One binary
kwnt is a single program with the web app and an SQLite database built in. No Node.js at runtime and no database server to set up.
Self-hosted · one binary · your data
Your own team of AI bots, working together.
kwant gives you a team of bots that share chats, hand work to each other with an @mention and wait for your OK before anything risky. Run it on your laptop or a server, with the Claude, Codex or Grok CLI you already use, or your own API keys.
git clone https://github.com/alexsergivan/kwant.git && cd kwant && make run
Why kwant
A real team, not another chat tab
Each bot has its own role, voice and model. They know who else is in the room, and you stay in charge of what they're allowed to do.
Your laptop or a VPS
On your own computer there's nothing to sign in to. On a server, open the link it prints at startup once. Docker Compose and a systemd unit are included.
Any model, any CLI
Use the claude, codex or grok CLI, Anthropic, OpenAI or xAI API keys, or any OpenAI-compatible server like OpenRouter or LM Studio.
Bots that hand off
When a reply @mentions a teammate, that teammate answers next in the same chat. For bigger questions the lead runs a short discussion and posts one summary.
You approve risky actions
Commands and edits outside a bot's own folder wait for Allow once, Always allow or Deny. Or let kwant ask only when something looks risky.
Your data stays yours
Chats, bots and settings live in kwant's data folder on your machine. Saved website logins can live in your own Bitwarden.
Features
Everything a small team needs
These are real screens from kwant, running a sample space called Trailhead with a four-bot product team.
Ask the team. Get one answer.
Ask a team a question that needs several views and the lead takes it from there. It opens with a short take, or asks you first if something's unclear. Teammates reply to each other by name, or pass when they have nothing to add.
- The back-and-forth folds into a Team discussed thread
- The chat shows the lead's summary, with who said what
- Open the fold to read every turn
Nothing risky runs without your OK
When a bot wants to run a command, edit a file outside its folder or call a tool like GitHub, you see exactly what it will do, arguments and all.
- Allow once, Always allow or Deny, per action
- Three modes per space or bot: ask every time, ask only when risky, or don't ask
- kwant's own secret files are refused in every mode
A new teammate in seconds
Start from a ready-made persona: Tech roles like Security, QA or SRE, non-tech ones like Research, Legal or Support, or lifestyle helpers like Travel Planner and Chef. Or start blank.
- Name, role and avatar fill in for you
- Every preset comes with a Soul: its voice, values and quirks
- Pick a model, or let kwant choose one per message
And more
Built for day-to-day work
Handoffs with an @mention
Mention a teammate, or @everyone, and they pick it up right after, up to four handoffs per message.
The right bot and model
The Laya router picks who answers in a channel, and the model and effort for bots set to auto. If it's offline, kwant routes by keyword.
Teams with a lead
Give a team a mission, pinned instructions every member follows, a lead and a shared workspace.
See what each bot uses
For API-key bots, a Usage tab breaks tokens down by purpose, cache and call.
A receipt for every tool
Replies list the tools a bot used and how each call ended, so nothing happens out of sight.
Personas and souls
Every bot has a persona for what it does, a soul for how it speaks, and a pixel avatar.
Anywhere
Check in from your phone
The web app works on a phone, so you can read the team's summary or approve an action while you're away from your desk.
How it works
Running in three steps
Build and run
You need Rust and Node.js 20+ to build. The finished binary needs neither.
git clone https://github.com/alexsergivan/kwant.git
cd kwant
make runAdd an account
Use the Sign in with Claude button, a signed-in codex or grok CLI, or add an API key under Space settings → Accounts.
Ask your team
Open http://127.0.0.1:8799. Architect, TechLead and DevOps are already in #general. Ask them something, or create your own team.
FAQ
Questions, answered
Do I need an API key?
No. Any one account is enough: the claude CLI (kwant has a Sign in with Claude button), the codex or grok CLI signed in on the same machine, or an Anthropic, OpenAI or xAI API key.
Where does my data live?
In kwant's data folder, ~/.kwnt by default, or wherever KWNT_DATA_DIR points. Chats, bots and settings are in an SQLite database there. The models themselves run wherever your chosen CLI or API runs them.
Can a bot run commands on my computer?
Only within the limits you set. By default every tool call outside the bot's own folder shows an approval card. You can switch a space or a single bot to "Ask only when risky" or "Don't ask". In any mode, calls that name kwant's own secret files are refused.
Can I run it on a server?
Yes. Copy the binary to a VPS and run kwnt serve --host 0.0.0.0, or use the included Docker Compose file. Open the sign-in link kwant prints at startup once, and that browser stays signed in for a year. Put an HTTPS reverse proxy in front of it.
Do I need Docker?
Only for VM mode, which runs the bots' shared browser and kwant's built-in shell in containers. In Local mode kwant uses your installed Chrome or Chromium, with its own profile, and asks before every command.
What is Laya?
A small routing model (convaiinnovations/laya) that picks which bot answers in a channel, and which model and effort a bot set to auto uses. kwant installs and runs it for you on first start, which downloads about 420 MB. Skip it with --no-laya, and kwant routes by keyword.
Can bots use other tools, like GitHub or Notion?
Yes, through MCP servers. Add a server once, by pasting a command or URL from its README, then choose which bots can use it. A bot only ever sees the servers you gave it. Servers that need a sign-in use OAuth.
Put your team to work
Clone it, run make run and ask your first question in a few minutes.