If you are developing software on IBM i systems then IBM Bob has probably caught your attention by now. This AI powered coding assistant lives right inside your IDE and acts as a smart programming partner that understands your full codebase. It helps you design, refactor, review and modernize code with real expertise in RPG, CL, DDS, SQL and those classic IBM i patterns that other tools often miss.
The big question everyone asks first is how much this is actually going to cost. IBM Bob starts with a free trial that gives you a solid taste of the power. After that it moves into paid Pro plans built around a credit system called Bobcoins. These Bobcoins are your usage allowance for AI tasks, and the different tiers let you scale from light use right up to heavy modernization projects without any nasty surprises.
Let’s look at what you get in the free trial, the Pro, Pro Plus and Ultra options, explain how Bobcoins work in real IBM i development workflows, and share some practical tips on picking the right plan for your shop.
The Free Trial: 30 days with 40 Bobcoins
IBM gives you a full 30 day free trial when you sign up at bob.ibm.com. During that time you get 40 Bobcoins to play with. That is enough to run hundreds of AI assisted tasks on your RPG or CL code. You can ask Bob to refactor a monster program, generate SQL stored procedures, explain legacy DDS, or even build new features from plain English descriptions.
The trial works exactly like the paid plans. You install the Bob IDE extension (it plugs straight into VS Code or the IBM i ACS editor), connect it to your repo, and start chatting with your new AI colleague. When your 40 Bobcoins run out you can either upgrade or wait for the trial to end. No credit card required to start, which is perfect if you just want to test it on a real IBM i modernization project.
The Paid Plans: Pro, Pro Plus and Ultra
Once the trial finishes you move to one of the three main subscription tiers. All of them are per user per month and include the full Bob feature set. Here is the current breakdown (prices are indicative in USD, exclude tax, and can vary slightly by country):
- Bob Pro Base plan with 40 Bobcoins included. Cost: $20 per user per month plus a $3 support fee. Perfect for solo developers or small shops doing occasional AI assisted RPG work.
- Bob Pro Plus 160 Bobcoins included. Cost: $60 per user per month plus a $9 support fee. This is the sweet spot for most IBM i teams. You get four times the capacity of Pro and it handles serious refactoring sessions without running dry.
- Bob Ultra 500 Bobcoins included. Cost: $200 per user per month plus a $30 support fee. Additional packs of 500 Bobcoins are available at the same rate. Built for heavy modernization projects where you are converting entire subsystems from RPG III to free-format or generating masses of new SQL and documentation.
There is also an Enterprise option for larger organizations. It adds team dashboards, role based access, and the ability to pool and distribute Bobcoins across your developers. Contact IBM sales for those details.
What Exactly Are Bobcoins and How Do They Work?
Bobcoins are IBMs simple way of measuring AI usage without you having to count tokens or worry about model pricing. Think of them as resource units (sometimes called RUs in the docs). Each task you give Bob consumes a certain number of Bobcoins depending on how complex it is.
Examples from real IBM i work:
- Simple code explanation or small refactor: 0.1 to 0.5 Bobcoins
- Full program modernization (RPGLE to free format plus tests): 2 to 5 Bobcoins
- Generating documentation for an entire service program: 1 to 3 Bobcoins
- Running Bob Shell CLI workflows or complex agentic modes: can eat 5 to 10 Bobcoins per run
One Bobcoin works out at roughly $0.50 if you ever go over your monthly allowance. You only pay for what you use beyond your plan limit, so there are shouldn’t be any shock bills. Bob itself will warn you when you are getting low and even suggest ways to stretch your coins.
You can track usage live inside the Bob interface. It shows exactly how many Bobcoins each session consumed and which parts of your codebase used the most.
Practical Tips for IBM i Shops
- Start with the trial on a real project. Pick one dusty RPG program you have been meaning to modernize and let Bob loose. You will quickly see how many Bobcoins you actually burn in your workflow.
- Pro Plus is usually the winner for most mid size shops. 160 Bobcoins lasts a typical developer a full month of heavy use. If you have three or four coders, buy Pro Plus for everyone and you will rarely need to top up.
- Watch the support fees. They are small but they add up if you have a big team. Factor them into your budget.
- You can upgrade or downgrade at any time. IBM makes it easy through the account dashboard. No long contracts.
- For pure IBM i work Bob is worth every coin because it actually understands DDS, CL, and the IBM i security model. Generic AI tools waste your time guessing at those things.
Real World IBM BOB Shenanigans
Final Thoughts
IBM Bob is not just another AI toy. It is a serious productivity tool built specifically for platforms like IBM i. Once you see it turning hours of manual refactoring into minutes you will wonder how you ever lived without it.
Pick the plan that matches your current workload, start small with the free trial, and scale up as you see the results in your code. Your RPG and CL will thank you for it 🙂
If you have tried Bob already drop a comment below and let me know which plan you landed on and how many Bobcoins you typically use in a month. I am always collecting real world IBM i numbers to share in future posts.
Happy coding!
