> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.fritesai.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.fritesai.com/product/status-and-limits.md).

# Status & limits

A concise, user-facing view of what frites does today and where the rough edges are. For the full, dated enumeration of implementation status, see [roadmap/current-status.md](/roadmap/current-status.md), which is canonical.

## What works

Built and tested (126/126 unit tests plus live smoke against a real `claude` client):

* **The gateway**, both surfaces (`/v1/messages` for Claude Code and `/v1/responses` for Codex), with SSE streaming, live per-agent telemetry, live answer streaming, fan-out, synthesis, the LLM fan-out judge, `fanOutScope` first-turn scoping, background-model bypass, a per-turn council recap, and cost telemetry. See [product/gateway-mode.md](/product/gateway-mode.md).
* **Code editing through the gateway.** On a coding turn the gateway emits the `Read` / `Edit` / `Bash` `tool_use` your host executes on the real files, verified end-to-end (a real `claude` client → gateway fixed a bug and the tests passed), with **no API key**.
* **The background service** (launchd on macOS), so the gateway runs always-on. See [getting-started/service-management.md](/getting-started/service-management.md).
* **MCP worktree mode.** Worktrees → tests-as-oracle → optional cross-candidate synthesis → vetted diff → apply to a fresh branch. See [product/mcp-worktree-mode.md](/product/mcp-worktree-mode.md).
* **The config CLI.** `frites config` init/show/get/set/unset/validate/path with global+repo layering. See [reference/cli.md](/reference/cli.md).

## Known gaps

* **Value gate pending.** Whether fan-out *quality* actually beats a single agent on real tickets at acceptable cost has not yet been validated. This is the headline open question. If it fails, the thin slice is the product.
* **Codex tool-call emission on `/v1/responses` pending.** The gateway drives coding turns by emitting host-executed tool calls today on the Anthropic `/v1/messages` surface; emitting `function_call` on Codex's `/v1/responses` is **not yet built**. Codex works fully for Q\&A / reasoning turns, but the inline code-editing loop is Claude-only for now.

## Realistic limitations

* **Slower than a single agent.** A council of independent agents, cross-checked and synthesized, is the core bet: better output traded for latency and metered spend. Worktree mode is the far end of that curve (minutes, not seconds). See the tradeoff note in [architecture/risks-and-tradeoffs.md](/architecture/risks-and-tradeoffs.md).
* **Metered, not free.** Programmatic use draws the Agent-SDK credit / ChatGPT plan; see [product/auth-and-billing.md](/product/auth-and-billing.md). Spend scales with fan-out, bounded by [fan-out policy](/concepts/fan-out-policy.md) and [fan-out scope](/concepts/fan-out-scope.md).
* **Headless, high-trust posture.** Children run unattended without interactive approvals, and several hardening items are still open (no strong sandbox, no secret deny-read). Review the [safety model](/product/safety-model.md) before pointing frites at a repository.

For the complete, dated status list, see [roadmap/current-status.md](/roadmap/current-status.md).