bb

bb is an open-source agent IDE that builds, customizes, and automates itself for software development.

bb is an agent IDE that can control, customize, and automate itself to build your own software factory. It is fully open source and local-first, integrating tools like Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Pi, OpenCode, Grok, omp, and Hermes. Users can customize almost anything in bb with a single prompt, building task trackers, sidebars, and skills for agents. The platform supports triggers from shell scripts, cron jobs, Telegram, Signal, and Slack. It runs on your machine using your own provider subscriptions and is MIT-licensed end to end.

bb at a glance

Best for: Software engineer
Runs on: CLI, self-hosted, open source
Pricing: Free, open source
Released: February 2026
Category: AI coding tool
Website: getbb.app

Key features

Control and customize the IDE with a single prompt
Integrate Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Pi, OpenCode, Grok, omp, and Hermes
Build custom task trackers and sidebar panels
Automate tasks with scheduled jobs and remote access
Trigger work via shell scripts, cron jobs, Telegram, Signal, or Slack
Run agent threads locally on your machine
Fork and deploy customized builds across organizations

Use it for

Triage issues and bugs
Generate nightly changelogs
Refactor codebases
Execute automated tasks and scheduled jobs

Companions

Tools that articles about bb recommend using with it, each with its job.

Context7 — Provides up-to-date documentation for AI agents and code editors.
Ollama — Run local models at zero marginal cost, with code kept on your machine.
OpenRouter — Access over 500 models and 80 providers through one unified API.
Daytona — Runs sessions in isolated sandboxes synced to git branches.
Composio — Equips AI agents with tools, managed user auth, and sandboxes across 1,500+ apps
Oh My OpenCode Slim — Lightweight multi-agent orchestration and background tasks.

Alternatives to bb

OpenCode — Works with 75+ model providers, local models, and existing subscriptions
Freebuff — Access multiple coding AI models for free without subscriptions.
pstack — Improves AI coding agent outcomes with rigorous workflows.
GitButler — Manage stacked branches and parallel workflows without merge conflicts.
Cline — Open source, any model, with approval on every step
Hermes IDE — Run different coding agents side by side in one interface with centralized reviews.
ZCode — Integrates GLM-5.3 with multi-agent workflows and remote chat control.
jevgrep — Reduces coding agent costs by providing targeted, relevant repository context.
Oh My ClaudeCode — Orchestrates parallel Claude, Gemini, and Codex CLI workers.
Orca — Runs multiple AI coding agents simultaneously in isolated workspaces.
Command Code — Repairs open model tool calls and learns developer patterns automatically.
Claude Codex Bridge — Runs multiple AI coding agents concurrently with stable cross-provider collaboration.

All bb alternatives