glaze-coder

Build, edit and run Glaze (by Raycast) Mac apps from Claude Code or ZCode for free. You point your own coding tool at the app's source and build it on your machine, so editing and building never spend Glaze credits.

Glaze builds Mac apps with a built-in AI agent, and that agent is what costs credits. But every Glaze app is a normal project on disk, and Glaze lets you edit the source yourself. glaze-coder wires your own coding tool into that source and builds it locally with the Node runtime Glaze already ships. Nothing goes back to Glaze's agent, so nothing costs credits.

What you can do

• Create a new Mac app from a one-line description and open it in Claude Code, ready to build.
• Describe the changes you want in plain language and let Claude Code write the code.
• Open the source in your own editor when you want to change something by hand.
• Run a live dev server with reload while you work.
• Build the finished app and launch it, all on your machine.
• Publish to the Glaze Store when you are happy with it.

Creating, editing and building cost nothing in Glaze credits. Only Glaze's own AI agent does, and glaze-coder never calls it.

What you get

• A skill (glaze-app-dev) that teaches Claude Code the Glaze project layout, the build and run steps, and the safety rules. It also reads the guide and skills that ship with your own Glaze install, so it stays in step with your version.
• A command (/glaze-coder:glaze) that lists your apps and starts building.
• A launcher (glaze-dev) for the terminal and Raycast, with short commands to create, edit, build, run and remove apps.

Choose your coding tool

glaze-coder works with two coding tools, and you pick which one each time:

• Claude Code, using your own Claude subscription.
• ZCode by z.ai, using your GLM Coding Plan.

When both are installed, glaze-dev code and glaze-dev start ask which one you want. To skip the question, pass --tool claude or --tool zcode, or set GLAZE_CODER to claude or zcode. In Raycast, the New App and Edit App commands have a tool dropdown.

Either way it stays free on the Glaze side. The Glaze skills are linked into both ~/.claude and ~/.zcode, so both tools know how Glaze apps are built.

Requirements

• macOS (Tahoe or newer) on Apple Silicon, with Glaze installed and at least one app.
• At least one coding tool: Claude Code with claude on your PATH, or ZCode installed.

Install

Easiest: download the installer

Download glaze-coder-installer.dmg from the latest release and open it. Right-click "Install glaze-coder.command" and choose Open, then click Open again in the warning. A Terminal window opens and asks which parts you want:

• The core glaze-dev command is always installed.
• Glaze skills for Claude Code (recommended).
• The Claude Code plugin /glaze-coder:glaze (recommended).
• Raycast commands (optional, only if you use Raycast).

Press Enter to accept the suggestion for each one. The warning appears only the first time, because the installer is not signed with a paid Apple certificate. The DMG contains a READ ME FIRST file with the same steps.

One command

If you are comfortable with the terminal, paste this line and press Enter instead. It does the same thing.

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/GaimsDevSoftware/glaze-coder/main/install.sh | zsh

Either way, that is all you need. If you would rather set things up by hand, see Other ways to install below.

Get started in three steps

1. Create an app and open your coding tool in it:

   glaze-dev start "Habit Tracker"

   If you have both Claude Code and ZCode, it asks which one to use. Add --tool claude or --tool zcode to choose up front.

2. Describe what the app should do. For example: "Track daily habits with a checklist, and show a streak counter." Your coding tool writes and edits the code for you.

3. Build it and open it:

   glaze-dev br "Habit Tracker"

Repeat step 2 and 3 as often as you like. When the app is ready, publish it to the Glaze Store from Glaze itself.

Commands

glaze-dev start "My App"     Create a new app and open Claude Code in it
glaze-dev new   "My App"     Create a new app (no editor)
glaze-dev list               List your Glaze apps
glaze-dev code  <app>        Open Claude Code in an app's source
glaze-dev dev   <app>        Start the dev server (live reload)
glaze-dev build <app>        Build the app locally
glaze-dev run   <app>        Open the built app
glaze-dev br    <app>        Build then run
glaze-dev rm    <app>        Remove an app (bundle, source, profile)

<app> matches on the folder name or the product name, so a partial name works.

Other ways to install

Claude Code plugin

The one-command installer does this for you when claude is on your PATH. To do it by hand from inside Claude Code:

/plugin marketplace add GaimsDevSoftware/glaze-coder
/plugin install glaze-coder

This gives you the glaze-app-dev skill and the /glaze-coder:glaze command. It works the same in the Claude Code terminal and in the desktop app.

Raycast

Raycast can only add a script folder from its own settings, so this step needs one click. Run:

glaze-dev raycast

That copies the folder path and opens Raycast. Then:

1. Raycast Settings, Extensions, Script Commands, Add Directories.
2. In the file picker press Cmd+Shift+G, paste the path, press Enter, then Open.

You now have three Raycast commands, none of which need a terminal:

• "Glaze: New App" builds a new app and opens it.
• "Glaze: Build & Run" builds an app and opens it.
• "Glaze: Edit App" asks where to open the edit session, then launches Claude Code there. A small window lists the terminals you have installed (Terminal, iTerm, Ghostty, kitty, Alacritty, WezTerm), plus Auto (your running or last-used terminal) and Claude Code (Desktop app) if Claude.app is installed. Pick one and it opens Claude Code on the app's source. To force a terminal from a script, set GLAZE_TERMINAL=iterm|ghostty|kitty and so on.

How it works

A Glaze app lives in ~/Library/Application Support/app.glaze.macos.main/apps/<app>/. Inside, .glaze-sources/ holds the source you can edit: a React and Vite renderer, a Node backend, and a package.json. npm run build compiles it with the @glaze/core SDK and the Node runtime Glaze bundles, so no request goes to Glaze and no credits are spent. The installed app in /Applications/Glaze/<App>.app finds the built code through a symlink, which is how glaze-dev new can create a working app on its own.

Good to know

• Apps made by new and start are ad-hoc signed for your own use.
• Publishing to the Glaze Store still needs a Glaze account, but publishing does not cost credits.
• Manual edits are not saved in Glaze's version history. Send one small prompt to Glaze's agent if you want a checkpoint there.
• You own your app and its code, so this is a supported way to work on your own project.

FAQ

What is glaze-coder? A Claude Code plugin, skill and Raycast launcher for building, editing and running Glaze (Raycast) Mac apps with your own Claude, instead of spending Glaze credits.

Can I really build Glaze apps without spending credits? Yes. Editing the source and running npm run build happen on your machine with the Node runtime Glaze already bundles. Glaze's own AI agent is what spends credits, and glaze-coder never calls it. Publishing to the Glaze Store needs a Glaze account but does not cost credits.

Do I need to know how to code? No. You describe the app to Claude Code in plain words and it writes the code. You can also open the source and edit it yourself when you want to.

Can I use ZCode instead of Claude Code? Yes. glaze-coder works with both Claude Code and ZCode by z.ai. When both are installed it asks which one to use, or you can set it with --tool claude / --tool zcode or the GLAZE_CODER variable. The Glaze skills are linked into both ~/.claude and ~/.zcode, so ZCode gets the same Glaze knowledge. ZCode runs on your GLM Coding Plan.

Which model should I use? Any model your coding tool offers will work. Stronger models tend to produce better app code, but glaze-coder behaves the same whichever you pick.

Does it work in both the terminal and the desktop app? Yes. The plugin and the /glaze-coder:glaze command work the same in the Claude Code terminal and desktop app. The Raycast "Edit App" command can open a terminal, the Claude Code desktop app, or the ZCode desktop app.

What do I need installed? macOS (Tahoe or newer) on Apple Silicon, Glaze with at least one app, and Claude Code with claude on your PATH.

Is this allowed? Yes. You own your app and its code, and Glaze supports editing the source yourself. glaze-coder just automates that.

License

MIT