# Eigent: what it is, and the open source alternative

> Eigent is an open-source desktop Cowork app that runs agents on your own machine. Kortix is the open source AI Operating System you can self-host or run as managed cloud, with each session on its own cloud computer.

URL: https://eigentalternative.com/faq

_FAQ_

## Eigent questions, answered

### Is Eigent open source?

Yes. Eigent is an open-source Cowork desktop app, and its repository states that the code can be downloaded, inspected, and modified (checked October 2026).

### What is Eigent?

Eigent is a desktop app that runs a multi-agent workforce on your own machine. It is built on the CAMEL multi-agent framework, runs locally first, and connects cloud APIs, enterprise gateways, or local models (checked October 2026).

### Is there an open source alternative to Eigent?

Yes. Kortix is the open source AI Operating System: your agents, their skills, your company memory, and every connector live in one git repo you own, and each session runs on its own cloud computer.

### Where does Eigent run the agents?

Eigent's recommended setup runs agents locally on your desktop, and its repository documents a self-hosted deployment. Kortix runs each session on its own cloud computer, so a job continues after you close the laptop (checked October 2026).

### Which one fits a team?

A team that wants the configuration shared and reviewed picks Kortix. A single person who wants local-first agent work on one desktop picks Eigent.

## A desktop app and a platform place the agent differently

Eigent runs the agent on the desktop in front of you, so your files, credentials, and local models stay on that machine. Kortix runs each session on its own cloud computer from one git repo your team controls, so a job runs while your laptop is closed and a second person can read the branch. Both keep the model choice yours; the difference is where the work happens and who can see it.

## The setup is shared, and the work is reviewed

A desktop app keeps its configuration on that desktop. Kortix keeps the agents, skills, memory, and connectors as files in one git repo, and an agent's finished work lands as a change request a person reads before it merges. The setup is shared, and the work is reviewed in the same place it is versioned. You can [Try Kortix](https://kortix.com) or self-host the open-source stack for free.

_The run_

## How Kortix runs a session

`kortix.com/docs`

```
Kortix is the open-source AI Operating System.
Your agents, skills, company memory, and connectors live in one git repo you own, and each session runs on its own cloud computer.
A session runs an agent in an isolated sandbox, on its own branch.
When the work is ready, the agent opens a change request.
You review it and merge it to the default branch.
```

Source: kortix.com/docs

The Kortix docs overview, checked October 2026.

## Run your whole company from one repo you own.

Start free, self-host, or run it on Kortix Cloud.

[Try Kortix](https://kortix.com) · [Compare the alternatives](https://eigentalternative.com/#comparison)

Open source · Any model, your keys · Self-host, VPC, or on-prem