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An open-source IDE that uses AI agents to automate coding tasks and build plugins on demand.

Verified API available Free tier
Quick facts
What is it An open-source IDE that uses AI agents to automate coding tasks and build plugins on demand.
Pricing Free
Free tier Yes
Platform Desktop Application
API Yes
Best for automating bug fixes and code reviews, building custom IDE plugins and workflows

Data updated Aug. 11, 2026

What does bb do?

bb is an open-source IDE designed around loop-driven development — meaning you can hand off tasks to AI agents and let them work through problems while you stay in the loop. It runs locally on your machine, uses your own AI provider subscriptions (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, and others), and lets you customize almost everything with a single prompt. Want a task tracker? Ask for one, and bb builds a sidebar panel, a CLI command, and a skill that teaches every agent how to use it.

What makes bb different is how it handles work. You can spawn threads for different agents, have one agent manage another, and trigger tasks from external tools like Telegram, Slack, or a cron job. The IDE itself is built with the same plugin system you get — the GitHub integration, agent memory, scheduled jobs, and remote access are all plugins. It's MIT-licensed, so you can fork the whole thing and deploy your own build across your organization.

bb is best for developers who want more control over their AI coding workflow. If you're tired of switching between different AI tools or want to automate repetitive tasks like triaging Sentry errors, fixing CI failures, or writing release notes, this gives you a single place to orchestrate it all. It's free, local-first, and installs in under a minute.

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Key features

What makes it stand out
01
AI agents (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, etc.) can be assigned tasks and manage each other in separate threads
02
Customize the IDE by prompting it to add new panels, commands, and agent skills
03
Trigger work from external tools like Telegram, Slack, or cron jobs via CLI
04
Local-first, runs on your machine with your own AI provider subscriptions
05
MIT-licensed, fork and deploy your own build across your organization

Who is bb for?

Who benefits most from this tool
automating bug fixes and code reviews
building custom IDE plugins and workflows
orchestrating multiple AI coding agents on a single project

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