Spec Kit is a free toolkit that helps AI coding assistants follow structured steps, such as writing a plan, fixing a bug, or judging an idea before building it. It is for programmers and teams who use AI coding agents to build software.
Has 2 of 4
How many people bookmarked its code on GitHub. It shows how popular it is, not how good it is or how well it replaces the app.
How hard it is to start using it. Easy: install it like a normal app, or use it in your browser. Advanced: you run it on your own server, use the command line, or it is a tool for developers.
Its code changed within the last year, so someone is still looking after it.
Does the whole job.
Ordered by how fully it replaces the app, Verified, setup and, when there are enough, people's votes.
BMad Method is a free, open-source set of guided steps and AI helper roles that turns an idea or change request into working software, with decisions written down along the way. It is for people who build software with AI coding assistants and want clear plans before the code is written.
Has 2 of 4
How many people bookmarked its code on GitHub. It shows how popular it is, not how good it is or how well it replaces the app.
How hard it is to start using it. Easy: install it like a normal app, or use it in your browser. Advanced: you run it on your own server, use the command line, or it is a tool for developers.
Its code changed within the last year, so someone is still looking after it.
Does the whole job.
Ordered by how fully it replaces the app, Verified, setup and, when there are enough, people's votes.
OpenSpec is a tool that helps people and their AI coding assistants agree on a written plan for what to build before any code is written. It is for software developers who use AI assistants to write code.
Has 3 of 4
How many people bookmarked its code on GitHub. It shows how popular it is, not how good it is or how well it replaces the app.
How hard it is to start using it. Easy: install it like a normal app, or use it in your browser. Advanced: you run it on your own server, use the command line, or it is a tool for developers.
Its code changed within the last year, so someone is still looking after it.
Does the whole job.
Ordered by how fully it replaces the app, Verified, setup and, when there are enough, people's votes.
None of these match. Try another device.
Help me choose
I want to pick an open-source replacement for Kiro. Below is a list from Open Source Everything (CC BY-SA 4.0), in the order its website shows it. The order is a starting point, not a verdict.
- Spec Kit: Spec Kit is a free toolkit that helps AI coding assistants follow structured steps, such as writing a plan, fixing a bug, or judging an idea before building it. It is for programmers and teams who use AI coding agents to build software. [Advanced setup; Windows · Mac · Linux; replaces fully; MIT; https://github.com/github/spec-kit]
- BMAD Method: BMad Method is a free, open-source set of guided steps and AI helper roles that turns an idea or change request into working software, with decisions written down along the way. It is for people who build software with AI coding assistants and want clear plans before the code is written. [Advanced setup; Windows · Mac · Linux; replaces fully; MIT; https://github.com/bmad-code-org/BMAD-METHOD]
- OpenSpec: OpenSpec is a tool that helps people and their AI coding assistants agree on a written plan for what to build before any code is written. It is for software developers who use AI assistants to write code. [Advanced setup; Windows · Mac · Linux; replaces fully; MIT; https://github.com/Fission-AI/OpenSpec]
Setup rating: "Easy setup" means you can install it like a normal app, use it in a browser. "Advanced setup" means you must run it on your own server or use the command line, or it is a tool for developers.
Full details: https://opensourceeverything.org/data/groups/agent-planning.json
Before recommending anything, ask me these three questions (one at a time, in plain words): 1) Which device or devices will I use it on (Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iPhone)? 2) How comfortable am I with technical setup: only installing apps from a store, happy to follow a step-by-step guide, or comfortable with servers and the command line? 3) What is my budget: free only, or willing to pay for hosting or support? Then recommend one to three projects from this list only, and for each say why, using how fully it replaces the app, its setup rating, and the devices it runs on. If nothing on the list fits me, say so plainly instead of stretching.
Before you build
Read the list of open-source projects at https://opensourceeverything.org/data/groups/agent-planning.json. Compare it with my project or idea below. Tell me which projects overlap, what I could reuse instead of rewriting, and what mine does that none of them do.
My project or idea:
