Barnaby is an open-source IDE built for agent orchestration using OAuth and CLI subscriptions, not just API billing. It helps use CLI subscription capacity first, then adds API paths when needed. Multiple windowed agents, split layouts, and workspace-aware design - for running parallel agents.
npm: npx '@barnaby.build/barnaby' (Node >=20 and <27, PowerShell: keep the quotes)
Run Codex, Claude, Gemini, and OpenRouter side-by-side. Split layouts keep each conversation in its own window so you can compare models or isolate contexts.
Barnaby supports horizontal, vertical, and grid layouts with up to 5 active agent panels, plus workspace locking for safe multi-instance use.
The Barnaby Orchestrator is an optional add-on module for autonomous loops. Set goals and guardrails, then let agents execute iterative task cycles.
View Orchestrator Module ->Barnaby started as a way to fix window management frustration - running multiple AI agents without cramming them into a single chat pane.
During development, I hit a tipping point: I stopped using Cursor to build the app and switched to Barnaby to build Barnaby.
It was a Zen moment. It proved that a truly agentic IDE could not only work but sustain its own evolution. It's a collaborator that already knows the codebase because it helped write its own source code.
