bb

What it does

bb is an "agentic IDE": a program for writing software where AI agents (assistants that carry out tasks on their own) do much of the work. Its makers describe it as an IDE that builds itself, meaning it can control, customize and automate itself.

Work happens in threads that you can follow live, redirect at any point, or pass to another agent. You can use bb through a desktop app, a web app in your browser, a command-line tool, or an HTTP API (a doorway that lets other programs control it).

bb uses the AI provider's command-line tool you have already signed in to. The project notes it is in active development, so features are still changing. It sends anonymous usage statistics by default, which you can turn off.

Who it's for

Software developers who want to run and manage AI coding agents from one place.

Can I use it without coding?

With some setup. There is a desktop app for Apple Silicon Macs, but you need an AI provider's command-line tool already set up, and other systems need a command or an early test version. New to this? Start here.

Can I run it?

Runs on

Mac, Windows, Linux, Web browser

Try it

1. Make sure you are signed in to an AI provider's command-line tool, since bb uses it.
2. Open bb and start a thread to give an agent a task.

Using Claude Code, Cursor or another AI coding assistant? Paste the prompt and it will walk you through the setup.New to this?

Before you install

• Only download from the official GitHub page or the official download page above. Copies with similar names exist for many popular projects.
• Plain-AyI is an independent guide and doesn't host or review the software it lists. Please check each project's official page before installing.
• License (MIT): Very permissive: free to use, change and share, including for business.
• More on staying safe