Archon

A harness builder for AI coding that runs agents through YAML workflows, so every bug fix or feature follows the same steps, from issue to merged pull request.

23.8k stars, 3.5k forks TypeScript On GitHub since February 2025

What is Archon?

Archon addresses a common problem with coding agents: the result depends on the run, and an agent may skip the plan or forget the tests. You describe how work should be done as YAML workflows that combine AI agents, scripts and decision points for you, and Archon runs them, with queues to keep work moving. A bundled pack for the software lifecycle takes an issue all the way to a merged pull request, and the same engine can run any process you can describe.

Good fit if

  • You want repeatable, reviewable agent runs instead of one-off chats.
  • You want to step in only when a decision is yours to make.

Look elsewhere if

  • You want an interactive agent in your terminal: OpenCode.
  • You want to run many agents in parallel on one task: Orca.

Before you adopt it

Archon moved from a proprietary community license to MIT in April 2026, so it is now open source. Its creator, Cole Medin, writes nearly all of the code.

Drafted with AI from the project's README and repository data, then checked against that data on 30 October 2026. Report a correction

Archon health: is it still maintained?

68 of 100, actively developed

  • Activity
    2,519 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 31 October 2026.
    30 / 30
  • Contributors
    2 people wrote the latest 100 commits; the most active wrote 99% of them.
    4 / 20
  • Releases
    15 releases in the last 12 months; the latest, v0.13.2, on 29 October 2026.
    19 / 20
  • Replies to issues
    Too few recent issues from outside the team to measure, so this part gets a neutral score.
    10 / 20
  • Security practices
    No OpenSSF Scorecard for this repository yet, so this part gets a neutral score.
    5 / 10

Read from GitHub on 1 November 2026. How the score works

Archon license: is it open source?

Archon uses MIT, an open-source license approved by the OSI.

  1. February 2025First published on GitHub under DYNAMOUS COMMUNITY - PROPRIETARY license.
  2. 4 April 2026Changed to MIT. Commit: feat: prepare for open-source migration to coleam00/Archon
  3. TodayMIT.

How to run Archon yourself

Docker
Dockerfile or compose file in the repository
Compose file
deploy/docker-compose.yml: 1 service
Setup effort
1 of 5, judged from the compose file
Kubernetes
No Helm chart in the repository
Desktop and mobile
Builds for Linux, Windows, macOS, including ARM in GitHub releases
Interface languages
English only

Install instructions: archon.diy or the README on GitHub.

Alternatives to Archon

  • Qwen CodeAn open-source AI coding agent that lives in your terminal. 80 health · Apache-2.0 · 28.9k stars
  • RepomixRepomix is a powerful tool that packs your entire repository into a single, AI-friendly file. Perfect for… 72 health · MIT · 29.1k stars
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  • PR-AgentPR Agent: The Original Open-Source PR Reviewer. This project is not the Qodo free tier. 93 health · MIT · 13.9k stars

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Questions about Archon

Is Archon open source?

Yes. Archon is published under MIT, an OSI-approved open-source license.

Is Archon still maintained?

Its health score is 68 of 100 (actively developed). It had 2,519 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 31 October 2026, and its latest release came out on 29 October 2026.

Did Archon change its license?

Yes. It moved from DYNAMOUS COMMUNITY - PROPRIETARY license to MIT on 4 April 2026.

How do I run Archon?

You can run it with Docker, as an app for Linux, Windows, macOS, including ARM. The README on GitHub has the exact steps.

What are the alternatives to Archon?

Close alternatives in the AI coding agents category include Qwen Code, Repomix, Kilo Code.