Computer Use OOTB vs Screenbox

Computer Use OOTB is an open-source framework for automating desktop tasks through a graphical interface, using API-based or locally running models. It supports Windows and macOS and provides a Gradio interface without requiring Docker. Users can configure one model for a task or separate models for planning and computer control; listed options include Claude 3.5 Sonnet, GPT-4o, Qwen models, ShowUI, and UI-TARS. Local inference can avoid API costs, though a task using Claude 3.5 Computer Use may cost a few dollars. Setup requires Miniconda, Python 3.12 or newer, dependency installation, and starting the interface with `python app.py`. ShowUI local runs require a CUDA-enabled NVIDIA GPU with at least 6 GB of GPU memory on Windows, or an M1-or-newer Apple Silicon Mac with at least 16 GB unified RAM. A mobile browser can send commands to the computer running the software. The project uses an Apache-2.0 license. Its README warns that model actions can be unintended or harmful and recommends monitoring them; anyone with a public Gradio link may be able to control the computer.

Screenbox gives AI agents isolated virtual desktops with real browsers and desktop applications. Each desktop includes Chromium with DevTools and extensions, plus tools such as file managers, terminals, and office applications. Agents can use 21 MCP tools across more than 100 actions, including screenshots, OCR, clicks, typing, shell access, file operations, and clipboard control. It connects to MCP clients including Claude Desktop, Claude Code, and Cursor through stdio, streamable HTTP, or SSE. A web dashboard supports live viewing, agent management, snapshots, session logs, and a knowledge browser. Users can save and restore desktop states, including files and browser sessions, and clone desktops from templates. Activity can be viewed through RDP or noVNC, with mouse and keyboard control available. Desktops run in Docker containers with memory limits, network isolation, and no bind mounts; the maker cautions that they are not hardened sandboxes. The software is self-hosted and open source under AGPL-3.0. The maker says deployment data stays on the user's infrastructure and the software sends no telemetry to Screenbox or third parties. It requires about 2 GB of RAM per desktop and no GPU; idle desktops pause automatically.