grepai is a privacy-first CLI tool that performs semantic code search locally using vector embeddings, supports tracing call graphs, and integrates with various embedding providers. It emphasizes 100% local operation, real-time indexing, and compatibility with Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, and MCP servers.
Collecting history — the radar snapshots this repo daily. The trend line appears after 3 days of data (1 so far).
What it is
grepai is a privacy-first CLI for semantic code search. It uses vector embeddings to understand code meaning, enabling natural language queries that find relevant code and trace call graphs. It operates 100% locally, with a file watcher to keep the index fresh and supports AI agents through MCP server integration.
How it works
The tool relies on embeddings from providers (Ollama, LM Studio, or OpenAI) to semantically search code. It can index a project, watch for changes, and allow semantic search, tracing of callers, and compatibility with AI agents.
Getting started
Installation Homebrew (macOS):
brew install yoanbernabeu/tap/grepai
Linux/macOS:
curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/yoanbernabeu/grepai/main/install.sh | sh
Windows (PowerShell):
irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/yoanbernabeu/grepai/main/install.ps1 | iex
Requires an embedding provider — Ollama (default), LM Studio, or OpenAI.
Ollama (recommended):
ollama pull nomic-embed-text
Quick Start
grepai init # Initialize in your project
grepai watch # Start indexing daemon
grepai search "error handling" # Search semantically
grepai trace callers "Login" # Find who calls a function
Getting started (continued)
The README provides a quick start sequence to initialize a project, start indexing, perform semantic search, and trace call graphs. It also notes shell completion setups for Zsh, Bash, Fish, and PowerShell to enable autocompletion for commands and dynamic values.
Recent releases
Releases show ongoing development with versioned updates such as v0.35.0 (2026-03-16) introducing features around privacy-first gains tracking, and prior updates including a Bubble Tea TUI for watch/status/trace/init/workspace and a path-filter feature for the search backend. Specific changelog entries include:
- v0.35.0: adds privacy-first gains tracking feature.
- v0.34.0: adds Bubble Tea TUI for watch, status, trace, init, and workspace.
- v0.33.0: adds --path filter with backend pushdown.
- v0.32.1/v0.32.0: embedding provider improvements (Synthetic and OpenRouter) and version bumps.
Traction
The repository has 1806 stars and 149 forks. There are 96 open issues. These numbers are current per the FACTS block.
Behind the repo
Not applicable to this entry since there is no linked startup/company information beyond the project repository.
Caveats
License: MIT. Created 2026-01-09. Last push 2026-06-22. Language: C. Open issues: 96.