OpenHands: putting AI coding agents to work on your projects
OpenHands, originally called OpenDevin, is an open source platform that hands real development tasks to AI agents: fixing a bug, writing tests, working through an issue. It is built for developers and engineering teams who want self-hosted coding agents, with a paid plan for teams.
Data as of October 22, 2026
Key figures
| Developer | All Hands AI (marque OpenHands) |
|---|---|
| Type | Code |
| Languages | Python, TypeScript |
| Open source | Yes |
| License | MIT |
| First release | March 2024 |
| Suggested level | Intermediate |
| Use cases | coding, automation |
| Self-hostable | Yes |
| Business model | Freemium |
| Cloud offering | Yes |
| Multi-agent | Not disclosed |
| MCP support | Yes |
| Bring your own model | Yes |
| Official site | Official site · Documentation · Repository |
GitHub
| Repository | OpenHands/OpenHands |
|---|---|
| GitHub stars | 91,562 |
| Forks | 12,153 |
| Latest code activity | October 22, 2026 |
| Latest release | v1.30.1 (October 22, 2026) |
GitHub activity checked on October 22, 2026.
From OpenDevin to a full platform
The project started in March 2024 as OpenDevin, an open source answer to the first agents that could write software on their own. Renamed OpenHands, it is developed by the company All Hands AI together with a large community. In 2026 it comes as a set of components: Agent Canvas (the web interface and control center), a Python SDK and agent server that do the actual work, a command-line tool, and OpenHands Cloud, the managed commercial service.
What it actually does
OpenHands does agentic coding: the agent reads the repository, edits files, runs commands and tests, then hands back control. Agent Canvas adds automations triggered on a schedule or by an event: breaking a GitHub issue into tasks, preparing a report posted to Slack, reviewing code. It works with the model of your choice and connects to external tools through MCP.
Getting started
There are three main routes: install Agent Canvas with npm (Node.js 24 or later plus the uv tool), run it in a Docker container pointed at the projects folder the agent may access, or use OpenHands Cloud. The interface then opens in your browser, where you enter your model provider and start a conversation. For team use, the documentation recommends a dedicated server with security hardening.
Strengths and limitations
Strengths: MIT license, self-hosting, free choice of model, the ability to orchestrate other coding agents from the same interface, and built-in automations.
Limitations: setup is technical; the architecture has changed a lot (the main repository now hosts Agent Canvas), so older guides can be misleading; long tasks burn through many tokens. Above all, an agent that runs commands belongs in a sandbox: the can I trust an agent with this? tool helps you decide what to delegate.
Alternatives
Aider is lighter and lives in the terminal, goose is a general-purpose desktop agent, Cursor builds the agent into the editor, and the Claude Agent SDK lets you build your own coding agent.
Frameworks of the same type
- Claude Agent SDK · coding, automation, workflows
- Letta · chatbot, coding, automation
- Aider · coding
- Amazon Bedrock Agents / AgentCore · multi-agent, RAG, workflows
- Atomic Agents · workflows, chatbot, automation
- Browser Use · web browsing, automation, data
Frequently asked questions
Is OpenHands free?
The software is open source under the MIT license and free to self-host; you bring your own model key, billed by the provider. As of October 22, 2026, the Teams plan costs $499 per month for up to 10 users (then $50 per additional seat), and Enterprise pricing is custom.
How does it relate to OpenDevin?
It's the same project. It launched in March 2024 as OpenDevin and was later renamed OpenHands; the company behind it is All Hands AI.
Can I use it with Claude Code or Codex?
Yes. The Agent Canvas interface runs the OpenHands agent by default, but it can also drive other agents that support the ACP protocol, such as Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI or OpenCode.
Is it risky to let the agent act on my computer?
The documentation itself warns that without a container the agent has full access to your files. It recommends running in a Docker container or on a dedicated machine, and limiting which folders the agent can reach.
Data sources
- github.com
- openhands.dev
- docs.openhands.dev
- docs.openhands.dev
- GitHub — Repository metadata: GitHub
Data as of October 22, 2026
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