What is OpenHands?
OpenHands is an open-source (MIT licensed) platform for autonomous software development. It runs as a local web GUI, terminal UI, or CLI on your own machine with your own LLM key, and also as a hosted SaaS (OpenHands Cloud) or as a self-hosted enterprise deployment. The agent can work on repositories, run commands, and make changes, and it works with any model you connect.
Beyond interactive coding sessions, the Cloud version lets you set up automations triggered by GitHub, Slack, Jira, Linear, or schedules. Examples shown on the site include triaging new Linear issues, reviewing pull requests, fixing failed CI checks, scanning repositories for security issues, and opening draft pull requests for scoped work. Engineers stay in charge of review, approval, and merge.
Key features
- Local web GUI, terminal UI, and CLI
- Git integrations with GitHub, Bitbucket, and GitLab
- Automations triggered by Slack, Jira, Linear, GitHub, and schedules
- Automated PR review and CI failure fixing
- Model agnostic - bring your own key or use OpenHands models at cost
- Cloud APIs and Software Agent SDK
Who is it for
- Individual developers
- Engineering teams
- Enterprise organizations needing self-hosted deployment
How to get started with OpenHands
- Install OpenHands locally from the open source repository
- Run the web interface or the CLI terminal on your computer
- Connect your own API key for your chosen language model
- Point it at a GitHub repository and assign the agent its first task
- Your team wants to automate PR reviews and fixing failing CI tests
- You need an agent that works with your own LLM and API key
- Self-hosting or deployment in your VPC is required for privacy
- You need a Polish-language interface, which is not available
- You want full team features and priority support without the Enterprise plan
Pros and cons
- Open source under MIT license
- Works with any model, including your own keys
- Can run locally on your own machine
- Individual plan supports only one user
- Some features such as Jira/Slack integrations and API are limited to paid tiers
OpenHands pricing
| Plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Local (Open Source) | 0 USD | Single user, runs locally, community support |
| Individual | 0 USD | 1 user, 10 max daily conversations, hosted cloud access, API support, Jira and Slack integrations, BYOK or OpenHands models at cost |
Prices copied from OpenHands pricing, checked October 12, 2026. Currency as shown by the vendor; taxes may apply.
Is OpenHands free?
Yes, there is a free plan. Local Open Source version is free. The SaaS Individual plan is free and includes hosted cloud access, API support, and Jira and Slack integrations, with BYOK or OpenHands models at cost.
OpenHands alternatives
| Tool | Price from | Free plan | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
 Cursor | 20 USD/mo | yes | Coding |
 Google Antigravity | 30 USD/mo | yes | Coding |
 OpenAI Codex | 71 PLN/mo | no | Coding |
 Kilo Code | 15 USD/mo | yes | Coding |
 Devin Desktop | 20 USD/mo | yes | Coding |
 Zencoder | 40 USD/mo | trial | Coding |
All alternatives to OpenHands →
FAQ
What is OpenHands used for?
Open-source platform for building and running AI coding agents that automate software engineering workflows, for individuals and enterprise teams.
Is OpenHands free?
Yes, there is a free plan. Local Open Source version is free. The SaaS Individual plan is free and includes hosted cloud access, API support, and Jira and Slack integrations, with BYOK or OpenHands models at cost.
How much does OpenHands cost?
The vendor does not publish prices publicly or requires sign-in.
What are the best OpenHands alternatives?
Closest alternatives: Cursor, Google Antigravity, OpenAI Codex, Kilo Code, Devin Desktop.
Data checked October 12, 2026 on the vendor website (openhands.dev).