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BeeAI

08 agent-communication/IBM/ACTIVE/aka IBM BeeAI, ACP

BeeAI is IBM's open-source agent platform — run, compose, and observe agents locally or on a cluster, with ACP/A2A-style interop and a web UI for non-technical operators.

SEC.01

What it does

  • 01Agent runtime and CLI
  • 02Multi-framework composition
  • 03ACP/A2A interoperability
  • 04Web UI and observability
SEC.02

Who it's for

Teams who want a batteries-included open platform for hosting several agents instead of assembling frameworks themselves.

PRICING

Pricing

Free (OSS, Apache-2.0). List prices as checked against the vendor's pricing page on 2026-09-25; plans change often, so confirm before deciding.

caveat · before you adopt

IBM's ACP folded into A2A — check which protocol generation a given component targets.

ALT

Other agent communication platforms (12)

OpenScout / Scout

OpenScout · agent-communication

cli/api · local · Free (OSS), local

A2A Protocol

A2A Project · agent-communication

api · local/cloud · Open protocol (free)

AGNTCY

AGNTCY · agent-communication

api · local/cloud · Free (OSS, Apache-2.0)

Agent Network Protocol

Community / OSS · agent-communication

api · local/cloud · Open protocol (free)

NANDA

NANDA (MIT Media Lab) · agent-communication

api · local/cloud · Free (research project)

CrewAI

CrewAI · agent-communication

api/cli · local/cloud · Free OSS core; CrewAI Enterprise paid (verify)

Microsoft Agent Framework

Microsoft · agent-communication

api · local/cloud · Free OSS (MIT); Azure hosting via Foundry

LangGraph

LangChain · agent-communication

api · local/cloud · Free OSS; LangGraph Platform paid tiers

MetaGPT

DeepWisdom · agent-communication

api/cli · local/cloud · Free OSS; MGX hosted product paid (verify)

CAMEL

CAMEL-AI · agent-communication

api · local/cloud · Free (OSS, Apache-2.0)

Agency Swarm

VRSEN · agent-communication

api · local/cloud · Free (OSS)

OpenAI Agents SDK

OpenAI · agent-communication

api · local/cloud · Free (OSS SDK); model usage metered
FAQ

Frequently asked

What is BeeAI?

BeeAI is IBM's open-source agent platform — run, compose, and observe agents locally or on a cluster, with ACP/A2A-style interop and a web UI for non-technical operators.

Who is BeeAI for?

Teams who want a batteries-included open platform for hosting several agents instead of assembling frameworks themselves.

How much does BeeAI cost?

Free (OSS, Apache-2.0). List prices as checked against the vendor's pricing page on 2026-09-25; plans change often, so confirm before deciding.

Does BeeAI run locally or in the cloud?

BeeAI runs locally on your machine and in the vendor's cloud. Its interfaces are an API or protocol, a terminal (CLI).

What are alternatives to BeeAI?

Other agent communication platform entries in the catalog: OpenScout / Scout, A2A Protocol, AGNTCY, Agent Network Protocol, NANDA, CrewAI, Microsoft Agent Framework, LangGraph, MetaGPT, CAMEL, Agency Swarm, OpenAI Agents SDK. Different categories solve the same problem differently — see the Agent communication & collaboration category page for tradeoffs.

What should I know before adopting BeeAI?

IBM's ACP folded into A2A — check which protocol generation a given component targets.