zerostack
Lightweight coding agent written in Rust, optimized for memory footprint and performance
Zerostack is a lightweight AI coding agent written in Rust that handles autonomous software development tasks with exceptional performance efficiency. Built with memory optimization at its core, it consumes only ~16MB RAM compared to ~300MB for JavaScript-based alternatives while providing multi-provider LLM support (OpenRouter, OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Ollama), standard coding tools, and a terminal-based interface. The agent features a flexible permission system, session management with auto-compaction, and runtime prompt switching between modes like code, plan, debug, and review. Advanced capabilities include MCP server integration, persistent memory across sessions, lifecycle hooks, parallel subagents for codebase exploration, and git worktree management for branch-per-task workflows.
Key Features
Use Cases
- 01Running a high-performance coding agent on resource-constrained machines or cloud instances
- 02Executing autonomous code refactoring, debugging, or security review with specialized prompt modes
- 03Managing feature development across git worktrees with automatic branch creation and merging
- 04Integrating a Rust-based coding agent into Zed or other ACP-compatible editors
- 05Sandboxing AI agent operations to prevent accidental system damage or credential exposure
- 06Orchestrating multiple parallel agents on the same repository with isolated worktrees
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zerostack — FAQ
What is zerostack?+
Zerostack is a minimal AI coding agent written in Rust that performs autonomous software development tasks through a terminal interface. It connects to various LLM providers and executes file operations, bash commands, and code reviews with configurable permissions and memory.
How do I install zerostack?+
Use the install script (curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/gi-dellav/zerostack/main/install.sh | bash), Cargo (cargo install zerostack), Homebrew (brew install gi-dellav/tap/zerostack), or download pre-built binaries from GitHub Releases. After installation, set your LLM provider API key and run 'zerostack' to start.
Which AI clients work with zerostack?+
Zerostack runs as a standalone terminal application but can integrate with editors supporting the Agent Communication Protocol (ACP), including Zed. With the acp feature enabled, it acts as an ACP server that editors can connect to.
Do I need API keys to use zerostack?+
Yes, you need an API key for at least one supported LLM provider: OpenRouter (default, set OPENROUTER_API_KEY), OpenAI (OPENAI_API_KEY), Anthropic (ANTHROPIC_API_KEY), or Gemini (GEMINI_API_KEY). Ollama runs locally and doesn't require external API keys.
Is zerostack free to use?+
Zerostack itself is free and open-source (GPL-3.0 license). However, you'll incur costs from your chosen LLM provider based on their API pricing, unless you use a local provider like Ollama.
What features are gated behind compile-time flags?+
The default build includes loops, git-worktree, MCP, subagents, ARCHITECTURE.md, status-signals, and multithreading. Optional features requiring --features installation include acp (editor protocol), memory (persistent context), hooks (lifecycle events), advisor (second model consultation), multimodal (images), and pdf support.
How do I install zerostack?+
Open the source repository on GitHub and follow its README. zerostack is a agent — MCP Agents Market links you directly to the official repo.
Is zerostack free?+
zerostack is an open-source project hosted on GitHub. Check the repository for its license and any usage requirements.