smartly

smartly is a command-line interface tool that translates plain English sentences into executable shell commands for macOS and Linux.

Smartly translates English descriptions into single executable shell commands by connecting to an LLM. It is designed for terminal users who need to perform specific operations but prefer not to manually search for complex flags or syntax. The tool is directory and git-aware, sending relevant context like directory listings and branch status to the model to ensure commands are accurate to the current environment. It detects whether the system uses GNU or BSD utilities to generate compatible flags automatically. Users can choose between four execution modes, including a --learn mode that explains the command syntax without executing it. It supports Anthropic, OpenAI, or existing local CLI sessions for model access.

smartly at a glance

Best for: Software engineer
Runs on: macOS, Linux, CLI
Pricing: Free
Released: October 2026
Category: AI coding tool
Website: smartlycli.com

Key features

Translation of plain English text to shell commands
Context-aware execution using directory and git status
Auto-detection of GNU versus BSD system utilities
Interactive --learn mode to explain command components
Multiple execution safety modes including confirm and confirm-destructive
Support for OpenAI, Anthropic, and local CLI-based model providers
Dry-run mode to inspect generated commands without execution

Use it for

Killing processes listening on specific network ports
Finding and replacing text across files using sed
Cleaning up local git branches based on merge status
Searching for files sorted by size

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