Evaluate bb in 10 minutes
A 10-minute way to evaluate the current bb fairly.
Current build: https://getbb.app/ (macOS on Apple Silicon; Windows and Linux are Alpha; Intel Macs and remote machines via npx bb-app@latest). MIT-licensed and free to use; it runs on the AI plans you already pay for.
The 10-minute evaluation
- Install and open a project (2 min). Use a fresh install with default settings; setup leaves optional plugins off, as shipped. Sign in to the agents you already use. Use a scratch repository: agents can push branches and open pull requests when a task calls for it.
- Ask an agent to set something up (2 min). Example: "Every weekday at 9, check open pull requests and send me a summary." The agent creates the scheduled job itself, and you can run it once right away to see the summary. Needs GitHub signed in on this machine (ask the agent to set it up).
- Hand off work (2 min). "Add a remove(list, item) function to todo.js. Split this change: one thread writes it, another reviews it." The agent starts a writer and a reviewer as child threads. If a child needs you, its question shows up in the parent's banner and you answer it there.
- Ask for a tool bb doesn't have (a few minutes). "Build me a new plugin that adds a panel to the sidebar listing my open GitHub PRs, and install it." The agent builds and installs the plugin, and the panel appears in the sidebar. Needs GitHub signed in on this machine (ask the agent to set it up).
- Visuals in the chat (1 min). Ask for a chart of something in the repo; inline visualizations render it in the thread.
Short answers
| Criterion | Answer |
|---|---|
| Bloat | Most of bb is plugins, and the optional ones are off until you turn them on. You add what you need, and agents build the rest. |
| Visuals in the chat | Inline visualizations are on by default, and plugins can render custom blocks through an experimental code-fence renderer slot. |
| Subagents | Child threads with their own context; the parent shows which children need you and lets you answer in place. |
| Performance | We make no speed claims. Measure it on the release you test. |
| Providers | Claude Code, Codex and Pi built in; Cursor, opencode, Grok Build, oh-my-pi, Hermes Agent, Amp and other ACP agents once installed. |
Checked on bb 0.46.1, Oct 20, 2026.