fx vs grok-build
Terminal coding agents compared
fx and grok-build are coding agents for working with codebases from the terminal, and both support ACP integrations and MCP servers. fx emphasizes Unix-style commands and WebAssembly embedding, while grok-build adds a full-screen interface, web search, and headless workflows for scripts and CI.
fx: Run a Unix-Style Coding Agent in Your Terminal
fx is a native Zig coding-agent CLI with an interactive shell, one-shot requests, and embedding options. It suits developers who want an extensible, model-agnostic agent that fits terminal workflows rather than a full-screen IDE.
grok-build: Run an AI Coding Agent in Your Terminal
Grok Build is a Rust-based terminal coding agent that can inspect and edit a codebase, run shell commands, and handle longer tasks. It supports interactive use, scripting, and editor integration through ACP.
| fx | grok-build | |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Zig | Rust |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Stars | 3.3k | 27.3k |
| Forks | 368 | 5.1k |
| Last analyzed | Oct 4, 2026 | Oct 9, 2026 |
Key differences
- fx is written in Zig; grok-build is written in Rust.
- fx offers an interactive shell and one-shot `fx ask`; grok-build provides a full-screen terminal UI with mouse interaction and headless operation.
- fx supports several model providers and OpenAI-compatible endpoints; grok-build's described capabilities focus on code editing, shell execution, web search, and long-running tasks.
- fx offers a WebAssembly SDK for embedding agent-core or terminal interfaces; grok-build includes a runtime with workspace tools and checkpoints.
- fx is marked experimental, and its README advises using it at your own risk; grok-build's repository is periodically synced from a monorepo, and external contributions are not accepted.
- Both use the Apache-2.0 license. The supplied figures list 3.3k stars and 368 forks for fx, and 27.2k stars and 5.1k forks for grok-build.
Choose fx if you…
- want a Unix-style agent with both interactive and one-shot terminal workflows.
- need to connect to supported subscriptions, gateways, or OpenAI-compatible endpoints.
- plan to embed an agent through a WebAssembly SDK.
Choose grok-build if you…
- want a full-screen terminal interface with mouse interaction.
- need headless agent workflows for scripts or CI, or want to search the web while working on code.
- need runtime and workspace tools for longer coding tasks.
Compare the numbers side by side, or add more projects
This comparison is generated with AI from the OSRepos analyses of both projects. Always check each project's repository and documentation before choosing.