---
title: "rtk"
type: "tool"
slug: "rtk-ai-rtk"
canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/tools/rtk-ai-rtk"
github_url: "https://github.com/rtk-ai/rtk"
homepage_url: "https://www.rtk-ai.app"
stars: 69253
forks: 4291
primary_language: "Rust"
license: "Apache-2.0"
categories: ["inference-serving", "developer-tools"]
tags: ["cli-proxy", "large-language-models", "rust-program", "token-optimization"]
updated_at: "2026-07-07T19:00:44.191664+00:00"
---

# rtk

> CLI proxy reducing LLM token consumption by 60-90%

RTK is a high-performance CLI proxy written in Rust that significantly reduces the number of tokens consumed by Large Language Models (LLMs) when executing common development commands.

## Facts

- Repository: https://github.com/rtk-ai/rtk
- Homepage: https://www.rtk-ai.app
- Stars: 69,253 · Forks: 4,291 · Open issues: 1,503 · Watchers: 166
- Primary language: Rust
- License: Apache-2.0
- Last pushed: 2026-07-07T09:49:20+00:00

## Categories

- [Inference & Serving](/categories/inference-serving.md)
- [Developer Tools](/categories/developer-tools.md)

## Tags

cli proxy, large language models, rust program, token optimization

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## README (excerpt)

```text
<p align="center">
  <img src="https://avatars.githubusercontent.com/u/258253854?v=4" alt="RTK - Rust Token Killer" width="500">
</p>

<p align="center">
  <strong>High-performance CLI proxy that reduces LLM token consumption by 60-90%</strong>
</p>

<p align="center">
  <a href="https://github.com/rtk-ai/rtk/actions"><img src="https://github.com/rtk-ai/rtk/workflows/Security%20Check/badge.svg" alt="CI"></a>
  <a href="https://github.com/rtk-ai/rtk/releases"><img src="https://img.shields.io/github/v/release/rtk-ai/rtk" alt="Release"></a>
  <a href="https://opensource.org/licenses/Apache-2.0"><img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/License-Apache_2.0-blue.svg" alt="License: Apache 2.0"></a>
  <a href="https://discord.gg/RySmvNF5kF"><img src="https://img.shields.io/discord/1470188214710046894?label=Discord&logo=discord" alt="Discord"></a>
  <a href="https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/rtk"><img src="https://img.shields.io/homebrew/v/rtk" alt="Homebrew"></a>
</p>

<p align="center">
  <a href="https://www.rtk-ai.app">Website</a> &bull;
  <a href="#installation">Install</a> &bull;
  <a href="https://www.rtk-ai.app/guide/troubleshooting">Troubleshooting</a> &bull;
  <a href="docs/contributing/ARCHITECTURE.md">Architecture</a> &bull;
  <a href="https://discord.gg/RySmvNF5kF">Discord</a>
</p>

<p align="center">
  <a href="README.md">English</a> &bull;
  <a href="README_fr.md">Francais</a> &bull;
  <a href="README_zh.md">中文</a> &bull;
  <a href="README_ja.md">日本語</a> &bull;
  <a href="README_ko.md">한국어</a> &bull;
  <a href="README_es.md">Espanol</a> &bull;
  <a href="README_pt.md">Português</a>
</p>

---

rtk filters and compresses command outputs before they reach your LLM context. Single Rust binary, 100+ supported commands, <10ms overhead.

## Token Savings (30-min Claude Code Session)

| Operation | Frequency | Standard | rtk | Savings |
|-----------|-----------|----------|-----|---------|
| `ls` / `tree` | 10x | 2,000 | 400 | -80% |
| `cat` / `read` | 20x | 40,000 | 12,000 | -70% |
| `grep` / `rg` | 8x | 16,000 | 3,200 | -80% |
| `git status` | 10x | 3,000 | 600 | -80% |
| `git diff` | 5x | 10,000 | 2,500 | -75% |
| `git log` | 5x | 2,500 | 500 | -80% |
| `git add/commit/push` | 8x | 1,600 | 120 | -92% |
| `cargo test` / `npm test` | 5x | 25,000 | 2,500 | -90% |
| `ruff check` | 3x | 3,000 | 600 | -80% |
| `pytest` | 4x | 8,000 | 800 | -90% |
| `go test` | 3x | 6,000 | 600 | -90% |
| `docker ps` | 3x | 900 | 180 | -80% |
| **Total** | | **~118,000** | **~23,900** | **-80%** |

> Estimates based on medium-sized TypeScript/Rust projects. Actual savings vary by project size.

## Installation

### Homebrew (recommended)

```bash
brew install rtk
```

### Quick Install (Linux/macOS)

```bash
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/rtk-ai/rtk/refs/heads/master/install.sh | sh
```

> Installs to `~/.local/bin`. Add to PATH if needed:
> ```bash
> echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc  # or ~/.zshrc
> ```

### Cargo

```bash
cargo install --git https://github.com/rtk-ai/rtk
```

### Pre-built Binaries

Download from [releases](https://github.com/rtk-ai/rtk/releases):
- macOS: `rtk-x86_64-apple-darwin.tar.gz` / `rtk-aarch64-apple-darwin.tar.gz`
- Linux: `rtk-x86_64-unknown-linux-musl.tar.gz` / `rtk-aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu.tar.gz`
- Windows: `rtk-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc.zip`

> **Windows users**: Extract the zip and place `rtk.exe` somewhere in your PATH (e.g. `C:\Users\<you>\.local\bin`). Run RTK from **Command Prompt**, **PowerShell**, or **Windows Terminal** — do not double-click the `.exe` (it will flash and close). The full hook system works natively on Windows (and in [WSL](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install)). See [Windows setup](#windows) below for details.

### Verify Installation

```bash
rtk --version   # Should show "rtk 0.28.2"
rtk gain        # Should show token savings stats
```

> **Name collision warning**: Another project named "rtk" (Rust Type Kit) exists on crates.io. If `rtk gain
```

---

**Machine-readable endpoints**

- JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/tools/rtk-ai-rtk`](/api/graphcanon/tools/rtk-ai-rtk)
- LLM index: [/llms.txt](/llms.txt)
- Full corpus: [/llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt)

_GraphCanon - The knowledge graph for AI development. https://www.graphcanon.com/_