Freedom251 › AI chatbots and assistants
Open Assistant
What Open Assistant is
Open Assistant is a free, self-hosted personal assistant available through web, API, and self-hosted deployments. It brings email, calendars, files, notes, and messaging into one conversational interface. The service can read, search, send, and draft Gmail and Outlook email, manage Google and Outlook Calendar events, and work with OneDrive, Google Drive, Nextcloud, Notion, and OneNote. It can create or edit Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. Messaging works through its web interface, WhatsApp, or Slack, with voice-note processing and transcription. The homepage describes nine specialized agents and more than 88 tools for routing requests. Automation includes cron-based recurring tasks, future reminders, and multi-step workflows. A plugin system connects REST APIs using bearer, header, or basic authentication. It runs in one Docker container with one-command installation and supports OpenAI-compatible providers such as GPT-4o, Claude, Gemini, and Ollama. Personal non-commercial use is free; LLM API costs are additional and typically estimated at $5–20 monthly.
Who it suits
It suits people wanting a self-hosted assistant for connected communications, files, calendars, and automated tasks. Personal non-commercial users can use the free plan, while commercial use requires a separate agreement.
What it does well
- Connects email, calendars, files, notes, and messaging
- Nine agents and 88+ tools are described
- Supports recurring tasks and future reminders
- Runs in a single Docker container
- No telemetry is stated
What to know first
- LLM API usage costs extra
- Commercial use needs a separate agreement
- Self-hosting requires setup
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Personal non-commercial | Free for personal non-commercial use · LLM API costs are additional | Free |
As open-assistant.org lists them, read 11 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Verdict
Open Assistant combines broad service connections with agent-based automation in a self-hosted package. Its free personal plan does not include LLM API usage, and commercial users need separate terms.
Facts from Open Assistant's own pages
- Agents and tools
- The homepage describes 9 specialized agents and 88+ tools for routing and carrying out requests. · open-assistant.org, 11 Oct 2026
- Automation
- It supports recurring tasks using cron expressions, one-time future reminders, and multi-step agent workflows. · open-assistant.org, 11 Oct 2026
- Commercial use
- The site says commercial use requires a separate agreement. · open-assistant.org, 11 Oct 2026
- Custom integrations
- The site says users can connect REST APIs through a plugin system, with bearer, header, and basic authentication support. · open-assistant.org, 11 Oct 2026
- Email and calendar
- It can read, search, send, and draft Gmail and Outlook email, and manage Google and Outlook Calendar events. · open-assistant.org, 11 Oct 2026
- Files and notes
- It connects to OneDrive, Google Drive, Nextcloud, Notion, and OneNote, and can create or edit Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. · open-assistant.org, 11 Oct 2026
- Free plan
- Yes · open-assistant.org, 21 Sept 2026
- Hosting and install
- The product runs in a single Docker container and the site provides a one-command self-hosted installation. · open-assistant.org, 11 Oct 2026
- App integrations
- Yes · open-assistant.org, 21 Sept 2026
- LLM providers
- The site says it works with OpenAI-compatible LLMs, including GPT-4o, Claude, Gemini, and Ollama. · open-assistant.org, 11 Oct 2026
- Messaging and voice
- It supports messaging through its web UI, WhatsApp, or Slack, including voice note processing and transcription. · open-assistant.org, 11 Oct 2026
- Pricing limitation
- LLM API usage is not included; the site estimates it typically costs $5–20 per month depending on usage and provider. · open-assistant.org, 11 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Open Assistant is a self-hosted personal assistant that connects email, calendars, files, notes, and messaging in one conversational interface. · open-assistant.org, 11 Oct 2026
- Security
- The site says credentials are encrypted at rest with Fernet, integrations use OAuth2, and tool invocations are recorded in an audit log. · open-assistant.org, 11 Oct 2026
- Support
- The site provides a contact email, [email protected], for help. · open-assistant.org, 11 Oct 2026
- Telemetry and data
- The site says there is no telemetry and that outbound calls go only to the chosen LLM provider and explicitly configured services. · open-assistant.org, 11 Oct 2026
- Web search
- Yes · open-assistant.org, 21 Sept 2026
Where Open Assistant stands on Freedom251
- AI chatbots and assistants#48 of 65