OpenBot: the local workspace for AI agents

Instead of switching between tools, the team defines a goal and the agents split the work. One plans, another executes, another reviews. The workspace keeps every step of the process, from shared files to messages between agents, in the same environment.

What is OpenBot

OpenBot is an open source project that offers a local-first desktop workspace for AI agents to persist. It gives each agent its own space and conversation, plus local queues with pause, resume and persistence, file transfer, a built-in browser and messaging between agents. The repository is actively maintained, with a new release almost every day, and the license is PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0.

How OpenBot works

OpenBot recognizes agents from various sources, such as Codex, Claude Code, Grok CLI, OpenCode, Gemini, Cursor CLI, Cline, Devin, GitHub Copilot, Mistral Vibe and Hermes, via the ACP protocol. Each one stays in its isolated space, with its model and its tools. The team follows every step of the project flow in a single place, with tests and verification of outputs.

There is also the built-in browser, which lets agents open, inspect and control pages, useful for navigation and information gathering tasks. Local queues allow pausing, resuming and canceling tasks without losing state, which gives stability to longer flows.

What changes with OpenBot

Without relying on the cloud as a mandatory layer, the environment stays close to what you already use. For those already using code agents, the practical gain is reducing the number of open apps and keeping output control in one place.

The main difference is the division of responsibilities: each agent keeps its model state, configuration and conversation history, which reduces the cost of starting over on each task. This keeps focus on what the team wants to produce.

Tip 1: give each agent an isolated space

Use OpenBot's space to separate tasks that should not overlap: a planning agent, a building agent and a validation agent. As each one has its own environment, code, conversation and settings stay isolated, and the workflow becomes more predictable.

Tip 2: mix agents from different providers

OpenBot supports Codex, Claude Code, Grok, OpenCode, Gemini, Cursor, Cline, Devin, GitHub Copilot, Mistral Vibe and Hermes through the same interface. This way, the right agent can be used for each step of the project, without switching apps.

Tip 3: validate outputs with a review agent

After an agent delivers a snippet, a second agent reviews the result before it is accepted. This orchestration pattern reduces the load on the person who decides what goes into the repository.

A workspace where each agent has its own space

For teams that orchestrate AI agents, OpenBot shows that it is possible to keep each agent in its own space, with its model and its tools, all tracked in one place. It is a concrete alternative for those who want to reduce the number of open applications and keep control of outputs.

What also works well with a team of agents is orchestration between different CLIs; see how to adjust the context buffer in OpenCode, which explains how to organize work with code agents.

This flow organization is what turns a powerful tool into a reliable team; compare the flow with Claude Code and MCP, which also handle second line agents.

Got a stalled idea? Put OpenBot to work on it and [build your AI agent squad on bridgecode].