---
title: Open Agent
description: Self-hosted control plane for autonomous AI agents
---

import { Callout } from 'nextra/components'

# Open Agent

Run AI coding agents on your own server. Start a task, close your laptop, check back tomorrow.

<Callout type="info">
**Are you an AI?** Check [/llms.txt](/llms.txt) or add `.md` to any page URL to get raw markdown and save tokens.
</Callout>

## The Problem

You're using Claude Code or Cursor. It's good. But:

- **Sessions time out.** That 4-hour refactor? Dead at 80%.
- **Your code goes somewhere.** Fine for side projects. Not fine for work.
- **You can't customize it.** Same generic behavior for every project.

Open Agent fixes all three.

## What It Actually Does

Open Agent is a control plane that runs on your server. You connect to it from a web dashboard, iOS app, or CLI. You tell an agent what to do. It works until it's done, whether that takes 10 minutes or 10 hours.

Your code stays on your machine. You define how the agent behaves through a git repo of skills, commands, and rules. Each project gets its own isolated container.

Under the hood, it runs [OpenCode](https://opencode.ai) for the actual agent work. Open Agent handles everything around it: starting tasks, streaming progress, managing environments, syncing configuration.

## When To Use This

**You have a task that takes hours.**
Point an agent at a GitHub issue before bed. Wake up to a PR. Review the diff, not the process.

**Your code can't leave your machines.**
Healthcare, finance, defense, or just "my company said no." Run local inference or route API calls through your own infrastructure.

**You want agents that know your codebase.**
Write skills that encode your team's patterns. "When touching the payments module, always run the fraud detection tests." The agent follows them.

**You run multiple projects with different needs.**
Container workspaces isolate everything. Your Node project doesn't see your Python project. Different tools, different rules, no cross-contamination.

## How It Works

```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                     Your Devices                         │
│  ┌─────────────┐  ┌─────────────┐  ┌─────────────────┐  │
│  │ Web Dashboard│  │  iOS App   │  │ Claude Code CLI │  │
│  └──────┬──────┘  └──────┬──────┘  └────────┬────────┘  │
└─────────┼────────────────┼──────────────────┼───────────┘
          │                │                  │
          └────────────────┼──────────────────┘
                           │ HTTPS
                           ▼
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                   Your Server (~$30/mo)                  │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐    │
│  │              Open Agent                          │    │
│  │  • Starts and monitors agent tasks               │    │
│  │  • Manages isolated container workspaces         │    │
│  │  • Syncs skills and rules from your git repo     │    │
│  └──────────────────────┬──────────────────────────┘    │
│                         │                                │
│  ┌──────────────────────▼──────────────────────────┐    │
│  │              OpenCode                            │    │
│  │  • Runs the actual agent logic                   │    │
│  │  • Executes tools, writes code                   │    │
│  │  • Talks to Claude/GPT/local models              │    │
│  └─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘    │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```

Open Agent doesn't do AI. It manages the infrastructure around AI. OpenCode does the thinking. Open Agent makes sure it has somewhere to run, something to work on, and a way for you to watch.

**Note**: The setup guide installs the **backend** on your server. For the dashboard, you have options:
- **Vercel**: Host the Next.js dashboard for free
- **Local**: Run `bun dev` in the dashboard folder on your machine
- **iOS**: Download the app and enter your server URL

## Setup Takes 5 Minutes

If you have a server and a domain, tell Claude or Cursor:

> "Deploy Open Agent on my server at `1.2.3.4` with domain `agent.example.com`. Read INSTALL.md for the full guide."

It handles systemd, nginx, SSL, everything. Or [do it manually](/setup) if you prefer.

Don't have a server? Get one from [Hetzner](https://www.hetzner.com/) or DigitalOcean for ~$30/month.

## Next

1. **[Setup](/setup)** to get Open Agent running on your server
2. **[First Mission](/first-mission)** to run your first agent task
3. **[Library](/library)** to customize how your agents behave
