Codebuff, an open-source AI coding assistant.

#codebuff #agent #cli #opensource

In this article, we review Codebuff. We will look at:

What is Codebuff?
How it works?
Why choose Codebuff?

I study patterns used in an open source project found on Github Trending. For this week, I reviewed Codebuff codebase and wrote this article.

Press enter or click to view image in full size

What is Codebuff?

Codebuff is an open-source AI coding assistant that edits your codebase through natural language instructions. Instead of using one model for everything, it coordinates specialized agents that work together to understand your project and make precise changes.

Codebuff beats Claude Code at 61% vs 53% on our evals across 175+ coding tasks over multiple open-source repos that simulate real-world tasks.

How it works?

When you ask Codebuff to “add authentication to my API,” it might invoke:

A File Explorer Agent to scan your codebase to understand the architecture and find relevant files
A Planner Agent to plan which files need changes and in what order
An Editor Agent to make precise edits
A Reviewer Agent to validate changes

This multi-agent approach gives you better context understanding, more accurate edits, and fewer errors compared to single-model tools.

Why choose Codebuff?

Deep customizability

Create sophisticated agent workflows with TypeScript generators that mix AI generation with programmatic control. Define custom agents that spawn subagents, implement conditional logic, and orchestrate complex multi-step processes that adapt to your specific use cases.

2. Any model on OpenRouter

Unlike Claude Code which locks you into Anthropic’s models, Codebuff supports any model available on OpenRouter — from Claude and GPT to specialized models like Qwen, DeepSeek, and others. Switch models for different tasks or use the latest releases without waiting for platform updates.

3. Reuse any published agent

Compose existing published agents to get a leg up. Codebuff agents are the new MCP!

4. Fully customizable SDK

Build Codebuff’s capabilities directly into your applications with a complete TypeScript SDK. Create custom tools, integrate with your CI/CD pipeline, build AI-powered development environments, or embed intelligent coding assistance into your products.