Beads

C-▲ 0 vs last quarter

Git-backed dependency-graph issue tracker giving AI coding agents persistent memory across sessions, branches, and machines.

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Dimension breakdown

Score · confidence

UX / DX

50% conf55

Capability

50% conf70

ReliabilityIncomplete data at this time

Value

50% conf55

CommunityIncomplete data at this time

Enterprise / Compliance

50% conf30

Autonomy

50% conf40

Integration

50% conf55

Sources blend review platforms, community sentiment, the Signal Radar and practitioner ratings. Scores re-blend each quarter.

Git-backed dependency-graph issue tracker giving AI coding agents persistent memory across sessions, branches, and machines. Opus 4.8 re-baseline holds all six dims and rating 53 (Tracked); the no-enterprise-features cap pins every dimension at a ceiling of 14 (Context sits exactly at it). v1.0.4 (May 9, 2026) completes the Dolt migration and hardens reliability after a turbulent v1.0 transition that produced documented data-loss incidents (e.g., bd init wiping a 247-issue DB; #2363 still open).

Repo renamed steveyegge -> gastownhall; ecosystem maturing (official beads-mcp, endorsed Rust 'Beads Classic' port, downstream Gas City enterprise SDK).

Caution

solo-leaning bus factor (Yegge-centric), no enterprise features/company/funding for Beads itself, ~80% agent reliability needing supervision, and persistent invasiveness (auto git-push) + 'written by AI for AI' DX critiques.

The Jan 2026 GAS-token episode (a third-party meme coin on the 'Gas Town' name that Yegge briefly endorsed then disavowed; now -98%) is an ecosystem reputational footnote, not a Beads product issue.

Recommended

Use cases

Not yet assessed — this section fills in as ACES research covers the tool.

Score caps

Risk flags

No enterprise features
enterpriseConditional
No enterprise customers/features
Caps all dimensions at 70
Removed when — Enterprise tier launched with SSO, audit logs, or compliance certification

Assessment

Status rationale

Tracked because Beads has strong community traction (24.18k stars rising, 1.6k forks, v1.0.4 stable, 20+ ecosystem tools, official MCP server, endorsed Rust port, downstream Gas City SDK) and a clear research-based baseline, but lacks enterprise features, company formation, funding, and named enterprise customers required for Assessed, and was not hands-on tested this cycle. The no-enterprise-features cap holds all dimensions at <=14 and remains the binding constraint preventing further advancement (Context is pinned exactly at 14).

The v1.0 Dolt-migration reliability turbulence (largely mitigated by v1.0.4) and the receded GAS-token reputational episode warrant continued monitoring but do not warrant downgrade.

Watch for

Movement triggers

Upgrade if: enterprise features added (SSO, RBAC, real access audit logs), a company forms or Beads obtains dedicated funding, bus factor reduced by sustained additional core maintainers, named enterprise customer references emerge, the Dolt-migration data-loss class (#2363) is verifiably closed with community stability acknowledgment, or compliance score reaches 10+. Downgrade if: competitive displacement materializes (sustained star/contributor decline relative to claude-mem/agentmemory/native CLAUDE.md memory, or to the Rust port/PaiR forks), development stalls (no releases in 90+ days), Yegge abandons the project, reliability regressions persist into a sustained 'breaks often' pattern, or an unresolved security incident emerges.

Caution