https://github.com/waqaszs/zebate
Open-source, on-machine AI debate — rival perspectives argue your question to a verdict, locally on your own Claude. No API key, no cloud. (Apache-2.0)
https://github.com/waqaszs/zebate
ai anthropic claude claude-code debate llm local-first multi-agent open-source research
Last synced: 4 days ago
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Open-source, on-machine AI debate — rival perspectives argue your question to a verdict, locally on your own Claude. No API key, no cloud. (Apache-2.0)
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/waqaszs/zebate
- Owner: waqaszs
- License: apache-2.0
- Created: 2026-06-07T01:01:28.000Z (18 days ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-06-07T19:25:40.000Z (17 days ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-06-07T20:21:46.390Z (17 days ago)
- Topics: ai, anthropic, claude, claude-code, debate, llm, local-first, multi-agent, open-source, research
- Language: HTML
- Homepage: https://zebate.pages.dev
- Size: 5.75 MB
- Stars: 0
- Watchers: 0
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
- License: LICENSE
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README
# Zebate
### Open-source, on-machine agentic debate.
Spin up rival AI agents that **argue your question to the ground** — across rounds, until one answer survives — running **locally, on your own Claude**. No API key. No cloud.
[](LICENSE)
> **One question → rival agents → they debate → a verdict.**
> Most tools give you *more* agents. Zebate makes them **argue** — locally, on the `claude` CLI you already have. The debate happens on your machine; nothing is brokered through a cloud.
---
## Why Zebate
A single chat gives you one voice that tends to agree with itself. Even "multi-agent" tools usually just run agents *in parallel* and staple the answers together. The hard part isn't running many agents — it's making them **disagree productively**:
- ⚔️ **Agentic debate (the moat)** — agents answer, then *see each other's answers and rebut* across rounds; a neutral moderator calls the verdict. Catches the confident-but-wrong answer a lone chat hands you.
- 🖥️ **On your machine** — the whole thing runs on your own `claude` CLI. No API key, no account, no cloud relay. Your prompts go exactly where they already go when you use Claude Code.
- 👥 **Parallel perspectives** — ask once, hear many expert viewpoints side by side.
- ⚖️ **Capture · Compare · Summarize** — pin findings, rank options in weighted tables, merge chats into one cited write-up.
One question, several rival agents — side by side. Debate takes it the rest of the way.
---
## Quickstart
**Prerequisites:** [Node 18+](https://nodejs.org) and [Claude Code](https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code) installed & logged in (you can run `claude` in your terminal).
```bash
git clone https://github.com/waqaszs/zebate.git
cd zebate
pnpm start # or: node src/server.mjs
```
Your browser opens at **http://localhost:8899**. No keys to paste, nothing to configure.
---
## Sessions — research several topics in parallel
A **session** is an isolated workspace: its own windows, pins, and its own browser tab. Run as many as you like — each one is independent.
```bash
SESSION="Pricing model" pnpm start # terminal 1 → its own UI + data
SESSION="Database choice" pnpm start # terminal 2 → separate UI + data
```
Or start one without leaving the app: open the **Sessions** menu → **+ New session**, name the topic, and Zebate spins up a fresh isolated instance and opens its tab for you. Re-launching a name **resumes** that session — your work persists on disk.
> Each session writes to its own `data/sessions/.json`. Closing a session's terminal (or tab + server) just stops it; nothing is deleted.
---
## The research loop
| Step | Tools | What happens |
|------|-------|--------------|
| **💬 Explore** | New chat · Ask several · **Debate** | Open chats, fan a question across perspectives, or have rival agents debate to a verdict. |
| **📌 Capture** | Pins | Keep the answers worth remembering on a board. |
| **⚖️ Decide** | Compare · Summarize | Rank options in a weighted table, or merge chats into one cited summary. |
| **⭳ Share** | Export | Send any summary to Markdown. |
- **Perspectives are yours** — a "perspective" is just a named system prompt. Edit, add or remove them in the Perspectives panel.
- **You stay in control** — while a chat answers, **Send** becomes **Stop**; the Usage panel shows each chat's context and your account's rate-limit window, with one-click **Compact** for long chats.
---
## How it works
```
browser UI ──HTTP/SSE──▶ src/server.mjs ──spawns──▶ claude -p --resume
(vanilla JS) (zero-dep node:http) (your CLI · your login)
```
- Each window owns its own **resumable** Claude session; debates orchestrate several of them across rounds plus a moderator pass.
- Replies **stream token-by-token** over Server-Sent Events; abort instantly with Stop.
- **Zero npm dependencies** — pure Node + vanilla JS. The whole backend is one file.
---
## FAQ
**Do I need an Anthropic API key?** No. Zebate drives the `claude` CLI you're already logged into — it uses your existing Claude Code subscription, exactly like running `claude` yourself.
**Does anything leave my machine?** Only what already leaves when you use Claude Code (your prompts go to Anthropic via the CLI). Zebate itself adds **no cloud, no account, no telemetry** — the server is `localhost`.
**Will a debate spend my limits?** A debate is several agent calls across rounds, so yes, more than a single chat — the Usage panel keeps that visible, and Compact helps long chats stay cheap.
**Is it really free?** Yes — free and **open-source (Apache-2.0)**. Use it, fork it, ship it.
---
## Zebate Cloud (coming soon)
**Zebate On-Machine** stays free & open-source, forever. **Zebate Cloud** is a separate hosted product that takes your research further:
- **Cross-device persistence** — chats, pins & debates saved in the cloud, synced across all your devices
- **Any model provider** — run perspectives on Claude, GPT, Gemini or local models — even mix them in one debate
- **Export to reports** — turn any research or debate into a polished, shareable report in multiple formats
- **PDF · slides · video · infographic** — auto-convert a debate into a PDF, slide deck, explainer video or infographic
- **Teams & sharing** — shared workspaces, and publish a finished debate as a link
- **Zero setup** — no CLI, no keys to manage
**→ [Join the waitlist](https://zebate.pages.dev/#join)**
## Contributing
Issues and PRs welcome. It's a single static frontend (`public/index.html`) and a single backend file (`src/server.mjs`) with no build step — clone, edit, refresh.
If Zebate is useful to you, **★ star the repo and share it** — that's how other developers find it.
---
## License & trademark
**Zebate On-Machine** (this repo) is **free & open-source** under the **Apache-2.0 License** — © [ZedStack](https://zedstack.com), built by [Waqas Haider](https://www.linkedin.com/in/waqaszs/). **Zebate Cloud** is a separate hosted product (coming soon).
The Zebate **name and logo** are trademarks of ZedStack — the Apache-2.0 license covers the *code*, not the brand. See [TRADEMARK.md](TRADEMARK.md). Forks are welcome; please **rebrand** before distributing publicly.
Zebate is a free, open tool from ZedStack — we build interactive experiences for learning, product discovery, and research.