TaskPeace vs Beads (bd) — for AI agents
Both give coding agents a real task list instead of a markdown file. Beads keeps a dependency graph of issues inside your repo and syncs it through git. TaskPeace is a hosted cross-project priority queue with one global order, expiring leases and a live board. Here is the honest comparison.
Open the board — free →What is Beads good at?
Beads (bd, from steveyegge/beads) is built as long-term memory for the agents working in a codebase. Issues live in a version-controlled Dolt database under .beads/, with hash-based IDs so two agents on two branches never collide. Its strength is the dependency graph: bd dep add records what blocks what, bd ready lists only the work with no open blockers, and bd update <id> --claim takes a task atomically. Epics nest into sub-tasks, old closed issues get summarised so they stop eating the context window, and bd dolt push / pull sync the graph through your existing git remote. It installs with brew install beads or npm, runs fully locally, and there is an MCP server (beads-mcp). For one codebase with a lot of interlocking work, it is a very good fit.
Where does Beads fall short for cross-project agent work?
Beads is scoped to the repo (or the directory you point BEADS_DIR at). Each project has its own graph, so there is no single answer to "what is the most important thing across everything I own right now?" There is no built-in web board, so a human sees the work through the CLI or a community-built UI rather than from a phone. And coordination rides on git sync, which works well for agents in one codebase but is not a queue that sessions on different machines, in different tools, pull from at the same moment.
How do Beads and TaskPeace compare for agent work?
| Capability | TaskPeace | Beads |
|---|---|---|
| MCP-native | Yes (get_next_task pull) | Yes (beads-mcp + bd CLI) |
| Dependency graph / ready work | Basic (dependsOn) | Strong (bd dep, bd ready, epics) |
| One global priority order across projects | Yes | Per-repo graph |
| Agent claims a task | Leases that expire | Atomic claim (bd update --claim) |
| Required result on completion | Yes | Optional close message |
| Hosted board / live cockpit | Yes, web + phone | CLI (community UIs exist) |
| Sync across machines | Hosted, instant | Dolt push/pull via your git remote |
| Runs fully offline | No | Yes |
| Open source | MIT · app source public · hosted service | MIT · self-run |
| Price | Free while in beta · $10/mo flat later | Free |
When is Beads the better choice?
One codebase, lots of interlocking work, and agents that need to know what is unblocked right now, all on your own machine with nothing hosted. Reach for TaskPeace when the work spans several projects, several agent sessions on different machines need one shared queue, and you want a board you can check and reorder from anywhere. If you run agents unattended, see the guide on running Claude Code autonomously.
Can I use Beads and TaskPeace together?
Yes, because they work at different levels. Beads holds the detailed graph inside a repo; TaskPeace holds the milestones that compete for priority with everything else you own. An agent pulls the next milestone with get_next_task, breaks it down in Beads, works through bd ready, and closes the TaskPeace task with a written result. See how the MCP queue works → or read the docs.
FAQ
What is Beads?
Beads (the bd CLI) is Steve Yegge's open-source issue tracker for coding agents. It stores issues as a dependency graph in a version-controlled Dolt database inside your repo (.beads/), gives agents commands like bd ready to list unblocked work and bd update --claim to take a task, and syncs across machines through your git remote. There is an MCP server (beads-mcp) and it is MIT licensed.
How is TaskPeace different from Beads?
Beads is local-first memory for the agents working in one codebase. TaskPeace is a hosted queue with one global priority order across every project you own: agents call get_next_task and receive the top task with merged project context, leases expire so a crashed session cannot hold work forever, every completion needs a written result, and a live board lets a human watch and reorder from any browser or phone.
What do Beads and TaskPeace cost?
Beads is free and MIT licensed, and it runs entirely on your machine with no hosted component. TaskPeace is free while it is in beta, with unlimited tasks, projects and agent completions and no card, and a flat $10/month plan for accounts created after the beta. Its app source is open (MIT) too.
Can I use Beads and TaskPeace together?
Yes. Let Beads hold the fine-grained dependency graph an agent needs inside one repo, and put the milestones on the TaskPeace board so they compete for priority with the rest of your work. Agents pull the next milestone from TaskPeace, break it down in Beads, and write the result back when it lands.