Deep research · AI agent
MiroThinker: review, pricing, security and alternatives
MiroThinker is an open-source AI agent published by MiroMind, in the deep research family. A deep research agent that explores sources to address complex research questions and prediction tasks. Its repository has 8,424 stars and its last commit is from March 23, 2026.
What MiroThinker does
MiroThinker belongs to the deep research family: agents that search, read and cross-check dozens of sources to produce a sourced report. On our grid it ranks #16 of the 18 projects of this family listed in the directory.
Who is MiroThinker for?
It targets analysts, students and teams who must cross-check many sources to produce a reasoned summary. Typical tasks people give it:
- write a sourced overview of a topic
- compare products or competitors
- prepare a technical or regulatory watch
It is a good candidate if your data must stay on your machines.
Access and human control
According to its documentation, MiroThinker can:
- drive a web browser
- call online services and APIs
We could not establish whether it asks for human approval before sensitive actions: test it first on an unimportant account or folder.
MiroThinker pricing
The code is free, under the Apache-2.0 licence.
Getting started with MiroThinker
- Install it: the project ships as a Python package (install with
piporuv). 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
An agent's report may cite misread or invented sources: check the links before reusing a figure.
Points found for MiroThinker:
- Outside content: it reads web pages or API responses, which may contain booby-trapped instructions (prompt injection).
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 August 7, 2025, the MiroMindAI/MiroThinker repository has 8,424 stars, 650 forks and 3 open issues, with 162 commits in total. Last change 7 months ago.
Over the last 52 weeks: 83 commits, an average of 1.6 per week.
The project publishes no numbered releases on GitHub: you install it from the main branch or a package manager.
MiroThinker vs other deep research
GitHub stars of the best-rated open-source projects in the deep research family. Stars measure attention, not quality: a heavily promoted project collects them fast, a specialised tool will have few.
MiroThinker and other deep research 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MiroThinker | open source | 48 | 8.4K ★ | yes | – |
| DeerFlow | open source | 87 | 84.4K ★ | yes | – |
| GPT Researcher | open source | 80 | 30.3K ★ | yes | – |
| Open Science | open source | 76 | 5.4K ★ | yes | – |
| Feynman | open source | 74 | 10K ★ | yes | – |
| Local Deep Research | open source | 74 | 9.4K ★ | yes | – |
| OpenScience | open source | 70 | 4.2K ★ | yes | – |
| LLM for Zotero | open source | 68 | 3.4K ★ | yes | – |
How we rated it
Score: 48/100, computed only from public, verifiable data, with no subjective testing or partnership:
- Adoption 23/40: 8,424 stars on a log scale (40 points from about 200,000).
- Activity 5/30: last commit 7 months ago, 0 releases in six months, 83 commits in a year.
- Framework 20/30: 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
MiroThinker is a project to watch: compare it with the alternatives before adopting it.
Strengths
- Can run on your side: data under control
- Permissive licence (Apache-2.0)
Limitations
- No commit for 7 months
Alternatives
- DeerFlow84.4K ★
- GPT Researcher30.3K ★
- Open Science5.4K ★
- Feynman10K ★
- Local Deep Research9.4K ★
- OpenScience4.2K ★
Learn more
Frequently asked questions
Is MiroThinker free?
The software is free (Apache-2.0 licence). You still pay for the model calls, unless you use a local model.
Is MiroThinker safe?
Our risk level: mid. Points found: outside content. Give it minimum rights and approve irreversible actions.
Which models does MiroThinker use?
Its documentation does not specify the supported models.
Can MiroThinker be installed on your own server?
Yes, from the MiroMindAI/MiroThinker repository. Data then stays with you, but security and updates are your job.
What are the alternatives to MiroThinker?
In the same family: DeerFlow, GPT Researcher, Open Science, and Feynman.
MiroThinker or DeerFlow: what is the difference?
Both belong to the deep research family. MiroThinker has 8.4K stars against 84.4K for DeerFlow. The right choice mostly depends on the access you are willing to give it.
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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