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agentOS

Lightweight OS for running AI agents in-process

agentOS is a portable open-source operating system for AI agents that delivers ~6ms cold starts at 32x lower cost than traditional sandboxes. Powered by WebAssembly and V8 isolates, it runs agents like Claude Code and Codex directly inside your process with granular permissions and host-managed tool access for S3, GitHub, and databases. Available as a simple npm package with no special infrastructure or vendor lock-in required.

About agentOS

agentOS reimagines how AI coding agents are deployed by replacing heavy sandbox environments with lightweight WebAssembly and V8 isolates that run directly inside your application process. Traditional agent sandboxes spin up full containers or VMs, adding seconds of cold-start latency and significant compute cost. agentOS achieves approximately six-millisecond cold starts while being roughly thirty-two times cheaper, using the same isolation technology that powers Google Chrome's security model.

The system integrates agents into existing backend infrastructure through a host-tools architecture where the host application controls what each agent can access. File systems, databases, S3 buckets, and GitHub repositories are exposed through scoped permissions rather than per-agent credentials, maintaining security without complex credential management. Agents like Claude Code get full tool access including file editing and shell execution, while the host retains granular control over resource boundaries and access policies.

Distributed as a standard npm package, agentOS requires no specialized infrastructure, orchestration layers, or vendor lock-in. It runs anywhere Node.js runs, from local development machines to cloud servers, with the same consistent behavior. The open-source Apache 2.0 license and growing registry of supported agents and tools make it a practical choice for teams that need to embed autonomous coding agents into their platforms while keeping operational costs low and startup times nearly instantaneous.

Pricing & Platform Specs

Pricing Summary

Agent OS (by Rivet) is a 100% free and open-source distributed operating system and runtime for autonomous AI agents under the Apache-2.0 license. It provisions isolated microVMs and WebAssembly sandboxes for secure agent execution with zero software license fees.

Supported Platforms

Node.js/npm package, any platform

Explore categories, tags & use cases

Multi-agent AI framework

Python framework for orchestrating autonomous AI agents that collaborate to accomplish complex tasks. Define agents with specific roles, goals, and backstories, then organize them into crews with sequential or parallel task execution. Supports tool usage (web search, file I/O, API calls), memory, delegation between agents, and human-in-the-loop input. Works with OpenAI, Anthropic, local models, and more. 25K+ GitHub stars. Leading multi-agent framework alongside LangGraph and AutoGen.

freemiumOpen Source

Microsoft's conversational multi-agent framework

AutoGen is an open-source programming framework from Microsoft Research for building AI agents and facilitating cooperation among multiple agents to solve complex tasks through multi-turn conversations. Pioneered conversable agents that interact, use tools, and involve humans in the loop for multi-agent workflows. v0.4 features a redesigned async event-driven architecture with stronger observability, flexible collaboration patterns, and reusable components.

Open Source

Stateful agent orchestration framework by LangChain

LangGraph is LangChain's framework for building stateful, multi-actor AI agent applications as controllable graphs. It models workflows as nodes and edges, enabling cycles, branching, and human-in-the-loop patterns that simple chains cannot express. Features built-in persistence for conversation memory, streaming support, and fault tolerance. Provides fine-grained control over execution flow while supporting single-agent and multi-agent architectures with shared or independent state.

freemiumOpen Source

Unified desktop manager for AI CLI tools

CC Switch is a cross-platform desktop app that unifies management of Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, OpenClaw, and Gemini CLI from a single interface. It replaces manual config file editing with visual provider management featuring 50+ built-in presets, one-click switching, unified MCP and Skills management, and system tray quick access. Its SQLite backend ensures atomic writes that protect configuration integrity across all supported tools.

Open Source

Community experience

Sources & verification

Sources checked
Content verified

Verification dates are editorial checks. Routine CMS saves and automatic updatedAt timestamps do not advance them.

FAQ

What is agentOS?

agentOS is a portable open-source operating system for AI agents that delivers ~6ms cold starts at 32x lower cost than traditional sandboxes. Powered by WebAssembly and V8 isolates, it runs agents like Claude Code and Codex directly inside your process with granular permissions and host-managed tool access for S3, GitHub, and databases. Available as a simple npm package with no special infrastructure or vendor lock-in required.

Is agentOS free?

Yes — agentOS is open source and free to use. Agent OS (by Rivet) is a 100% free and open-source distributed operating system and runtime for autonomous AI agents under the Apache-2.0 license. It provisions isolated microVMs and WebAssembly sandboxes for secure agent execution with zero software license fees.

Is agentOS open source?

Yes — agentOS is open source.

Is agentOS still maintained?

Yes — agentOS is active. Its listing was last verified on August 26, 2026.

What are the best agentOS alternatives?

The first editor-selected agentOS alternatives are CrewAI, AutoGen, LangGraph, and more.