ChatDev — Build Software with LLM-Powered Virtual Teams

Introduction

ChatDev simulates a virtual software company where LLM agents take on roles such as CEO, CTO, programmer, and tester. Given a task description, these agents communicate through structured dialogues to design, code, test, and document a complete software project.

What ChatDev Does

• Creates a virtual software team with distinct roles that collaborate on a project
• Generates complete software projects from a one-sentence task description
• Runs agents through phases: designing, coding, testing, and documenting
• Produces working code along with dependency files and documentation
• Supports visual no-code orchestration of agent workflows in ChatDev 2.0

Architecture Overview

ChatDev uses a chat-chain architecture where pairs of agents conduct structured dialogues in each development phase. A phase manager orchestrates the progression from design to code to testing. Each agent role has a defined prompt template and participates in multi-turn conversations to reach consensus. The output is written to a local project directory with all generated files.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Clone the repository and install Python dependencies
• Set OPENAI_API_KEY or configure alternative model endpoints in the config
• Customize company structure and roles through YAML configuration files
• Adjust the number of development phases and agent interaction rounds
• Use ChatDev 2.0 visual editor for no-code agent workflow design

Key Features

• Role-playing agents that communicate in structured chat dialogues
• Full project generation with code, configs, and documentation
• Configurable company structures and development processes
• ChatDev 2.0 adds a visual drag-and-drop workflow editor
• Git-based version control of generated project iterations

Comparison with Similar Tools

• MetaGPT — uses standardized operating procedures with document artifacts; ChatDev uses chat-based agent dialogues
• GPT Pilot — human-in-the-loop at each step; ChatDev runs more autonomously
• CrewAI — general-purpose agent framework; ChatDev specializes in software development
• AutoGen — flexible multi-agent conversations; ChatDev provides pre-built dev team structure
• OpenAI Swarm — lightweight handoffs; ChatDev offers a full simulated company pipeline

FAQ

Q: What kind of software can ChatDev produce? A: It works best for small to medium Python and web applications like games, utilities, and CRUD apps.

Q: Does it require GPT-4? A: It works with GPT-3.5 but produces higher quality output with GPT-4 or Claude.

Q: Can I add custom agent roles? A: Yes. Roles are defined in configuration files and can be added or modified.

Q: How long does a typical project take to generate? A: Most projects complete in 5-15 minutes depending on complexity and model speed.

Sources

• https://github.com/OpenBMB/ChatDev
• https://chatdev.tsinghua.edu.cn