agent-cu vs Pan-Agent

agent-cu is a command-line tool for controlling desktop apps by clicking, typing, and reading interface information. It uses the accessibility tree that screen readers rely on to identify interface elements, then acts on them through references. Commands include snapshots, selectors, clicks, typing, scrolling, dragging, window management, and JSON output. Users can batch commands and reuse YAML workflows. The tool supports Electron apps through CDP, including Slack, Cursor, VS Code, Postman, Discord, and Notion. Its skill can be used with Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, Copilot, OpenCode, Cline, and 40+ other agents. agent-cu runs locally on macOS, Linux, and Windows; precompiled binaries are available for macOS Apple Silicon and Intel, Linux, and Windows. Installation instructions cover npm, pnpm, yarn, and bun. It requires explicit operating-system accessibility permissions to read and control apps. The project is free and MIT licensed. Its repository states that it is no longer maintained and recommends Cua and Cua Driver instead.

Pan-Agent is a free, MIT-licensed, open-source AI assistant that runs on the user’s own machine. It can take screenshots, interpret screens, type, click, manage windows, run commands, and browse the web. The project lists more than 20 built-in tools, including terminal, filesystem, browser, web search, keyboard, mouse, vision, memory, and cron. It connects to OpenAI-compatible providers such as OpenAI, Anthropic, OpenRouter, Groq, Ollama, LM Studio, vLLM, and llama.cpp. Cron expressions can schedule agent runs, while separate profiles isolate API keys, model settings, persona, memory, and skills. Telegram, Discord, and Slack bots work without a public URL. A headless local HTTP API runs on localhost:8642 and has a documented set of 50 endpoints. Its 103-pattern approval system classifies commands and blocks catastrophic actions by default. Sessions use SQLite, and updates verify Ed25519 signatures. The project says it has no telemetry. Important limits include an unauthenticated API, Linux control requiring X11 or XWayland, unsigned Windows installers, and a macOS app that is not notarized.