bb

Detailed report

bb combines coding agents, execution on your own machines and control from multiple devices. Its APIs and plugins allow extensive customization. You maintain the server, permissions, updates and plugins.

This assessment uses sources checked on November 13, 2026. Undated documentation is identified as current documentation, not assigned an invented publication date.

Product and workflow

The product is bb at getbb.app, maintained in get-bb/bb. The official brand page provides its logo. This evidence distinguishes it from Browserbase’s internal “bb” agent and the unrelated BB collaboration protocol.

bb emphasizes ownership and programmability: keep your existing agents, subscriptions, repositories, and hardware, while gaining a common workspace for directing them. Its desktop app, browser interface, CLI, and HTTP API all operate the same system. Agents can also control bb and extend it with plugins. That supports customization across laptops and servers. The code is MIT-licensed. Official overview

Agents, models, and billing

Built-in integrations include Claude Code, Codex, and Pi. Cursor, OpenCode, Grok Build, Hermes, and other compatible agents work through the Agent Client Protocol (ACP), a standard interface between agent tools and applications. Model availability depends on the chosen agent, account, and host. bb does not provide one universal model entitlement. Orchestration guide

bb normally uses existing provider credentials. You can use supported subscriptions or API keys where the underlying agent permits them. Installing bb does not convert subscription access into unrestricted API access. An August 6, 2026 technical investigation corroborates that coding threads run through existing agent processes and bridges, rather than bb replacing their inference services. That author later appears among repository contributors, so treat it as corroborating technical analysis rather than wholly independent evaluation.

Your laptops, headless servers, and reconnects

One server stores conversations, settings, and history in SQLite. Each execution machine runs a host daemon, a background process that prepares workspaces, launches agents, and sends events back over WebSocket. Projects can have code sources on different hosts. This is documented execution on your own computers, including headless Linux. System architecture

Enrollment uses a generated installer. Linux hosts normally receive a systemd service. Containers and systems without systemd can use a detached daemon. The normal execution connection is daemon-to-server, not SSH for every command. SSH mapping is separately documented for opening remote files in a locally installed editor. Remote daemons update against their server’s version. Multiple-device documentation

For cross-device access, use the optional bb connect relay or a private Tailscale route. Browsers and mobile clients control the same server. They do not run agents. Separately installing bb on two laptops creates two independent servers until you configure a shared arrangement.

Threads and worktrees remain available after machine reconnection. However, persistence is not a guarantee that every active command survives every crash. The server must remain awake, and quitting the desktop application hosting it stops agents and remote access. bb also cannot attach to agent sessions already running in your terminal. Remote-access guide

Desktop support is strongest on Apple Silicon macOS. Linux x64 desktop and native Windows are alpha. Intel Macs use the npm launcher. Persistent Linux hosts and Windows through WSL2 are documented. Mobile clients use iOS TestFlight and an Android APK. README, platform support

Cloud execution is a separate option: an experimental Modal Sandbox plugin provisions external compute. That should not be confused with enrolling your existing server. Modal plugin

Isolation, orchestration, and delivery

Threads can use an existing checkout or a managed Git worktree, a separate working directory and branch. Setup scripts install dependencies; .worktreeinclude supplies needed local files. Teardown scripts release resources. Worktrees separate edits, but they are not operating-system security sandboxes. Worktree documentation

Agents can spawn and message child threads, hand work to another provider, and maintain recurring manager threads. The optional Workflows plugin runs JavaScript orchestration in QuickJS while delegating reasoning to ordinary threads. It is disabled by default. Workflow implementation

Review includes diffs and second-agent review. Tests run through the project’s commands. bb does not establish correctness automatically. GitHub plugins add PR and CI workflows. For example, the community PR Dashboard supports review comments, checks, and alerts, but documents github.com only, without GitHub Enterprise Server support. PR Dashboard

Setup, security and cost

The npm route requires Git, a supported Node runtime starting at 22.19, and an installed agent. npx bb-app@latest starts the local server and daemon. Native dependencies can require additional installation settings. Installation documentation

The security policy states that the local HTTP API is unauthenticated and permits command execution. It binds to loopback by default. Use an authenticated relay or a trusted private network. Exposing that API publicly is unsafe. Only the latest release receives security fixes. Security policy

The privacy policy, updated October 30, 2026, says data resides on your server and goes to your selected AI provider. Anonymous telemetry is enabled by default and can be disabled. bb connect terminates TLS and therefore handles traffic content in transit. It is not end-to-end encrypted. Optional push notifications send previews through Expo and platform notification services. Privacy policy

Published pricing is $0 for bb at any team size, and $0 for bb connect. Provider subscriptions/API usage and machine costs remain separate. External compute and individual plugins may add charges. Documentation mentions account device slots, but I did not verify a published numerical allowance. “free” should not be read as unlimited enrollment. Pricing statements, device limits

Development and user reports

The latest dated official release notes found were 0.49.0, November 6, 2026, focused on stuck turns, retries, reconnects, and performance. That demonstrates active maintenance while also identifying recent reliability weaknesses. Changelog

Independent evidence is sparse:

• A Reddit user report praises managing parallel sessions and building plugins. The author promotes their own plugins, and the page displayed relative dates inconsistently. I cannot establish a dependable calendar date.
• Issue #7399, November 10, 2026, reports delays opening long threads. It is labelled partially reproduced.
• Issue #7422, November 11, 2026, reports browser automation stopping around 30 seconds despite a longer timeout. It is labelled confirmed reproduced.

These describe individual benefits and problems. They do not establish broader user satisfaction. Company logos on its website are vendor marketing, not independent team endorsements.

Fit and trial

For this workflow, bb deserves a serious trial with the central server on an always-on Linux machine. For teams, free licensing and shared plugins help, but the vendor documents no team plans or SSO. Sharing a trusted server is not equivalent to mature multi-user access control.

The main concern is the maintenance burden and broad trust boundary. Choose bb if infrastructure ownership and customization matter. Avoid making it your default if polished enterprise administration or minimal upkeep is essential.

Trial one real fix: start two isolated tasks on Linux, have a different provider review, run existing checks, and open a draft PR. Close the laptop, reconnect from another laptop and phone, then deliberately interrupt the network and restart the daemon. Verify history, approvals, command outcomes, and worktree cleanup.

Comparison facts