Side by side

agent-cu vs open-computer-use

Both stand on ai computer use agents. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.

agent-cu

Free plan LinuxMacWindows

Choose agent-cu if you want a free, locally run command-line tool to control desktop applications, automate command sequences, or connect with supported agents. Its accessibility-tree approach and broad desktop platform support are useful for those tasks. Look elsewhere if you need a maintained project or screen understanding.

Visit agent-cu

open-computer-use

Free plan APILinuxMac+2

Open Computer Use provides a broad set of local desktop controls for AI agents. Review platform permissions and the current Windows-only window-level tools before adopting it.

Visit open-computer-use

The facts

	agent-cu	open-computer-use
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Open source	Not published	Not published
Runs on	Linux, Mac, Windows	API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows
Lowest paid plan	Free or on request	Free or on request
Plans published	1	1
Maker	Not published	Not published
Website	github.com	github.com
On ai computer use agents	#1 of 24	#5 of 24

agent-cu: what it does well

Free to use under the MIT license.
Runs locally and has zero per-action cost.
Supports reusable YAML workflows and batched commands.
Provides precompiled binaries for macOS, Linux, and Windows.
Supports Electron apps through CDP.

What to know first

The repository says the project is no longer maintained.
It requires explicit OS accessibility permissions.
Screen understanding is not supported.

open-computer-use: what it does well

Runs locally on the user's machine.
Core tools cover app discovery and desktop actions.
Setup guidance names four MCP clients.
Free software under the MIT license.

What to know first

macOS 14 or later requires two permissions.
Linux requires AT-SPI2 and a signed-in desktop session.
Additional window-level tools are currently Windows-only.

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