avante.nvim vs bb
Two of the top projects in Editors and IDEs, side by side: who leads on each score part and who each one suits, then setup, license, activity and what each review found.
avante.nvim
Neovim plugin that adds Cursor-style AI chat and code edits inside the editor
bb
Agentic IDE with desktop app, web app, CLI and HTTP API
Verdict
avante.nvim ranks higher, 72 to 59. Of the 3 score parts we measure for both, avante.nvim leads on 1, bb on 1 and 1 is even.
- Adoptionavante.nvim leads by 71 points, 85 to 14: a wide gap.
- FreshnessEven at 100.
- MaintenanceWe do not score bb on this; avante.nvim has 85.
- Easy to runWe do not score bb on this; avante.nvim has 50.
- Agent-readybb leads by 70 points, 70 to 0: a wide gap.
Pick avante.nvim if you are
Neovim users who want Cursor-like AI editing without leaving the editor
- Runs inside Neovim; suggested changes can be applied to files with one command
- Supports many providers: openai, anthropic, mistral, deepseek, ollama, llama-cpp, copilot
Pick bb if you are
Developers who want a self-run agentic IDE with a scriptable CLI and API
- Same functionality across desktop app, web app, CLI and HTTP API
- Starts with one command: `npx bb-app@latest`
| What we compare | avante.nvim | bb |
|---|---|---|
| Score parts, out of 100 | ||
| Adoption | 85, widely used | 14, niche |
| Freshness | 100, active | 100, active |
| Maintenance | 85, healthy | Not scored for this kind |
| Easy to run | 50, easy | Not scored for this kind |
| Agent-ready | 0, none | 70, partly |
| Facts from GitHub and the README | ||
| Stars | 18.2k | 4.2k |
| License | Apache-2.0 (permissive) | MIT (permissive) |
| Last commit | Oct 2026 | Oct 2026 |
| Last release | Sep 2026 | Oct 2026 |
| Language | Lua | TypeScript |
| Docker | No | No |
| GPU | Not needed | Not stated |
| arm64 or Apple Silicon | Mentioned | Not stated |
avante.nvim
avante.nvim is a Lua Neovim plugin with a Rust-built component. It opens a chat sidebar that answers questions about the current file and applies suggested changes to source files. It supports an agentic mode with tools, ACP agents such as codex and gemini, and many model providers. A per-project avante.md file supplies instructions.
Who it is for: Neovim users who want Cursor-like AI editing without leaving the editor
Strengths
- Runs inside Neovim; suggested changes can be applied to files with one command
- Supports many providers: openai, anthropic, mistral, deepseek, ollama, llama-cpp, copilot
- ACP support lets external agents like codex and gemini drive edits
- Project-level avante.md instructions file; optional local RAG service
Weaknesses
- Requires Neovim 0.11+ (badge says 0.12+); README is inconsistent on version
- Install needs a build step: make with curl and tar, or cargo to build from source
- Auto-suggestions are marked experimental and costly because of high request frequency
- Tool permissions are auto-approved by default (auto_approve_tool_permissions = true)
- no GPU
- Needs Neovim 0.11+, plenary.nvim, nui.nvim, mega.cmdparse, curl and tar, or cargo, provider API key or local model server
- Models: claude, openai, azure, gemini, cohere
bb
bb is an agentic IDE written in TypeScript that runs work in threads you can follow live, steer, or hand off to another agent. It is driven through an Electron desktop app, a web UI on port 38886, a `bb` CLI or an HTTP API, and it uses the provider CLI you have already authenticated. It is marked as in active development, with workflows still changing.
Who it is for: Developers who want a self-run agentic IDE with a scriptable CLI and API
Strengths
- Same functionality across desktop app, web app, CLI and HTTP API
- Starts with one command: `npx bb-app@latest`
- Reuses your already authenticated provider CLI instead of separate API setup
- Opt-out telemetry (`BB_TELEMETRY=false`) that the README says excludes message content
Weaknesses
- Desktop app supports only Apple Silicon macOS; Linux and Windows builds are alpha
- README says workflows and surfaces are still evolving
- Server API is unauthenticated and permits command execution; remote modes need a trusted network
- Native add-ons need install scripts allowed on npm 12 or later
- Needs Node.js, npm, authenticated provider CLI, Git for Windows (native Windows)
- Models: provider CLIs (unspecified)
- port 38886
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