’s next

This is still early, but I’m actively working on:

• Plugin-style extensibility
  


• Better workflow automation
  


• Improved Linux/Windows support
  


• Smarter command execution flows
  

💬 Why I’m sharing this

I built this for myself — but I know I’m not the only one who wants:

• less SaaS dependency
  


• more control
  


• better terminal-native tools
  

If that’s you, I’d love your feedback.

🔗 Links

• Website: https://jd4rider.github.io/billy-web/
  


• Docs: https://jd4rider.github.io/billy-starlight/
  


• GitHub: https://github.com/jd4rider/billy-app
  

🙌 Feedback welcome

If you try it out, let me know:

• what works


• what’s confusing


• what you wish it did

This is just the beginning.