Side by side

Pan-Agent vs QuickDesk

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.

Pan-Agent

Free plan APILinuxMac+2

Pan-Agent combines local AI assistance with desktop control, scheduled automation and messaging integrations. Its approval controls and open-source license are notable, but the unauthenticated local API and setup caveats matter when choosing where and how to run it.

Visit Pan-Agent

QuickDesk

Free plan AndroidAPIMac+3

QuickDesk pairs remote desktop controls with MCP tools for AI clients and offers self-hosting options. Consider the current download list and the Windows installer requirement if those affect your setup.

Visit QuickDesk

The facts

	Pan-Agent	QuickDesk
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Open source	Not published	Not published
Runs on	API, Linux, Mac, Self-hosted, Windows	Android, API, Mac, Self-hosted, Web, Windows
Lowest paid plan	Not published	Free or on request
Plans published	None	1
Maker	Not published	Not published
Website	github.com	github.com
On ai computer use agents	#11 of 24	#7 of 24

Pan-Agent: what it does well

Runs on the user's own machine; project says no telemetry.
Supports multiple OpenAI-compatible model providers.
Built-in Telegram, Discord and Slack bot support.
Blocks catastrophic commands by default.
MIT-licensed and open source.

What to know first

HTTP API has no authentication.
Linux control requires X11 or XWayland.
Windows installers are unsigned.
macOS app is not notarized.

QuickDesk: what it does well

Free, open-source code with no feature restrictions
MCP tools include OCR and UI element detection
HTTP/SSE can serve multiple AI clients
Self-hosted admin panel lists TOTP and audit logs

What to know first

Linux and mobile clients are roadmap items
Windows installer requires administrator rights
Listed downloads are Windows x64 and macOS ARM64

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