Stage-based pull-request pipeline
Hive breaks a task into brainstorm, plan, execute, review, finalize, and archive stages, with each stage leaving durable markdown artefacts for the next stage to trust.
Hive
Hive is a local CLI and TUI that turns a rough software idea into a merge-ready pull request. It runs async, multi-agent workflows in the background with only needed human input.
What Hive is
Hive is a terminal-first developer tool that turns a rough software idea into a merge-ready pull request. It runs as a local asynchronous pipeline, advancing tasks through brainstorm, plan, execute, review, finalize, and archive stages while leaving each step as a durable markdown artefact in the project folder.
The product is designed for people who want inspectable, background agent workflows rather than a chat-driven coding session. You install Hive on a machine, attach it to a Git project with `hive init`, and let the daemon move ready work forward until it needs a human answer in the editor or TUI.
Core capabilities
Asynchronous daemon queue
Tasks advance in parallel in the background, so multiple repos or task folders can move forward without constant terminal babysitting.
Multi-agent execution
The site says each stage can run on configurable agent CLIs, with Claude by default and Codex or Pi also supported, so teams can choose the model used for each step.
Editor-based approvals
The TUI shows the live queue and flags the one task that needs a human response; you answer in your editor and return to other work.
Folder-as-agent artefacts
Hive stores idea notes, brainstorms, plans, reviews, PR metadata, and other outputs as markdown files inside the task folder, making the workflow inspectable and editable.
Adjacent service workflows
Beyond the core coding loop, the docs describe an optional patrol mode, an experimental PR babysitter, and a Telegram bot for queue checks and approvals.
Common ways to use Hive
Turn a rough idea into a PR
Start from a one-sentence feature idea, answer follow-up questions in your editor, and let Hive carry the task toward a draft PR without constant supervision.
Run asynchronous work across projects
Use Hive as a background worker for multiple enrolled projects so tasks can advance in parallel while you check the queue only when attention is required.
Integrate with agent-driven workflows
Use the CLI verbs or JSON output from an external coding agent to inspect status, create tasks, or review results without scraping terminal text.
Handle approvals remotely
Enable the Telegram bot to capture ideas, check the queue, or approve work from a phone when you are away from your terminal.
Automate repo maintenance
Use patrol or the experimental babysitter to keep selected repositories green, review changes, and open or repair PRs with bounded agent attempts.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Runs tasks in the background so users do not have to babysit terminals or pull requests.
- Keeps every stage output as readable markdown files instead of hiding state in a database.
- Supports multiple agent CLIs, including Claude by default and Codex or Pi as alternatives.
- Provides both a human TUI and CLI verbs that can emit JSON for agent-driven use.
- Includes optional adjacent workflows such as patrol, Telegram approvals, and PR babysitting.
Cons
- It is token-heavy by design, because each task can run multiple subagents and coding agents.
- It is local-first rather than a hosted web app or managed service.
- The PR babysitter is marked experimental, and the Pi/Kimi path is not performance-tuned yet.
FAQ
What is Hive used for?
Hive is a local CLI and TUI for turning a rough software idea into a pull request. You install it, run `hive init` on a project, and then watch the daemon advance tasks while you answer prompts in your editor when needed.
How does the workflow work?
The source describes Hive as daemon-first: the background daemon advances ready tasks, while the TUI is for watching the queue and responding when Hive asks for input. You can also drive the workflow from CLI commands or from a coding agent using JSON output.
What do I need to install it?
Hive ships as the `hive-cli` rubygem attached to GitHub Releases. The docs list Ruby 3.4, `git`, an authenticated `gh`, and agent CLIs such as `claude` and `codex` as prerequisites; Linux setups may also need `tmux`, and Node.js/npm is optional for the wiki indexer.
Who is Hive a good fit for?
Hive is positioned as a terminal-first, token-heavy tool for people who are comfortable with local agent workflows, inspectable files, and background automation. The site says it is probably not a fit if you want a hosted web app, a managed service, or a setup that does not run a daemon on your own machine.
Are there any important limitations?
The operating docs say the daemon is a per-user service, the Telegram bot uses long polling, and the PR babysitter is experimental. The docs also note that `hive tui` is human-only and that the background loop can be stopped with `hive daemon stop` if costs run away.
Quick Facts
- Category
- Developer Tool
- Product type
- Local CLI and TUI
- Primary workflow
- Async multi-agent pull-request pipeline
- Deployment model
- Runs as a local daemon and per-user service
- License
- MIT
- Website
- hivecli.sh
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