OpenPilot

★★★★☆4.0 / 5 editorial Free 100% free and MIT-licensed; you only pay for the model API calls you make with your own keys.

Open-source desktop AI agent — bring your own LLM, skip the vendor lock-in.

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What is OpenPilot?

OpenPilot is an open-source desktop AI agent for people who want the agent without the platform. Instead of logging into a vendor's cloud and paying per seat, you paste your own API key and base URL — OpenAI, OpenRouter, or a local server like Ollama or LM Studio — point the app at a folder, and ask it to build.

Once pointed at a workspace it can read, write, and edit files, run terminal commands with output streamed back into the chat, search the live web for docs and fixes, persist your preferences in an AGENTS.md-style memory file, and connect MCP servers for extra tools. Every tool call appears as a card, and sensitive actions wait for your approval before running. It is early — Windows is the stable build while macOS is still in beta — but for developers who already pay for model APIs, the economics are hard to argue with.

Key Features

Bring-your-own-LLM: works with any OpenAI-compatible endpoint — OpenAI, OpenRouter, Ollama, LM Studio, or a custom gateway.
Full filesystem tools: reads, writes, edits, greps, and scaffolds entire projects from a single prompt.
Real terminal execution: installs dependencies, starts servers, and runs tests with stdout streamed back into the chat.
Live web research: searches and fetches pages in real time to ground answers in actual documentation and error threads.
Skills, memory, and MCP: reusable playbooks, persistent preferences, and Model Context Protocol server connections.

Pros

MIT-licensed and completely free — no account, subscription, or per-seat pricing.
No vendor lock-in: swap models by changing a base URL without rewriting your workflow.
Transparent tool trail: every agent action shows as a card, with approval gates on sensitive steps.

Cons

Still early — Windows works best; macOS builds are in beta and unsigned installers can trigger SmartScreen warnings.
You pay for your own model API usage, so costs depend entirely on the provider you choose.
You are responsible for reviewing what the agent runs — a misjudged command can touch your files.

Pricing

Model: Free
100% free and MIT-licensed; you only pay for the model API calls you make with your own keys.

Adding Up Your AI Bill?

If you pay for OpenPilot alongside other AI subscriptions, the monthly total adds up quietly. Tick every tool you pay for in our free AI Tool Cost Calculator to see your real monthly and yearly bill — and spot overlaps you can cut. Still choosing? Start with our guide on how to choose the right AI tool.