Tenderly CLI is a command-line tool for developers who build and maintain smart contracts on EVM-compatible networks. It focuses on debugging, simulating and monitoring transactions, so you can see what a contract call is likely to do before it reaches a live network and keep watch on it after deployment. The program is open source under the GPL-3.0 license and has an official Windows version, which makes it a practical option for Windows-based Web3 teams.
If you are looking for Tenderly CLI for Windows, this page explains what the tool does, how to get the official build, the basic setup flow, and how it compares with other tools in the same category. The latest release is 1.7.1, and the code was last updated in August 2026, so the project is actively maintained. Tenderly CLI is aimed at smart contract developers rather than casual crypto users.
What Is Tenderly CLI Used For?
Most smart contract work happens in stages: writing code, testing it locally, deploying to a network, and then watching how it behaves with real users. Tenderly CLI is designed to help with the stages where a bug is hardest to see, especially after a transaction has already been sent.
Consider a team preparing an ERC-20 token contract for launch. A function that works in local tests may still fail under the conditions of a live network, such as different account balances or contract state. Simulating the transaction before release and then inspecting any failed call helps the team understand the cause without redeploying blindly.
The tool also suits developers who maintain contracts over months or years. When a user reports an odd result, you can trace the transaction that produced it and compare the outcome with what the code was supposed to do. That shortens the gap between a complaint and a fix.
Key Concepts: Transactions, Gas and Contract State
Understanding a few core terms makes debugging tools far more useful. A transaction is a signed request that changes the state of a blockchain, such as moving tokens or updating a value stored in a contract. Every transaction costs gas, which is the fee paid to the network for computation and storage.
Contract state is the data a contract keeps between calls, such as balances, permissions or configuration values. Many bugs come from unexpected state, not from a single line of code. A failed transaction, sometimes called a revert, means the network rejected the call and undid its changes, but it still consumed gas in many cases.
A trace shows the sequence of internal calls a transaction made, along with the results at each step. Reading a trace is the main skill behind transaction debugging. Tools like Tenderly CLI help make those traces readable so developers can focus on the logic rather than the raw data.
Who Should Use Tenderly CLI?
The most natural users are Solidity and EVM developers who already write tests and deploy contracts. If your daily work involves checking why a transaction failed, comparing expected and actual outcomes, or watching deployed contracts, the tool fits into that routine.
Teams that work with the Hardhat development framework may also find the official Hardhat plugin useful for contract verification. The project's documentation describes how to verify contracts with that plugin, which is a separate step from running the CLI itself.
It is less suited to people who only want to hold tokens or send payments from a wallet. Those tasks do not require debugging, and a dedicated wallet app with a clear backup process is usually the better fit for everyday use.
Key features
Transaction debugging
Transaction simulation
Contract and transaction monitoring
Supported coins
Tenderly CLI works with EVM-compatible networks, which means it is focused on smart contracts that run on the Ethereum Virtual Machine standard. If your project targets a different kind of blockchain, such as one with its own virtual machine, check the documentation before relying on the tool for that environment.
How to install Tenderly CLI on Windows
- 1
Open the official source
Go to tenderly.co to find the Windows build of Tenderly CLI. You can also check the project's GitHub Releases page, where the source code and published versions are kept. Download only from the official website or the official GitHub repository.
- 2
Verify the downloaded file
Compare the SHA-256 checksum of the file with the value published alongside the release. If a signature is provided, verify it as well. Do not run a file whose checksum does not match the published one.
- 3
Run the installer or extract the archive
Depending on the package you chose, either run the installer and follow the prompts, or extract the archive to a folder you control. Keep the program in a location where only your user account has write access.
- 4
Confirm the command is available
Open a new terminal window and run the CLI's help command. If the program responds with its command list, the installation is working and the executable is available on your PATH.
-
Connect your project
Log in to your Tenderly account if the commands you plan to use require it. Store access credentials in environment variables or a secrets manager, and keep them out of shared scripts and public repositories.
How to use Tenderly CLI
Tenderly CLI is most useful when you already have a transaction or contract to examine. The workflow below assumes your project targets an EVM network and that the CLI is installed and responding to its help command.
- Identify the transaction or contract you want to inspect, such as a failed call from testing or a recent transaction on a test network.
- Open a terminal in your project folder so the CLI can read your context and settings.
- Run a debugging command for the transaction hash you want to examine and review the sequence of calls it produced.
- Compare the trace with what the contract logic should do, paying attention to state values and the call where the result changed.
- Run a simulation of the corrected transaction before sending it to a live network, so you can confirm the expected outcome.
- If the contract is in production, set up monitoring for the address so you are alerted to failures or unusual activity.
- Save the relevant traces or notes in your project documentation, so teammates can understand what changed and why.
Keep the workflow in a repeatable script when possible. A consistent process makes it easier to spot regressions after future changes.
Pros & cons
- Open source under the GPL-3.0 license, so the code can be reviewed
- Official Windows version is available
- Covers debugging, simulation and monitoring in one tool
- Focused on EVM smart contract development workflows
- Actively maintained, with a recent code update in August 2026
- Built for developers, so it has a learning curve for beginners
- Centered on EVM-compatible networks rather than every blockchain
- Some features depend on a Tenderly account and may involve paid usage
- Works best alongside existing testing and deployment tools rather than replacing them
Is Tenderly CLI safe?
Tenderly CLI is a developer tool rather than a wallet, but it still connects to your account and project, so treat it with care. Download it only from the official website at tenderly.co or from the official GitHub repository. Compare the SHA-256 checksum of the file with the published value before running it, and verify any available signature. Never enter a seed phrase on third-party websites, and do not share it with anyone who asks, including someone claiming to be support staff. Keep API credentials and private keys out of code repositories. Because the software is open source, you can review the code, and you should check the latest version on the official website before installing.
- Official source only. Download from tenderly.co. Ignore ads and lookalike domains.
- Check the SHA-256. Compare the installer hash with the value the developer publishes before running it.
- Never share your seed phrase. No developer, support agent or website — including CryptApps — will ever ask for it.
Alternatives
Tenderly CLI differs from most tools in this category by focusing on what happens to a transaction, both before it is sent and after it is live. Foundry is a broader toolkit with forge, cast and anvil for building, testing and running a local chain, so it covers more of the development cycle. Remix Desktop is an IDE for writing and compiling Solidity, which suits people who want an editor in one place. RPC providers such as Alchemy, Infura and QuickNode supply the network access your tools rely on, while Postman helps test JSON-RPC endpoints directly. Many teams use Tenderly CLI alongside one of these tools rather than instead of them.
Specifications
- Price
- Free / paid plans
- Type
- Open source
- License
- GPL-3.0
- Latest version
- 1.7.1
- Last update
- 5 Aug 2026
- Windows support
- Yes (official Windows version)
- Official site
- tenderly.co
- Source code
- github.com/tenderly/tenderly-cli
Frequently asked questions
Tenderly CLI offers both free and paid options, so the cost depends on how you use it. Check the official website at tenderly.co for current plan details before committing to a particular setup, since terms can change over time.
Yes, the project provides an official Windows version alongside builds for macOS and Linux. Download it from tenderly.co or the official GitHub repository, then verify the file's checksum before installing it on your computer.
The tool is open source under GPL-3.0, which means its code can be reviewed publicly. Safety depends on downloading from official sources, checking the file's SHA-256 checksum, and keeping your credentials private. It is a developer tool, not a wallet, so it does not need your seed phrase.
Tenderly CLI is designed for EVM-compatible networks, which are blockchains that run the Ethereum Virtual Machine. If your smart contracts target a different environment, confirm compatibility in the documentation before relying on the tool for debugging or monitoring.
Yes, the tool is aimed at people who write, test or maintain smart contracts. You should be comfortable with the command line and with basic concepts such as transactions and gas. Beginners can still learn from its output, but it is not designed as an introduction to Solidity.
Transaction simulation runs a transaction in a test environment to predict its outcome before you send it to a live network. It helps you find logic errors, failed conditions or unexpected state changes early, which can save gas and prevent problems for real users.
Foundry is a broader toolkit for building, testing and running a local chain, while Tenderly CLI concentrates on debugging, simulating and monitoring transactions. Many developers use both, with Foundry handling core development and Tenderly CLI helping analyze specific transactions.
Verdict
Tenderly CLI for Windows is a good fit for developers who build and maintain smart contracts on EVM networks and want better visibility into transactions. Its debugging, simulation and monitoring features address the moments when code that passed local tests behaves differently on a live chain. It is open source, has an official Windows version, and was recently updated. It is not designed for casual users or for people who only need a wallet, and it works best as part of a broader development workflow.