agent-desktop Alternatives: 6 Picks by Why You Are Leaving (Nov 2026)
agent-desktop is a free computer use CLI from Vercel Labs. Six alternatives by reason for leaving, with platforms and prices checked 4 Nov 2026.
Our view: Claude Code’s built in computer use is the first agent-desktop alternative to try if you work on a Mac and already pay for Claude, and Playwright MCP is the pick when the job lives in a browser. Checked 4 Nov 2026.
Munder Difflin is free and open source: a desktop app that runs a team of AI agents for all kinds of knowledge work, coding included, on your own computer. Other tool comparisons sit in the Comparisons hub.
What is agent-desktop?
agent-desktop is a free, open source CLI from Vercel Labs that lets an AI agent see and operate desktop apps through the operating system’s accessibility tree. Its README, read 4 Nov 2026, says it works “without screenshots or pixel matching”, “with a ref for every element the agent can act on”. It runs on macOS 13 or later, Windows 10 1809 or later and Ubuntu 24.04 or later.
It brings no model: “The loop lives in your agent; agent-desktop has no model inside.” You connect it to an agent harness as a skill, with a line in AGENTS.md, or through agent-desktop mcp, which serves every command as an MCP tool. It’s Apache 2.0 and free; the model bill belongs to your agent. Version 1.1.0 shipped on 3 Nov 2026.
The repo, created on 19 Feb 2026, showed more than 13,000 stars on 4 Nov 2026, and GitHub’s trending page listed 3,791 stars that day. Stars can rise for reasons other than use, so read that as attention, not adoption.
Why look for an agent-desktop alternative?
You leave for one of four reasons: the agent you pay for, browser work, a full agent, or a separate desktop. The README warns that snapshots and screenshots “can contain private desktop content”, which is a fair reason to want another machine.
What are the best agent-desktop alternatives?
Six, sorted by why you would leave. Prices are as of 4 Nov 2026.
| Name | What it is | Where it runs | Price or licence, 4 Nov 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Code computer use | Built in MCP server, research preview | macOS (CLI) | Pro $17 a month billed annually, Max $100, Ultra $200. |
| Munder Difflin | Desktop app that runs a team of AI agents | Your own computer | Free and open source. |
| Codex computer use | Plugin for the ChatGPT desktop app | macOS and Windows, some regions | Plus $20 a month and up |
| Playwright MCP | MCP server for browser automation | Any MCP client, Node.js 18 or newer |
Apache 2.0, free |
| Browser Use | Python browser agent, plus a cloud | Local or cloud browser | MIT; cloud browsers from $0.02 an hour |
| Cua | Desktops for agents in VMs | macOS 26 or later, Linux images | MIT repo; Spaces free for individuals, Pro $18 a month |
1. Claude Code computer use: if you are on a Mac and pay for Claude
Claude Code has computer use built in. Anthropic’s computer use docs, read 4 Nov 2026, say: “Computer use is a research preview on macOS that requires a Pro, Max, or Ultra plan. It is not available on Team or Enterprise plans.” You enable a built in MCP server called computer-use from /mcp, and it needs an interactive session, not -p. The CLI version is not on Linux or Windows.
Anthropic’s pricing page, read 4 Nov 2026, lists Pro at $17 a month billed annually or $20 monthly, Max at $100 and Ultra at $200. See what Claude Code costs.
2. Munder Difflin: if you want a team of agents, not one tool
Munder Difflin is what we make, and it is not a computer use tool. It is the desktop app that runs a team of AI agents for all kinds of knowledge work, coding included, on your own computer, and it can run Claude Code, Codex and Gemini CLI. A Cloud Office and a mobile app are coming soon; today, agents run while your computer runs. Setup is in how to install and use Munder Difflin.
3. Codex computer use: if you are on Windows or pay for ChatGPT
OpenAI’s Computer Use page, read 4 Nov 2026, says: “In supported regions, Computer Use in the ChatGPT desktop app is available on macOS and Windows with ChatGPT Work and Codex.”
OpenAI’s pricing page, same day, lists it for Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Education plans and API keys, with the note “Feature is currently limited to only specific regions.” Free and Go are not in that table, and Plus was $20 a month on 4 Nov 2026. Our Codex computer use guide covers setup, and what is Codex the rest.
4. Playwright MCP: if the work lives in a browser
We think Playwright MCP is the closest swap for browser work, because it shares agent-desktop’s idea: structure, not pixels. Its README, read 4 Nov 2026, says it works “through structured accessibility snapshots, bypassing the need for screenshots or visually-tuned models.” Driving a whole desktop to fill in a web form is a bit like hiring a removal van to post a letter.
The README gives setups for Claude Code (claude mcp add playwright npx @playwright/mcp@latest), Codex and Gemini CLI. It’s Apache 2.0, and v0.0.84 came out on 31 Oct 2026.
5. Browser Use: if you want an agent with its own loop
agent-desktop has no model inside; Browser Use is a whole agent. Its README, read 4 Nov 2026, calls it “The open-source browser agent” and says “Run it locally with any LLM”. It’s a Python library, plus a CLI. The library is MIT licensed, and 0.13.14 shipped on 26 Oct 2026.
The hosted side is paid: on 4 Nov 2026 the README listed cloud “stealth browsers from $0.02/hour”.
6. Cua: if you want the agent on its own desktop
Cua gives each agent a desktop of its own instead of yours. Its README, read 4 Nov 2026, says Cua Spaces “gives your agents full desktops on your Mac and on computers you own”: a macOS VM or a Linux image, installed on macOS 26 or later. You bring your own agent and model.
The repo is MIT, while the Spaces app is “source-available under FSL-1.1-MIT”. On 4 Nov 2026 the README said Spaces is “free for individuals” and Pro is “$18 a month”. Cua Spaces v0.20.0 shipped on 3 Nov 2026.
When should you stay on agent-desktop?
Stay if you want one free tool for macOS, Windows and Linux with any agent you choose. We think that mix is its strength: neither vendor option above covers a Linux desktop, and it adds no model bill. Its README’s advice still holds: keep snapshots “out of public logs and uploads”.
FAQ
Is agent-desktop free?
Yes. It is Apache 2.0 licensed, per its GitHub repository read 4 Nov 2026. Its README says it has no model inside, so you pay for whatever model your agent uses, not for agent-desktop.
Which platforms does agent-desktop support?
macOS 13 or later, Windows 10 1809 or later and Ubuntu 24.04 or later, per its README read 4 Nov 2026. It reads each app through the AX API on macOS, UI Automation on Windows and AT-SPI on Linux.
Does agent-desktop take screenshots?
It can, but it does not need them. The README, read 4 Nov 2026, says it gives an agent computer use "without screenshots or pixel matching" by reading the accessibility tree. It also has a screenshot command and warns that snapshots and screenshots can contain private desktop content.
Is Claude Code computer use a replacement for agent-desktop?
On a Mac with a paid Claude plan, it can be. Anthropic's docs, read 4 Nov 2026, call it a research preview on macOS for Pro, Max or Ultra, not Team or Enterprise, and say the CLI version is not on Linux or Windows.
What is the best open source alternative to agent-desktop?
Our view: Playwright MCP for browser work, under Apache 2.0; Munder Difflin, free and open source too, if you want a team of agents on your computer; and Cua if you want the agent on a desktop of its own. Checked 4 Nov 2026.