# MetaGPT vs ChatDev

## TL;DR

Both began as simulated software companies. MetaGPT still is one: product manager, architect, project manager and engineer roles follow an SOP, but the repository was last pushed in January 2026. ChatDev's main branch is now ChatDev 2.0, a YAML-defined workflow platform with a web console; the original system lives on the `chatdev1.0` branch.

## Facts side by side

|  | [MetaGPT](https://multiagentguide.top/tools/metagpt.md) | [ChatDev](https://multiagentguide.top/tools/chatdev.md) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Type | Framework | Framework |
| Languages / SDKs | Python | Python |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Pricing model | Open source, free | Open source, free |
| Orchestration pattern | Crew / roles | Graph |
| GitHub stars | 70,700 (as of 2026-09-30) | 34,424 (as of 2026-09-30) |
| GitHub forks | 8,988 | 4,313 |
| Last push | 2026-01-21 | 2026-07-24 |
| Latest release | v0.8.1 | v2.2.0 |
| Repository | [FoundationAgents/MetaGPT](https://github.com/FoundationAgents/MetaGPT) | [OpenBMB/ChatDev](https://github.com/OpenBMB/ChatDev) |
| Documentation | [docs.deepwisdom.ai](https://docs.deepwisdom.ai/main/en/) | [github.com](https://github.com/OpenBMB/ChatDev/blob/main/docs/user_guide/en/index.md) |
| Last verified | 2026-09-30 | 2026-09-30 |
| MCP support | Unknown (checked 2026-09-30) | [Yes (checked 2026-09-30)](https://github.com/OpenBMB/ChatDev/blob/main/docs/user_guide/en/modules/tooling/mcp.md) |
| A2A support | Unknown (checked 2026-09-30) | Unknown (checked 2026-09-30) |
| AG-UI support | Unknown (checked 2026-09-30) | Unknown (checked 2026-09-30) |
| Install verified | Not yet | Not yet |

## Choose MetaGPT if

- You want the fixed software-company SOP that turns a one-line requirement into documents and code.
- You want roles that can be handed to a person with `is_human=True`.
- You are studying role-based agent teams and accept slower maintenance and Python below 3.12.

## Choose ChatDev if

- You want to define agent workflows as YAML graphs and edit them on a visual canvas.
- You need MCP tools; ChatDev documents remote and local MCP servers, while no MCP support was found for MetaGPT.
- You want loops, human checkpoint nodes and nested subgraphs as first-class workflow elements.

## Migration notes

There is no shared format. A MetaGPT `Role` with `Action`s roughly corresponds to a ChatDev agent node; MetaGPT's publish/subscribe (`_watch`) routing becomes explicit edges in the YAML graph; `is_human=True` becomes a `human` node. Installation differs sharply. MetaGPT is a PyPI package that requires Python >=3.9,<3.12; our install check on 2026-09-30 could not resolve the current release (see the MetaGPT tool page), and the README also documents installing from the Git repository. ChatDev 2.0 is run from a repository checkout with `uv sync` and needs Python 3.12 or newer, so the two cannot share one environment. If you need the original ChatDev behaviour, use the `chatdev1.0` branch rather than `main`.

## FAQ

### Is ChatDev still a virtual software company?

Not on the main branch. ChatDev 2.0 is a general workflow platform; the original software-company system was moved to the `chatdev1.0` branch for maintenance.

### Is MetaGPT still maintained?

Activity has slowed: the last push to the main branch was on 2026-01-21 and the last tagged release is v0.8.2 from March 2025.

### Which one supports MCP?

ChatDev: yes (client, remote HTTP and local stdio servers). MetaGPT: unknown; no official support was found.

### Are both free?

Both repositories are open source (MetaGPT MIT, ChatDev Apache-2.0) and no paid hosted version of either framework is documented. The MetaGPT README also promotes the team's separate MGX product.

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Data as of 2026-09-30. Not affiliated with listed projects. HTML version: https://multiagentguide.top/compare/metagpt-vs-chatdev