SwarmForge FAQ
Answers describe the current implementation, with worker execution, manager coordination and infrastructure requirements kept explicit.
What is SwarmForge?
SwarmForge is an orchestration platform for autonomous AI coding agents. It coordinates parallel OpenCode workers in isolated Freestyle virtual machines, records task progress and results, and preserves deliverables. Its source code is public on GitHub.
What does SwarmForge do?
SwarmForge queues coding tasks, provisions worker environments, sends follow-up turns to existing sessions, exposes progress and usage, collects artifacts, and checks whether retained VMs can be cleaned up safely. A trusted MCP manager reviews and integrates the results.
Can SwarmForge run multiple coding agents in parallel?
Yes. SwarmForge runs multiple workers concurrently in separate Freestyle VMs within configured capacity and provisioning limits. Turns inside one worker are serialized. The manager chooses independent task scopes and sequences dependent work; SwarmForge does not automatically build a dependency graph.
Can coding agents run across multiple machines?
SwarmForge distributes coding execution across separate remote Freestyle VMs while a single self-hosted Linux coordinator manages their tasks and state over the network. The current backend does not schedule workers onto arbitrary operator-owned hosts or local VMs, and multiple coordinators cannot share one database.
Is SwarmForge harness-agnostic?
SwarmForge separates MCP manager coordination from worker execution. A manager can use a client that supports the configured MCP Streamable HTTP transport and authentication. The shipped worker harness is OpenCode; arbitrary worker harnesses and native Codex or Claude Code worker backends are not implemented.
How is SwarmForge different from Codex or Claude Code?
SwarmForge supplies worker orchestration and durable handoffs. It does not replace a coding agent's reasoning or editor tools. The current worker runtime is OpenCode, not a native Codex or Claude Code backend. A manager client must support the configured MCP Streamable HTTP transport and authentication; verify compatibility before using a particular client.
Does SwarmForge work with OpenCode?
Yes. Each current SwarmForge worker runs OpenCode against the deployment's OpenAI-compatible tool-calling model endpoint. The application README also includes an OpenCode remote-MCP configuration example for the manager role. Worker execution and manager coordination are separate responsibilities.
Does SwarmForge require cloud infrastructure?
The current worker implementation requires a Freestyle account and prepared VM snapshot. The coordinator runs on your own Linux x64 glibc host. You also provide a reachable model service and Git access; those do not have to be hosted by SwarmForge.
Can SwarmForge use local VMs?
A local-VM worker backend is not currently implemented. Self-hosting the coordinator does not make worker VMs local: the supported worker provider is Freestyle. A locally hosted model may be usable if it supports the required protocol and is reachable from the worker VMs.
What is AI coding agent orchestration?
AI coding agent orchestration is the coordination of task assignment, execution environments, progress, follow-up work and results across coding agents. SwarmForge implements those control-plane functions through MCP, a durable coordinator and isolated workers, while the manager remains responsible for decomposition and integration.
Does SwarmForge support multiple model providers?
Operators configure an OpenAI-compatible model endpoint, API key and exact model name for each deployment. The endpoint must support the request format and tool calls used by OpenCode. Separately configured deployments can use different compatible services or models; the spawn interface does not select a different model for each worker. A provider name alone is not proof of compatibility.
Can workers use different repositories?
The Git tree is configured per deployment. The spawn interface does not provide arbitrary per-worker repository selection. Use separately configured deployments when work needs different repository settings.
Does SwarmForge automatically create or merge pull requests?
No. Configured Git handoff can push a worker branch and verify the remote commit. Review, pull-request creation, conflict resolution and merging remain manager or operator responsibilities.
Are SwarmForge cost estimates a spending limit?
No. Estimates use explicitly configured rates and disclose unpriced usage. Budget thresholds generate notifications; they do not cap provider charges or stop tasks. Retained VMs can continue consuming provider resources until destroyed.
Has SwarmForge published agent-orchestration benchmarks?
No orchestration benchmark results have been published for this site. The benchmark page describes the methodology and evidence required for future studies, without claiming measured speedups, completion rates or cost savings.
What license does SwarmForge use?
SwarmForge uses the PolyForm Small Business License 1.0.0 (PolyForm-Small-Business-1.0.0). Business use qualifies when the company has fewer than 100 employees and independent contractors combined and prior-tax-year revenue below US$1,000,000 in 2019 dollars, adjusted for inflation as specified by the license. Both conditions must hold, including the company-group definition. It is source-available, not OSI-approved open source. Uses outside its permissions require separate licensing; the standard license has no separate hosted-service exclusion.