> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.9thprotocol.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Introduction

> 9th Protocol is an agentic coding CLI that runs in your terminal, on whichever model fits the task.

## What 9p is

`9p` is a coding agent that works directly in your terminal and on your real
codebase. It reads files, edits them, runs commands, searches, spawns
sub-agents, and streams everything back as it happens.

The difference from other agents is **model choice**. 9p routes through
[OpenRouter](https://openrouter.ai), so a single subscription reaches Fable 5,
Opus, Sonnet, GPT-5.3 Codex, Kimi, GLM, DeepSeek, Qwen, Gemini and more — and by
default an [Auto router](/models) picks the right one for each turn, so routine
work runs on cheap models and hard work escalates only when it needs to.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Install it" icon="terminal" href="/installation">
    One npm install, then `9p login`.
  </Card>

  <Card title="First session" icon="play" href="/quickstart">
    Run your first task in about a minute.
  </Card>

  <Card title="How models are chosen" icon="shuffle" href="/models">
    Auto routing, bias settings, and pinning a model.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Give it memory" icon="brain" href="/memory">
    `9P.md` and Obsidian-style vaults.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## How it's priced

Usage is metered in **credits**, where **1 credit = \$0.01 of raw model cost**.
There is no markup baked into the model choice — an expensive model simply burns
credits faster than a cheap one. Every turn shows which model ran and what it
cost, and the [dashboard](https://app.9thprotocol.com) aggregates by model, day,
and session.

See [Plans](/plans) and [Credits](/credits) for the ladder and limits.

<Note>
  Prefer to use your own OpenRouter key? **BYOK** is a flat monthly fee, your key
  never touches our servers, and calls go direct. See [Authentication](/authentication).
</Note>

## What's in the box

| Capability                                           | Where                                          |
| ---------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
| File tools, bash, glob, grep, with permission gating | [Using 9p](/cli) · [Permissions](/permissions) |
| Parallel sub-agents for search and unattended work   | [Sub-agents](/sub-agents)                      |
| Standing instructions and project knowledge          | [Memory](/memory) · [Vault](/vault)            |
| Reusable workflows you invoke with `/name`           | [Skills](/skills)                              |
| Any MCP server's tools                               | [MCP](/mcp)                                    |
| VS Code panel and a local browser session            | [VS Code](/vscode) · [`9p serve`](/serve)      |
| Build your own agent on the engine                   | [SDK](/sdk)                                    |

## Status

9th Protocol is in **private beta**. The CLI, dashboard, and API are functional
end-to-end; payments, team plans, and voice input are the next milestone. Numbers
in [Plans](/plans) are being calibrated against real beta usage and may move
before general availability.