Freebuff

Freebuff is the free, ad-supported distribution of Codebuff, an open-source AI coding assistant built by Freebuff, Inc. It runs across CLI, desktop, web, cloud, and chat surfaces — all at no cost, with no API keys or credit cards required. The project's GitHub repository has accumulated over 8,000 stars and the homepage reports more than 185,000 developers have joined.

What It Is

Freebuff is a multi-surface AI coding agent that lets developers write, edit, and deploy code using natural language instructions. It is the free tier of the Codebuff platform, which is open-source under the Apache License 2.0. The core differentiator is the ad-supported model: instead of charging subscriptions, Freebuff displays text ads to fund access to powerful open-source models like DeepSeek, MiMo, and MiniMax — positioning itself as a zero-cost alternative to tools like Cursor, Claude Code, and Devin.

Multi-Agent Architecture

Freebuff inherits Codebuff's multi-agent design, where specialized agents collaborate on each task rather than routing everything through a single model:

• File Picker Agent — scans the codebase to find relevant files
• Planner Agent — determines which files need changes and in what order
• Editor Agent — makes precise, targeted edits
• Reviewer Agent — validates changes before they land

The README states Codebuff scores 61% vs. Claude Code's 53% on an internal eval suite covering 175+ coding tasks across multiple open-source repositories.

Product Surfaces

Freebuff ships across five distinct surfaces:

• CLI — Install via npm install -g freebuff and run from any terminal; supports file mentions (@filename), agent mentions (@AgentName), bash mode, chat history, and knowledge files
• Desktop (beta) — A native app for macOS, Windows, and Linux that runs coding agents in parallel, each in its own workspace
• Web — An AI web app builder that goes from prompt to a live app on its own URL, with fully managed agentic hosting
• Cloud (beta) — A cloud sandbox for any GitHub repo with a live preview
• Chat — A free AI chat interface for research and deep-thinking queries

Model Access and Availability

In full mode (US, Canada, UK, EU, and select countries), users can choose from DeepSeek V4 Pro, MiMo 2.5 Pro, DeepSeek V4 Flash, MiMo 2.5, and MiniMax M3. Limited mode — available everywhere else or when using a VPN — provides DeepSeek V4 Flash and MiMo 2.5 with six one-hour sessions per day. Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite handles file finding and research tasks. A referral system lets users unlock additional daily GLM 5.2 sessions by inviting friends.

Open-Source Foundation

The underlying Codebuff platform is published under the Apache License 2.0 at github.com/CodebuffAI/codebuff. Developers can create custom agents using TypeScript generator definitions, publish agents to the Codebuff Agent Store, and integrate the platform into their own applications via the @codebuff/sdk npm package. The SDK supports any model available on OpenRouter, custom tool definitions, and CI/CD integration.

Update: Freebuff Desktop and Expanded Surface Launch

The homepage marks the Desktop app, CLI, Web builder, Cloud sandbox, and Chat as newly launched ("New" labels on each). The GitHub repository was last pushed on August 1, 2026, and the Terms of Service were updated effective July 23, 2026. The project's trajectory — from a CLI-only tool to a five-surface platform — reflects a rapid expansion of the free coding agent concept into app building and cloud deployment.