Sovereign AI for knowledge work
Open-source Claude Cowork alternatives, compared honestly.
Claude Cowork is a capable agent for knowledge work — but it is closed, Anthropic-only, and can't be self-hosted. If you want to own the code, the models, and the infrastructure, these are the alternatives worth evaluating, side by side.
The comparison
The dimensions that decide a self-host decision
How open the license really is, whether you can run it yourself, which models it accepts, what it costs, and whether a human stays in the loop.
| Dimension | Kortix (Suna) | OpenWork | Eigent | Claude Cowork |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| source | Source-available Elastic License 2.0 — read it, fork it, self-host it; not OSI-open | Open source built on OpenCode | Open source "100% open source" | Closed proprietary, Anthropic |
| models | Any provider, your own API keys | 50+ LLMs across providers, BYOK | Cloud, gateway, or local models (BYOK) | Anthropic only (Opus 4.5) |
| where it runs | Your VPC or on-prem; managed cloud optional | Local-first desktop (macOS/Windows/Linux) | Local or self-hosted; cloud optional | Anthropic cloud only |
| self-host | Yes Docker; laptop, VPS, VPC, on-prem | Yes files stay on your machine | Yes run on your own infra | No |
| pricing | Self-host free · cloud $40/seat/mo + usage | Desktop free · Team from $10/seat/mo | Self-host free · cloud from $19.99/mo | Included with Pro / Max |
| human review | Change-request merge (deny-by-default) | Reviews + approvals | Reviews + approvals, traceability | Sandboxed actions, per-app permission |
| isolation | Isolated sandbox per session, own branch | Local machine; optional sandboxed cloud | Local execution; scoped browser access | Apple VM (VZVirtualMachine) |
* License and pricing as published in each project's documentation as of September 2026. Kortix's Elastic License 2.0 is source-available, not OSI-approved — see the FAQ for why that distinction matters.
The candidates
One honest paragraph each
What it is, what it isn't, and who it is for.
Kortix (Suna)
github.com/kortix-ai/sunaAn open-source AI Management System and the self-hostable alternative to Claude Cowork. Agents, skills, memory, and connectors live in one git repo you own. Each session runs in an isolated sandbox on its own branch, and work reaches main only through a change request a human approves.
- Elastic License 2.0 — read and self-host, not OSI-open.
- Any model, your own keys; run on your VPC or on-prem.
- Self-host free; managed cloud $40/seat/mo + usage.
- Three commands:
install,kortix init,kortix ship.
OpenWork
openworklabs.comA free, open-source desktop app positioned as the open-source alternative to Claude Cowork and Codex. Built on OpenCode, it runs locally so your files stay on your machine, and connects to 50+ LLMs with your own keys.
- macOS, Windows, Linux desktop; local-first.
- Anthropic-compatible plugins and skills run as-is.
- OpenWork Connect — an MCP gateway for a team.
- Desktop free; Team from $10/seat/mo.
Eigent
eigent.aiAn open-source "Cowork desktop" with a workspace model: agents, skills, and connectors are packaged once and reused across sessions. Model-agnostic, with local execution and self-hosted deployment.
- BYOK or local models; cloud, gateway, or local.
- Traceability: sources, file history, approvals.
- Self-host free; cloud from $19.99/mo.
- SOC 2 / GDPR readiness in progress.
Claude Cowork
claude.ai · AnthropicThe closed baseline this site compares against. A research preview that brings Claude Code's agentic capabilities to Claude Desktop — Opus 4.5, Computer Use for screen control, and an Apple VM sandbox. Included with Pro and Max.
- Anthropic-only models; no self-host.
- Runs in Anthropic's cloud.
- Closed source — you don't own the configuration.
A note on names in this space. claudecowork.im is a keyword-matched guide site about Claude Cowork (a tutorial, not an alternative), and kuse.ai is a workflow-automation tool aimed at lead generation rather than a self-hosted agent platform. Both rank for "claude cowork" queries but are different products — included here only to avoid confusion.
How to choose
The deciding question is which failure mode you can live with
- Do you need OSI-open, or is source-available enough? If your team must redistribute a fork as a hosted service, OpenWork or Eigent's license posture may fit better than Kortix's Elastic 2.0. If you only need to read and self-host the code, source-available is enough.
- Where does the work actually run? Desktop-only and local-first (OpenWork) is simplest. A fleet of org-scale agents that share memory and land work through change requests points to a server-side system (Kortix).
- Who reviews the output? All three keep a human in the loop, but the shape differs: Kortix gates everything behind a deny-by-default change request; OpenWork and Eigent use in-app review and approval flows.
- What is your budget ceiling? Self-hosting is free on all three; the paid tiers differ mainly in managed hosting and team features.
Honest caveat. "Open source" is doing a lot of work in this category. Kortix is source-available, not OSI-open — its Elastic 2.0 license forbids offering it as a competing managed service. If that matters for your procurement, check each project's license file, not its marketing page.
Self-hosting
In practice
A genuinely self-hosted agent platform means your data, models, and configuration stay on hardware you control.
Kortix self-hosting starts with Docker images (kortix self-host start) and switches the CLI between cloud and your own hosts. OpenWork keeps files local to your desktop and sends prompts only to the model provider you pick. Eigent packages a workspace you run on your own infrastructure with the models you choose.
FAQ
Common questions
Is there a truly open source alternative to Claude Cowork?
OpenWork and Eigent describe themselves as open source. Kortix (Suna) is source-available under the Elastic License 2.0 — you can read, fork, and self-host the code, but you can't resell it as a competing hosted service. All three are alternatives in the sense that matter most to self-hosters: you own the code and the data, and you can run them without Anthropic.
What's the difference between "open source" and "source-available"?
OSI-approved licenses (MIT, Apache-2.0, GPL) grant broad rights to use, modify, and redistribute, including commercially. Source-available licenses (like Elastic 2.0) publish the code but restrict one or more uses — typically selling it as a hosted service. Kortix is source-available; treat it as "readable and self-hostable," not "OSI-open."
Can I run these without an Anthropic subscription?
Yes. Kortix, OpenWork, and Eigent are all model-agnostic: you bring your own API keys (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, local models) or run local models. Claude Cowork itself is the exception — it is tied to Anthropic's Pro/Max subscriptions.
Which one is best for a team of non-technical users?
OpenWork is the most point-and-click (a desktop app with one-click imports). Kortix targets org-scale agent fleets governed through change requests, which suits engineering-led teams. Eigent sits between them with a reusable workspace and review flow.
Why does claudecowork.im rank for this keyword?
It's a keyword-matched domain hosting a guide about Claude Cowork. It ranks because the domain and content are on-topic — a useful reminder that for this term, engines reward sites that are about the term, which is exactly why this comparison hub exists on its own domain.