OpenComputer vs QuickDesk
OpenComputer
github.comQuickDesk
github.comSide by side
| Figure | OpenComputer | QuickDesk |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| Android | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 0 | 1 |
| Spec score · AI Computer Use Agents | 7.2 (#18) | 7.7 (#10) |
| License | OpenComputer is licensed under the MIT License, while third-party dependencies and model weights retain their own licenses. | QuickDesk's own code is licensed under MIT and is free for commercial use; the bundled quickdesk-remoting component is licensed under BSD 3-Clause. |
| What it does | OpenComputer is an open-source desktop agent that understands the screen and can operate applications with mouse and keyboard interactions. | QuickDesk is an open-source remote desktop application with a built-in MCP server that lets AI agents see and control remote computers. |
Plans
In their own words
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.
QuickDesk
QuickDesk is an open-source remote desktop application with an MCP server for AI agents to see and control remote computers. Its MCP tools include screenshots, mouse and keyboard control, clipboard actions, OCR and UI element detection. The server supports stdio and HTTP/SSE connections; HTTP/SSE can serve multiple AI clients. The README names Cursor, Claude Desktop and VS Code as compatible clients. For remote control, QuickDesk includes keyboard and mouse mapping, cursor synchronization, two-way clipboard sync, adaptive frame rate and bitrate, and performance statistics. Devices connect with a 9-digit Device ID and temporary access code; refresh settings range from every 30 minutes to 24 hours or never. Users can host their own signaling and TURN servers. Its self-hosted admin panel lists TOTP two-factor authentication, audit logs and CIDR-based IP whitelisting. QuickDesk's own code is MIT-licensed and free for commercial use; its bundled remoting component uses BSD 3-Clause. The README lists Windows x64 and macOS ARM64 downloads. Linux and iOS/Android clients are described as roadmap items.