Claude Computer Use vs OpenComputer
Claude Computer Use
anthropic.comOpenComputer
github.comSide by side
| Figure | Claude Computer Use | OpenComputer |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | — |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 0 | 0 |
| Spec score · AI Computer Use Agents | 7.7 (#8) | 7.2 (#18) |
| Integrations | At launch, Anthropic said computer use was available through its API, Amazon Bedrock, and Google Cloud Vertex AI. | The current model boundary uses an OpenAI-compatible Chat Completions API; dedicated Discord, search, and MCP integrations are listed as future work. |
| What it does | The computer use tool lets Claude use screenshots, mouse actions, and keyboard input to interact with a desktop environment. | OpenComputer is an open-source desktop agent that understands the screen and can operate applications with mouse and keyboard interactions. |
In their own words
Claude Computer Use
Claude Computer Use has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
OpenComputer
OpenComputer is a free, MIT-licensed open-source desktop agent that runs locally and uses screen understanding to operate applications through mouse and keyboard actions. It can click, drag, scroll, enter text, use shortcuts, open URLs, and wait for interface changes. The agent can connect to a local vision-language model through vLLM or to a hosted API; the endpoint must accept image inputs, function tools, and the model’s tool-call format. Ask first is the default permission mode and requests approval for mouse, keyboard, and URL actions, while Automatic mode runs them without individual prompts. Build targets include Linux AppImage and deb packages, Windows NSIS, and macOS DMG. Linux X11 is best supported; Wayland, Windows, and macOS are experimental. The current agent operates only on the primary display. Screenshots, prompts, and tool results can remain local. API keys use user-only file permissions but are not stored in the operating-system keychain. The project describes itself as early alpha and recommends supervision for sensitive workflows.