Lapu AI vs Pan-Agent

Lapu AI is a desktop agent for carrying out multi-step tasks with files, terminals and desktop applications on macOS and Windows. Give it a plain-language goal and it plans steps, selects tools and can pause for approval. It controls applications through interfaces exposed by the operating system, rather than taking over the mouse and keyboard. Workflows can be packaged as reusable skills and scheduled. It can operate services such as Notion, Slack, Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 through desktop or signed-in browser interfaces, without native connectors. Files, documents, folders, application data and audit logs remain on the user's machine; only context needed for a reasoning step is sent to the model provider. High-risk actions require explicit confirmation, and local action logs are retained by default for up to 90 days. The native app requires macOS 12 Monterey or later on Apple Silicon, or Windows 10 or 11 on 64-bit x86_64, with at least 4 GB RAM. A free plan is available; paid plans are listed from $20/mo.

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.