ACP Agents
ACP stands for Agent Client Protocol. It's an open standard for AI agents that lets Coeus talk to different agents using the same interface.
If you're not sure what this is, skip it for now. The Claude Code, Anthropic API, or OpenAI-compatible provider will cover most use cases.
What ACP gives you
ACP agents can be installed from a registry or configured manually. Once connected, they work like any other provider in Coeus: you select them from the provider dropdown and they answer your questions, read your notes, and can write back to them.
Installing from the registry
Coeus pulls a curated list of ACP agents you can install in a few clicks.
- Open Settings → AI Providers → ACP
- Click Browse Registry
- Find the agent you want and click Install
- Coeus downloads and configures it automatically
The Run via column in the table below tells you what needs to be installed on your machine first:
- binary: a standalone executable, no extra tooling needed
- npx: requires Node.js
- uvx: requires uv (a Python package manager)
No paid subscription? Start here
Several ACP agents have a free tier, so you can use Coeus without paying for Claude Code, Codex, or an OpenAI plan:
- Gemini CLI: Google's agent. Sign in with a Google account via Google AI Studio and it works for free within usage limits.
- Qwen Code: Alibaba's coding agent. Free API credits included when you sign up.
- Kilo: Has a free plan built in. Just install and log in.
- OpenCode: Fully open source. Free to run — point it at any provider you already have, including free-tier ones.
Check each agent's site for current limits, as they change.
Supported agents
These are the agents currently available in Coeus's registry:
| Agent | What it is | Run via |
|---|---|---|
| Amp | Sourcegraph's AI coding agent | binary |
| Auggie CLI | Augment Code's CLI agent | npx |
| Autohand Code | AI coding agent | npx |
| Claude Agent | Anthropic's Claude via the Agent SDK | npx |
| Cline | Autonomous coding agent | npx |
| Codebuddy Code | Tencent's AI coding assistant | npx |
| Codex CLI | OpenAI's Codex CLI agent | binary |
| Corust Agent | Rust-focused AI coding agent | binary |
| crow-cli | Lightweight AI coding agent | uvx |
| Cursor | Cursor IDE's ACP-compatible CLI | binary |
| DeepAgents | DeepSeek-powered coding agent | npx |
| Factory Droid | Factory AI's engineering agent | npx |
| fast-agent | Lightweight, scriptable ACP agent | uvx |
| Gemini CLI | Google's Gemini CLI | npx |
| GitHub Copilot | GitHub Copilot CLI with ACP support | npx |
| goose | Block's open-source AI agent | binary |
| Junie | JetBrains' AI coding assistant | binary |
| Kilo | AI coding agent | binary |
| Kimi CLI | Moonshot AI's Kimi CLI | binary |
| Minion Code | Open-source coding agent | uvx |
| Mistral Vibe | Mistral AI's coding agent | binary |
| Nova | AI coding agent | npx |
| OpenCode | SST's open-source AI coding environment | binary |
| pi ACP | pi coding agent adapter | npx |
| Qoder CLI | Qoder's AI CLI agent | npx |
| Qwen Code | Alibaba's Qwen-powered coding agent | npx |
| Stakpak | DevOps and infrastructure AI agent | binary |
The full official list of ACP-compatible agents is at agentclientprotocol.com/get-started/agents.
Manual ACP setup
If you have an ACP-compatible agent that isn't in the registry:
- Open Settings → AI Providers → ACP
- Choose Manual configuration
- Enter the command to start the agent (e.g.
npx my-agent-server) and any required environment variables
Authentication
Different ACP agents authenticate differently:
- API key: You paste a key into the config
- Environment variable: You set an env var in the configuration field
- Terminal auth: A terminal window opens inside Coeus and you log in interactively (used for agents like Claude Code and Kimi)
Coeus stores credentials securely in your operating system's keychain.
File access
ACP agents run with access to your notes folder. They can read and write files there. They can't access anything outside of it.