Summary

hex/claude-council is a Claude Code plugin that mitigates AI model bias by querying multiple coding agents (Gemini, OpenAI, Grok, Perplexity) in parallel. It provides diverse, cross-validated perspectives for critical decisions like architecture, debugging, and security reviews, offering a synthesized view to enhance technical decision-making for engineers and power users.

How It Works

The plugin dispatches queries to configured AI providers simultaneously, supporting API keys or CLI authentication (codex, gemini). Results stream in real-time into a tmux side pane with vendor-specific color coding. Key features include specialized roles for targeted analysis, "debate mode" for multi-round critiques, and "agent-enhanced" analysis for deeper insights at higher cost.

Quick Start & Requirements

Install via the Claude Code marketplace (/plugin marketplace add hex/claude-marketplace, /plugin install claude-council) or directly from GitHub (https://github.com/hex/claude-council.git). Requires API keys (e.g., OPENAI_API_KEY) or installed codex/gemini CLIs. curl and jq are necessary. See internal documentation (docs/ARCHITECTURE.md, TESTING.md) for detailed setup and development information.

Highlighted Details

• Multi-Agent Querying: Simultaneously consults Gemini, OpenAI, Grok, and Perplexity.
• CLI Integration: Prefers codex/gemini CLIs over APIs when available.
• Real-time Tmux Pane: Streams results with color-coded banners and markdown rendering.
• Advanced Modes: Supports specialized roles (--roles), debate (--debate), and in-depth agent analysis (--agents).
• Auto-Context: Injects relevant project files (up to 5, ~10k tokens) into queries.
• Response Caching: Caches results to reduce redundant API calls and costs.
• Export: Saves responses and synthesis to Markdown files (--output).

Maintenance & Community

The project uses a YYYY.M.PATCH versioning scheme, indicating active maintenance. Specific contributor, sponsorship, or community channel details are absent from the README. Development documentation is available.

Licensing & Compatibility

The project's open-source license is not explicitly stated in the README, posing a significant adoption risk, especially for commercial use. Compatibility is primarily within the Claude Code environment.

Limitations & Caveats

Dependent on the Claude Code plugin system and external AI provider availability/credentials. Advanced features require specific terminal environments (tmux, iTerm2). The missing license is a major caveat. Agent-enhanced analysis increases cost and latency.