FauxPilot vs Tabby
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A self-hosted server that aims to stand in for GitHub Copilot, running code models on your own GPU.
Open source · MIT
A terminal emulator with built-in SSH, Telnet and serial clients for Windows, macOS and Linux.
The short answer
Choose FauxPilot if you need…
- Developers with an NVIDIA GPU who want to keep their code on their own machines
- Teams experimenting with self-hosted code completion
- Users who already run Docker and are comfortable with server setup
- People who want to connect editors or tools through an OpenAI-style or REST API
Choose Tabby if you need…
- Developers who keep many SSH sessions open and want them saved and organized
- People who connect to serial devices such as embedded boards and need a built-in serial terminal
- Windows users who want PowerShell, WSL, Git-Bash or CMD in one tabbed window
- Users who want to transfer files over SSH sessions via Zmodem
Side-by-side
| FauxPilot | Tabby | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Dev tool | App |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 14.7k | 75.3k |
| Setup difficulty | Advanced | Beginner |
| How you get it | Clone and build from source | Download the app |
| Main language | Python | TypeScript |
| Last code update | 3 years ago | 4 days ago |
What each one is
FauxPilot
FauxPilot is an attempt to build a locally hosted alternative to GitHub Copilot. It runs SalesForce CodeGen models on NVIDIA's Triton Inference Server with the FasterTransformer backend, so code suggestions are generated on your own hardware instead of a cloud service. People use it when they want Copilot-style completions without sending code to a third party.
Tabby
Tabby is a terminal app you open to run commands on your computer or on remote machines. It combines a terminal emulator with an SSH and Telnet connection manager, a serial terminal for hardware, and a split-pane, tabbed interface. People use it as an alternative to the default Windows terminal, PuTTY, or macOS Terminal.app.
Best for
FauxPilot
- Developers with an NVIDIA GPU who want to keep their code on their own machines
- Teams experimenting with self-hosted code completion
- Users who already run Docker and are comfortable with server setup
- People who want to connect editors or tools through an OpenAI-style or REST API
Tabby
- Developers who keep many SSH sessions open and want them saved and organized
- People who connect to serial devices such as embedded boards and need a built-in serial terminal
- Windows users who want PowerShell, WSL, Git-Bash or CMD in one tabbed window
- Users who want to transfer files over SSH sessions via Zmodem
Strengths
FauxPilot
- Runs locally, so code does not have to leave your own infrastructure
- Uses established components: Triton Inference Server and FasterTransformer
- Open source under the MIT license with a large following (14,668 stars shown)
Tabby
- Combines SSH, Telnet and serial clients in one app
- Highly configurable themes, colors and multi-chord shortcuts
- Supports many shells on Windows, including PowerShell, WSL, Git-Bash and CMD
Not ideal for
FauxPilot
- People without an NVIDIA GPU, since the README lists one as a requirement
- Users who want a polished, supported product; the README states there is no formal support or warranty
- Anyone needing a guaranteed-current model lineup, since the last push shown is April 2024
Tabby
- People who need a very low memory footprint, since the README says Tabby is not lightweight and points to Alacritty or ConEmu for that
- Users who want a new shell or a replacement for MinGW or Cygwin, which the README says Tabby is not
- People who need a terminal that runs only in a browser, although a separate web app exists
Trade-offs
FauxPilot
- Requires an NVIDIA GPU with Compute Capability 6.0 or higher and enough VRAM for the chosen model
- Setup involves Docker, nvidia-docker, and model download and conversion steps
- The README gives no formal support, and the last push shown is from April 2024
Tabby
- The README states it is not lightweight in RAM usage
- Some features, such as tab completion on Windows, depend on an extra tool (Clink)
- Extra functions come from third-party plugins of varying maintenance status
Getting started
FauxPilot
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/fauxpilot/fauxpilotTabby
Download the latest release from the releases page
git clone https://github.com/Eugeny/tabbyFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between FauxPilot and Tabby?
FauxPilot: A self-hosted server that aims to stand in for GitHub Copilot, running code models on your own GPU. Tabby: A terminal emulator with built-in SSH, Telnet and serial clients for Windows, macOS and Linux. FauxPilot suits developers with an nvidia gpu who want to keep their code on their own machines, while Tabby suits developers who keep many ssh sessions open and want them saved and organized.
Are FauxPilot and Tabby free?
FauxPilot: Free and open source. Tabby: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, FauxPilot or Tabby?
Tabby is easier to get started with (rated beginner); FauxPilot is rated advanced and usually needs more setup.
Is FauxPilot or Tabby more popular?
Tabby has more GitHub stars (75.3k) than FauxPilot (14.7k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to FauxPilot and Tabby?
Other options people compare them with include Ollama.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.