Multi-agent users
Bring different compatible agent harnesses and model providers into one persistent desktop workspace.
Independent tool overview
Berd at a glance
Berd is Block's free, open-source desktop workspace for organizing AI agents, models, projects, skills, tools, automations, and local context in one interface.
Visit the official Berd site ↗
- Product type
- Open-source desktop agent workspace
- License
- Apache 2.0
- Backend
- Bundled Goose sidecar over ACP
- Current release reviewed
- Berd 0.6.2
- Last reviewed
- August 28, 2026
Overview
What Berd is
Berd is not another foundation model. It is a native desktop work surface that gives multiple AI agents a consistent home across projects, files, skills, provider settings, and session history. Block built it for its own teams and released the public app under Apache 2.0 in August 2026.
The app uses a Tauri and React interface over a bundled Goose backend, communicating through the Agent Client Protocol. That separation lets Berd present agents and models through one UI while keeping the underlying harness replaceable.
Berd is most interesting for people who want a visual, persistent agent workspace without being locked to one model vendor. The app itself is free, but users still need compatible providers, API keys, or agent subscriptions—and must be comfortable granting agents access to local files and tools.
Use cases
Who Berd is best for
The strongest fit depends on the job you need the product to complete, not the size of its feature list.
Engineers and builders
Ground agent sessions in real local projects, files, folders, skills, tools, and repeatable setup.
Visual-workflow users
Manage agent context and activity through a graphical interface instead of assembling every workflow in a terminal.
Organizations building a distribution
Fork the public code and supply managed providers, private resources, update channels, and release infrastructure through documented distribution seams.
Capabilities
Core Berd features
Projects and local context
Attach files or folders, work inside named projects, and keep the active workspace context visible.
Agent and model selection
Choose the agent, model, and provider shaping each conversation rather than committing the entire app to one vendor.
Persistent session history
Review past chats and resume work without rebuilding the project and agent context from scratch.
Agents, skills, and extensions
Create or select reusable agent roles, install skills, and configure extensions as first-class parts of the workspace.
Connections and MCP
Organizes company-managed services and local MCP connections configured for compatible harnesses such as Goose, Claude Code, or Codex.
Automations and queued work
Supports repeatable agent workflows, queued follow-ups, and visibility into agent and subagent activity.
Custom distributions
The repository exposes extension points for organizations to package private agents, provider settings, companion tools, signing, and publishing infrastructure.
Process
How the Berd workflow works
Step 1
Install an official release
Download a versioned build for the supported desktop platform from Block's GitHub releases, or build the app from source.
Step 2
Configure a provider or harness
Connect a compatible agent and supply the required local installation, account, subscription, or API credentials.
Step 3
Create a project
Name the work, choose the relevant folder or folders, and add the context the agent should understand.
Step 4
Choose an agent and model
Select the role, provider, model, skills, and connections appropriate for the task.
Step 5
Run and inspect the work
Follow tool activity, steer the session, review outputs and file changes, and keep important work in the project's history.
Cost
Berd pricing and free plan
Berd's public desktop app and source code are free under Apache 2.0. Model inference, commercial agent subscriptions, external services, and the engineering needed for a custom organizational distribution are separate costs.
Berd public app
$0
Download an official build or compile the public repository.
- Apache 2.0 licensed
- Source code and versioned release assets
- No Berd subscription fee
Models and agent providers
Varies
Bring the provider credentials or compatible agent access used by each workflow.
- API usage may be billed by the model provider
- Some agent harnesses require a paid subscription
- Costs depend on the selected model and task volume
Custom distribution
Self-managed
Organizations can build a tailored Berd distribution from the public source.
- Private provider and agent configuration
- Custom update, signing, and publishing infrastructure
- Internal engineering and support costs apply
Pricing checked . Check current pricing at the source ↗
Assessment
Berd strengths and limitations
Where it stands out
- Free, inspectable, and commercially usable under a permissive open-source license.
- Separates the persistent workspace from the underlying agent and model.
- Treats projects, context, providers, skills, extensions, and automations as visible workflow configuration.
- Offers official desktop release assets as well as a build-from-source path.
- Telemetry is disabled by default in Block's official distributions.
What to consider
- Berd is a new 0.6.x public release, so workflows, integrations, and packaging are still maturing.
- The interface is free, but compatible agents, model APIs, and external services can still create meaningful recurring costs.
- Windows and Linux packages in the reviewed release lack platform-native code signatures, although updater archives are minisign-authenticated.
- Agent access to local files, credentials, tools, and external services requires careful permission and output review.
- Block does not accept outside pull requests; community participation is routed through reproducible issues.
Compare
Berd alternatives
The right alternative depends on the specific output, workflow, controls and budget your project requires.
Coding
Codex App
Consider Codex App for OpenAI's integrated desktop environment focused on managing Codex coding agents.
Explore Codex App →Agents
Claude Cowork
Consider Claude Cowork for Anthropic's desktop agent workflow for both coding and broader computer-based tasks.
Explore Claude Cowork →Agents
Hermes Desktop
Consider Hermes Desktop for a native personal agent centered on persistence and memory.
Explore Hermes Desktop →Questions
Berd FAQs
What is Berd?
Berd is Block's open-source desktop workspace for working with AI agents across projects, models, skills, extensions, automations, tools, and local files.
Is Berd free?
Yes. The official desktop app and source code are free under Apache 2.0. You may still pay separately for model APIs, agent subscriptions, or external services connected to Berd.
Does Berd include its own AI model?
No. Berd is a workspace rather than a foundation model. It uses a bundled Goose backend and lets users configure compatible agents, models, and providers.
Which operating systems support Berd?
Block's GitHub releases provide desktop packages for macOS, Windows, and Linux. Check the latest release assets for the architecture and installer format that matches your machine.
Is Berd private?
Berd runs as a local desktop app, but configured agents and model providers may send task content to their own services. Block says telemetry is off by default in official builds and excludes prompts, messages, files, source code, and credentials when enabled.
Can a company customize Berd?
Yes. The public repository is designed to support organizational distributions with managed providers, private resources, optional companion tools, and custom release infrastructure.
Bottom line
Our Berd verdict
Berd is a promising open-source answer to agent-workflow fragmentation: keep projects and context in one inspectable desktop while swapping the underlying agent or model. Its early-release status and bring-your-own-provider setup demand patience and security discipline, but the zero-dollar license makes it unusually easy to evaluate.
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