# Keel

> Updated 2026-09-26 · type: tool · category: ai-infrastructure · status: active · rev 1

Keel runs AI coding-agent output through five sequential verification gates and emits tamper-evident evidence bundles requiring human sign-off before deploy.

- Open source: yes (Apache-2.0)
- Self-hostable: yes
- Pricing model: free
- Best for: An engineering team letting AI coding agents (Claude Code, Codex, Copilot) touch a real codebase, who wants a gate before merge/deploy — sequential verification plus a tamper-evident evidence bundle a human must sign off on — rather than trusting agent output on faith.
- Last verified: 2026-09-26

- **Canonical:** https://gtmstacker.com/registry/tool/keel/
- **Source:** [daneb · GitHub](https://github.com/daneb/keel)
- **Tags:** ai-infrastructure, mcp-agents, self-hostable, rust, verification-gates, evidence-bundle
- **Repository:** https://github.com/daneb/keel

## Is Keel open source?

Yes, Keel is open source under the Apache-2.0 license.

## How much does Keel cost?

Keel is free to use.

## Can I self-host Keel?

Yes, Keel can be self-hosted (the source is available under the Apache-2.0 license).

## Alternatives & related

- [Strands harness-sdk](https://gtmstacker.com/registry/tool/strands-harness-sdk/)
- [HarnessRouter](https://gtmstacker.com/registry/tool/harnessrouter/)


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Keel is a gated Rust harness that runs AI coding-agent output through five sequential verification gates and emits cryptographically-linked evidence bundles requiring human sign-off before deploy. Open source: yes (Apache-2.0 per GitHub SPDX); self-hostable; pricing free. It has 2 stars and is fresh (last push 2026-09-26) and unproven.

## What it does

Keel (the `keel-harness` binary) sits above an agent loop — Claude Code, Codex, Copilot, Kiro — rather than doing inference itself; its tagline is "keel makes AI coding agents prove their work." Agent output is pushed through five sequential gates, from buildability up to human sign-off, and the run produces an exportable, cryptographically-linked evidence bundle that stays verifiable offline. The design intent is auditable stopping conditions: nothing reaches deploy until the gates pass and a human signs the tamper-evident bundle. Open source: yes (Apache-2.0 per GitHub SPDX, dual-licensed MIT-or-Apache at the user's option); self-hostable; pricing free.

## Provenance

- Apache-2.0 per GitHub SPDX (landing page advertises dual 'MIT OR Apache-2.0'); 2 stars, created 2026-08-23, last push 2026-09-26 (fresh); a gated Rust harness that runs agent output through five sequential verification gates and emits cryptographically-linked evidence bundles requiring human sign-off before deploy; self-hostable (WebFetch 2026-09-26).
- Surfaced via studio discovery in the 2026-09-26 pass.
- Anti-hype note — load-bearing: 2 stars, fresh and unproven; the gate pipeline and bundle integrity are the tool's design, not verified results. Landing page daneb.github.io/keel is distinct from the repo github.com/daneb/keel.
- Curated from the GTM Stacker signal registry (2026-09-26 pass); license/facts independently verified 2026-09-26.

## Why it matters for a GTM stack

As agents write more of the code behind GTM tooling — internal apps, integrations, automations — the risk shifts from "can the agent write it" to "can you trust what it shipped." Keel's angle is a verification/reliability gate before code deploys: agent output must clear five sequential checks and produce a tamper-evident evidence bundle that a human signs off on, giving you an auditable record instead of a leap of faith. For a team running agent-driven engineering behind its go-to-market stack, that gate is where reliability gets enforced. Open source: yes (Apache-2.0); self-hostable; pricing free. The honest read: the mechanism is well-aimed, but at 2 stars and only weeks old the gates and bundle integrity are unproven — pilot it on a low-stakes pipeline and confirm the evidence bundles hold up before making it a merge blocker.