Overview
bise is a multi-agent coding harness for the terminal. The user works through one continuous thread with a lead agent, called main, which breaks larger goals into jobs, assigns those jobs to other agents, and keeps track of activity across the repository.
The approach is designed to reduce manual context switching between agent sessions. Main remains available while delegated agents work, so users can ask questions, add tasks, or change direction without stopping active jobs.
Key Features
- Coordinates agents that can communicate with one another before editing overlapping areas.
- Creates and removes Git worktrees when a task needs an isolated repository copy.
- Restarts agents that stop before finishing and preserves sessions across application restarts.
- Supports per-agent model and reasoning settings for assigning different models to different kinds of work.
- Loads MCP servers, skills, hooks, and compatible agent plugins from user or repository configuration.
- Provides an integrated shell, image input, voice interaction, and optional browser or macOS app control.
For repositories that use pull requests, changes can be placed on separate branches and submitted through the existing CI and review workflow. A status panel shows the state of work assigned to each agent.
Workflow
Users start bise inside a Git repository and describe work to main in natural language. Main keeps the plan and agent reports while delegated agents inspect the code in their own contexts, helping the primary thread remain focused as a project grows.
Agents can be addressed directly by name or selected with keyboard shortcuts. Their internal communication stays folded by default, while an inbox surfaces decisions that require user input. Long threads are compacted, and the complete interaction history remains available to agents.
Availability and Requirements
bise is open source under the Apache 2.0 license. It currently runs on macOS for Apple silicon and Intel systems, requires Git, and uses the user's API key for supported model providers including Anthropic, OpenAI, and Mistral. Linux support is described as upcoming, with Windows planned later.