Gentle stack

Gentle stack: Open-source stack that gives AI coding agents persistent memory, workflows, and evidence-based review.

Gentle stack is an open-source stack designed to give AI coding agents persistent memory, a right-sized workflow, curated skills, and evidence-based review. It configures agents your team already uses, including Claude Code, Cursor, OpenCode, Codex, and Pi. The system categorizes user requests in plain language and determines the appropriate route, ranging from direct inline edits to spec-driven development. Memory is handled by Engram, a Go binary backed by SQLite and FTS5 full-text search that stores decisions, conventions, and bug fixes. It is built for engineering teams looking to avoid operational failures in AI coding sessions by enforcing guardrails, bounded exploration, and live documentation via Context7.

Gentle stack at a glance

Best for: Software engineer
Runs on: Web
Pricing: Free
Released: October 2026
Category: AI coding tool
Website: gentlemanprogramming.com

Key features

Persistent memory across sessions using Engram
Curated and project-specific coding skills
Organic Driven Development workflow
Spec-Driven Development on demand
Live documentation via Context7
Per-phase model routing and subagents
Built-in permissions component and safety guardrails

Use it for

Planning software rewrites and features
Fixing bugs and investigating codebases
Managing persistent architectural decisions
Running evidence-based code reviews

Alternatives to Gentle stack

Gentle AI — It equips AI coding agents with persistent memory and structured 10-phase development.
pstack — Improves AI coding agent outcomes with rigorous workflows.
Freebuff — Access multiple coding AI models for free without subscriptions.
Mcode Stack — Provides real everyday engineering habits and skills for AI coding agents.
P3 Stack — Native T3 orchestration with worktree threads and delegated subagents.
OpenCode — Works with 75+ model providers, local models, and existing subscriptions
EasyCode — Answers questions and provides context-aware suggestions inside the integrated development environment.
jevgrep — Reduces coding agent costs by providing targeted, relevant repository context.
zerostack — Minimal memory footprint and high CPU efficiency compared to JS-based agents.
Engram — Single Go binary with zero dependencies and built-in full-text search.
Genkit — Provides unified APIs and local developer tools for AI application workflows.
BeautifulRust — It improves agent output using guidelines from five major Rust sources.

All Gentle stack alternatives