Multi-agent threads
Run agents including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Pi, OpenCode, Grok, omp, and Hermes in separate threads, so different tasks can be assigned to the provider or agent that fits them.
bb
Freemium
bb is a local-first, open-source IDE for running coding agents in parallel, organizing their work in threads, and extending the workspace with plugins. It is designed for developers and teams that want to coordinate provider-based agents and customize their software workflow.
What is bb?
bb is a local-first IDE for working with coding agents. It brings agents such as Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Pi, OpenCode, Grok, omp, and Hermes into a shared workspace where each task can run in its own thread. The interface is built around active work, including agent status, tool activity, worktrees, diffs, terminals, and queued or running tasks.
The product is intended for developers who want to run several agent-led tasks, review their progress, and shape the surrounding workbench to match their process. It can be extended through plugins, and its CLI can be called by scripts, scheduled jobs, and external bots to start work that appears as a thread in the workspace.
bb is MIT-licensed and runs locally on the user’s machines while using the subscriptions of configured AI providers. The site documents downloads for macOS Apple Silicon and Linux, along with an npx path for Windows through WSL, Intel Macs, and remote machines.
What can bb do?
Worktree and change visibility
Follow agent activity alongside worktrees, terminals, diffs, edited files, test runs, and working-tree status while a task is in progress.
Plugin-based customization
Extend the workspace with plugins that can add sidebar panels, CLI commands, skills, agent memory, scheduled jobs, remote access, provider connections, and other tools. The built-in task-management example adds a panel, a bb tasks command, and an agent skill.
CLI and external automation
Use the same CLI from shell scripts, cron jobs, or external agents such as Hermes Agent and OpenClaw bots in Telegram, Signal, or Slack. These callers can spawn threads for later review.
Community plugin marketplace
Browse plugins across categories including thread management, agents and providers, code and reviews, memory and context, security, cloud and remote, and tasks and workflows.
Open-source deployment model
Fork the MIT-licensed project, customize agents, tools, and UI, and deploy a modified build. Agent usage runs on the configured provider subscriptions rather than a bb-billed plan.
Use Cases
“Parallel software maintenance”
Split work such as investigating an error, editing affected files, and running tests into separate agent threads, then review each thread’s changes and working-tree state from one workspace.
“Team-specific workbench”
Build a tailored internal setup by adding a task tracker, custom sidebar panels, skills, provider connections, or other plugins instead of adopting the default interface unchanged.
“Scheduled and asynchronous work”
Have a cron job, shell script, or external bot start a thread for work such as a nightly changelog or a CI investigation, then return to the waiting thread when review is convenient.
“Provider and agent selection”
Give different tasks to configured agents such as Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Pi, or OpenCode, and allow one agent to spawn or manage another in its own thread.
“Forked organizational deployment”
Use the MIT-licensed source as a starting point for a customized build with organization-specific agents, tools, and interface changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is bb?
bb is a local-first IDE for coordinating coding agents. It provides threads for agent work and exposes related activity such as tools, diffs, terminals, worktrees, and task status.
Which agents can be used in bb?
The homepage shows Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Pi, OpenCode, Grok, omp, and Hermes. The available marketplace also includes plugins for additional agents, providers, and routing, subject to their configuration requirements.
Can bb be customized?
Yes. bb supports plugins that can add panels, commands, skills, memory, scheduled jobs, remote access, provider connections, themes, and workflow tools. The project is also MIT-licensed, so its source can be forked and modified.
Can other programs start work in bb?
Yes. The site says the bb CLI can be called by shell scripts, cron jobs, or external agents such as Hermes Agent and OpenClaw bots in Telegram, Signal, or Slack. These callers can spawn a thread that appears in the sidebar.
How is agent usage billed?
The homepage states that agents run on the user’s existing provider subscriptions and are billed by those providers, not by bb. The site’s pricing page does not provide verified bb plan or usage-pricing details.
Quick Facts
- Product type
- Local-first IDE for coding agents
- License
- MIT-licensed and open source
- Platforms
- macOS Apple Silicon and Linux; Windows via WSL, Intel Macs, and remote machines are mentioned
- Installation
- Download or install with npx bb-app@latest
- Workflow model
- Multiple agent threads with CLI and external automation support
- Extension model
- Plugin marketplace with community plugins
bb Alternatives
Juggler
juggler.studio
Juggler is a GUI-first AI coding harness for developers who want inspectable model interactions, branching conversations, and isolated workspaces. It runs locally or on a remote machine and connects directly to the model provider selected by the user.
Relace
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Relace is an AI model and infrastructure platform for coding agents, enabling code retrieval, file merging, and source-control workflows with hosted, on-premise, and VPC-isolated deployment.
Gemini 3.7 Flash
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Gemini 3.7 Flash is a Google AI model for software engineering, web development, knowledge work, and agent workflows. It is available to developers through Google AI Studio, the Gemini API, Android Studio, and Google Antigravity, with enterprise and Gemini app access also described by Google.
Grok 4.6
grok.com
Grok 4.6 is an AI model for long-running agentic work, including research, coding, knowledge work, and interactive or visual application projects. It is available through Grok Build, Cursor, an API, and listed partner platforms.
Cline
cline.bot
Cline is an open-source AI coding agent that reads and edits code, runs commands, and works with connected tools. Its native desktop app provides a standalone workspace for coding tasks on macOS, Windows, and Linux, while the same agent is also available in IDEs and the CLI.
Orca
onorca.dev
Orca is an Agent Development Environment for shipping with coding agents, running parallel CLI agents in isolated worktrees with desktop and mobile companion workflows.