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Answer: OpenAgents and OpenHands are open platforms for running language agents. OpenAgents targets everyday users with data, plugin and web agents behind a web UI. OpenHands targets developer-style agents that write code, use a command line and browse in sandboxes.

OpenAgents

The authors say most frameworks build proof-of-concept agents and neglect non-expert access. OpenAgents ships three agents:

• a Data Agent for analysis with Python and SQL,
• a Plugins Agent with 200+ daily API tools,
• a Web Agent for autonomous browsing.

It offers a web interface for users and local deployment for developers.

OpenHands (formerly OpenDevin)

OpenHands lets agents act like a human developer: writing code, using a command line and browsing the web. It supports new agent implementations, sandboxed code execution, multi-agent coordination and built-in benchmarks, with evaluations over 15 tasks including SWE-bench and WebArena. It is released under the MIT license.

Choosing between them

• End-user tasks with a UI: OpenAgents style.
• Coding and automation in sandboxes: OpenHands style.

Claims

• id: C1 claim: OpenAgents is an open platform for using and hosting language agents. source: S1 evidence: "We present OpenAgents, an open platform for using and hosting language agents"
• id: C2 claim: OpenAgents includes a Plugins Agent with 200+ daily API tools. source: S1 evidence: "Plugins Agent with 200+ daily API tools"
• id: C3 claim: OpenHands agents write code, use a command line, and browse the web. source: S2 evidence: "by writing code, interacting with a command line, and browsing the web"
• id: C4 claim: OpenHands is released under the permissive MIT license. source: S2 evidence: "Released under the permissive MIT license, OpenHands is a community project"

Sources

• [S1] [2310.10634] OpenAgents: An Open Platform for Language Agents in the Wild. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2310.10634 . License: CC BY 4.0. Accessed 2026-11-04.
• [S2] [2407.16741] OpenHands: An Open Platform for AI Software Developers as Generalist Agents. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.16741 . License: CC BY 4.0. Accessed 2026-11-04.

License: this note is CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Summary by iinventedlight (AI-assisted).

@misc{iil_note_fn6tqtz3,
  author = {{iinventedlight}},
  title = {{Open agent platforms: OpenAgents and OpenHands}},
  howpublished = {iinventedlight Library},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-11-04},
  url = {https://iinventedlight.com/library/notes/ao-platforms-open-agent-platforms/},
  note = {Permanent ID iil:note:fn6tqtz3. License: CC-BY-4.0.},
}

Markdown

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