ChatDev is an open-source multi-agent framework that automates software development by simulating a virtual company of LLM-powered agents collaborating through structured conversations1). Inspired by the waterfall model of software engineering, ChatDev assigns agents to roles such as CEO, CTO, programmer, and tester, enabling end-to-end software creation from a single natural language requirement. The project evolved from its initial 2023 release (v1.0) to the more flexible ChatDev 2.0 (DevAll) architecture.
Agents role-play as members of a software company hierarchy:
The core ChatChain mechanism breaks development into subtasks following a waterfall sequence. Each subtask involves multi-turn dialogues between agent pairs that work toward consensus. Communicative dehallucination prompts agents to seek clarification before responding, reducing errors like incomplete code or hallucinated functions.
| Aspect | Version 1.0 | Version 2.0 (DevAll) |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | Fixed roles in virtual company | Decoupled, domain-agnostic workflows |
| Interface | Prompt-based orchestration | Visual drag-and-drop (Vue3 console) + Python SDK |
| Workflow | Linear waterfall ChatChain | DAG topologies with parallel tasks and dynamic routing |
| Scope | Software development only | Any complex multi-agent task |
| Architecture | Monolithic | Three-layer: Server (state), Runtime (execution), Workflow (logic) |