# ChatDev — Build Software with LLM-Powered Virtual Teams

> Multi-agent software development framework where AI agents collaborate as a virtual software company to produce code from requirements.

## Install

Save in your project root:

# ChatDev — Build Software with LLM-Powered Virtual Teams

## Quick Use
```bash
git clone https://github.com/OpenBMB/ChatDev && cd ChatDev
pip install -r requirements.txt
python run.py --task "build a todo list web app" --name "TodoApp"
```

## 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

---
Source: https://tokrepo.com/en/workflows/9d1cb593-3e8b-11f1-9bc6-00163e2b0d79
Author: AI Open Source