Abacus AI
A free, local-first AI coding agent for VS Code. Chat, edit files, run terminal commands, and get
real work done, autonomously. Works entirely offline with a local Ollama model, or with any
OpenAI-compatible cloud API you already have a key for (OpenAI, Groq, OpenRouter, DeepSeek,
Together, or a self-hosted server). No subscription, no vendor lock-in, no account required.
Why Abacus AI
- Actually free. No subscription, no usage caps imposed by this extension, no account to
create. Use Ollama for zero cost, or bring your own cloud API key and pay only that provider
directly.
- Local-first by design. Runs fully offline with Ollama. Optional telemetry is off by default
and, even when on, only ever sends anonymous usage counts, never your code, chat content, or
API keys.
- A real coding agent, not just a chatbot. Reads and writes files, runs terminal commands (in a
visible integrated terminal, so interactive prompts work), searches your codebase, fetches URLs,
and reads PDFs/spreadsheets, chained across multiple steps in one turn.
- See exactly what it changes. Every file edit shows a real diff before you approve it, and
once applied, the change is highlighted directly in your editor with a one-click Undo, not just
in the chat panel.
Features
- Chat with streaming responses, markdown rendering, and syntax-highlighted code blocks
- Tools: read/write/edit files, run terminal commands, search the codebase, fetch a URL, read
PDF/Excel/CSV, and a live step-by-step plan for multi-part tasks
- Real-time in-editor diff highlighting + Undo for every AI-made edit
- Local Ollama (auto-detected) or any OpenAI-compatible cloud endpoint
- Guided setup wizard with live model lists and tool-calling capability detection
- Multiple persistent chat sessions with history
- Image/screenshot attachments for vision-capable models
- Generated cartoon avatars or your own uploaded photo
- Token usage tracking
- Opt-in, anonymous-only telemetry (off by default)
Install
- Open the Extensions view in VS Code (
Ctrl+Shift+X).
- Search for Abacus AI and click Install.
- Click the Abacus AI icon in the activity bar to open the chat.
Set up a model
- Local (free, private): install Ollama, pull a model (e.g.
ollama pull llama3.2), then run Abacus AI: Provider & Model from the Command Palette.
Abacus AI auto-detects whether Ollama is running and shows it in the chat header.
- Cloud (your own API key): run Abacus AI: Provider & Model, choose Cloud, and paste in a
base URL + API key. Works with OpenAI, Groq, OpenRouter, DeepSeek, Together, or any self-hosted
OpenAI-compatible server. Your key is stored in VS Code's encrypted SecretStorage, never in plain
settings.
Privacy
Abacus AI is local-first: it never sends your chat content, file contents, or API keys anywhere.
Optional telemetry (off by default, toggle in Settings) sends only the extension version, which
provider/model you use, and anonymous per-tool usage counts, enough to guide development, nothing
that identifies you or your code.
Feedback & bugs
Found a bug or have a feature request? Open
ai.abacusitbd.com and use the feedback form.
License & author
Abacus AI is free to use but not open source. See the LICENSE file (included with this
extension) for the full terms, and NOTICE for third-party attributions.
Developed by Abacus IT BD, founded by Riad Ahmed.
Also reachable from inside VS Code via the Abacus AI: About command.
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