Chat interfaces · AI agent
LiveAgent: review, pricing, security and alternatives
LiveAgent is an open-source AI agent published by Stack-Cairn, in the chat interfaces family. LiveAgent is a desktop client for AI agents that also supports web access and can be customized and extended by users. Its repository has 2,243 stars and its last commit is from October 7, 2026.
What LiveAgent does
LiveAgent belongs to the chat interfaces family: multi-model chat interfaces, often self-hostable, with built-in tools, agents and MCP servers. On our grid it ranks #14 of the 17 projects of this family listed in the directory.
You use it from: desktop app and web app. It can run on your own machine or server.
Who is LiveAgent for?
It targets people who want a single chat interface for several models, often self-hosted, with tools and agents plugged in. Typical tasks people give it:
- chat with several models from one window
- share an internal assistant with a team
- connect documents and tools to the chat
It is a good candidate if you prefer doing everything in a browser, with no install and your data must stay on your machines.
Access and human control
Its documentation does not detail the access granted to the agent: check the settings before connecting it to your accounts.
We could not establish whether it asks for human approval before sensitive actions: test it first on an unimportant account or folder.
LiveAgent pricing
The code is free, under the MIT licence.
Getting started with LiveAgent
- Install it: the project ships as a Node.js package (install with
npm, or run directly withnpx). The exact command is in the repository README. - Create an API key with the model provider and put it in an environment variable, never in a shared or versioned file.
- Give it a first playground with nothing at stake: a test folder, a secondary account or a throwaway project. Only open your real accounts once you have seen how it behaves.
- Give it a short, checkable task, review the result and its action log, then raise the difficulty step by step.
Security: risk level
The interface stores your API keys and conversation history: protect its access and backups.
Three habits: least privilege (minimal rights, dedicated keys), human approval for irreversible actions, a sandbox for code execution. The AI agent security check reviews your setup in a few minutes.
Project activity and releases
Created on May 24, 2026, the Stack-Cairn/LiveAgent repository has 2,243 stars, 252 forks and 18 open issues, with 1,544 commits in total. It received changes this month.
Over the last 52 weeks: 1,221 commits, an average of 23.5 per week.
84 releases in total; 2 in the last twelve months. Latest release: v1.3.7, on September 28, 2026.
LiveAgent vs other chat interfaces
GitHub stars of the best-rated open-source projects in the chat interfaces family. Stars measure attention, not quality: a heavily promoted project collects them fast, a specialised tool will have few.
LiveAgent and other chat interfaces at a glance
The 7 best-ranked agents in the same family, 7 of them open source. The score out of 100 only applies to open-source projects; for proprietary services we show the published entry price. A dash marks information the documentation does not state.
| Agent | Model | Score | Stars or entry price | Self-hostable | Human approval |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LiveAgent | open source | 58 | 2.2K ★ | yes | – |
| AnythingLLM | open source | 89 | 67.5K ★ | yes | – |
| Cherry Studio | open source | 88 | 52.9K ★ | yes | – |
| AionUi | open source | 85 | 33.7K ★ | yes | – |
| Happy | open source | 84 | 24.3K ★ | yes | – |
| Open WebUI | open source | 83 | 156.6K ★ | yes | – |
| CopilotKit | open source | 81 | 38.2K ★ | yes | – |
| big-AGI | open source | 74 | 7.2K ★ | yes | – |
How we rated it
Score: 58/100, computed only from public, verifiable data, with no subjective testing or partnership:
- Adoption 16/40: 2,243 stars on a log scale (40 points from about 200,000).
- Activity 27/30: last commit less than a month ago, 2 releases in six months, 1,221 commits in a year.
- Framework 15/30: licence, default human approval, self-hosting, model choice and documentation site.
The score does not say whether the agent will succeed at your tasks: it measures how solid the project is. The full grid is on the method page.
Verdict
LiveAgent is a project to watch: compare it with the alternatives before adopting it.
Strengths
- Very active development
- Can run on your side: data under control
- Permissive licence (MIT)
Alternatives
- AnythingLLM67.5K ★
- Cherry Studio52.9K ★
- AionUi33.7K ★
- Happy24.3K ★
- Open WebUI156.6K ★
- CopilotKit38.2K ★
Learn more
Frequently asked questions
Is LiveAgent free?
The software is free (MIT licence). You still pay for the model calls, unless you use a local model.
Is LiveAgent safe?
Our risk level: low. Give it minimum rights and approve irreversible actions.
Which models does LiveAgent use?
Its documentation does not specify the supported models.
Can LiveAgent be installed on your own server?
Yes, from the Stack-Cairn/LiveAgent repository. Data then stays with you, but security and updates are your job.
What are the alternatives to LiveAgent?
In the same family: AnythingLLM, Cherry Studio, AionUi, and Happy.
LiveAgent or AnythingLLM: what is the difference?
Both belong to the chat interfaces family. LiveAgent has 2.2K stars against 67.5K for AnythingLLM. The right choice mostly depends on the access you are willing to give it.
Related articles
- Open source or proprietary AI agent: how to decideOctober 25, 2026
- AI agent vs. chatbot: what's the difference?October 24, 2026
- Autonomous AI agents: how much should you let them do?October 12, 2026
- AI agent memory: how agents remember (and forget)October 11, 2026
Neutrality. No affiliate links. No vendor pays to be reviewed, rated or ranked. Reviews are directed by François Chollet, neutral and factual, and every data point is dated and sourced. How we score