ARTICLE / SEPTEMBER 27, 2026
Open Source Perplexity Computer Alternatives: What Each One Actually Runs On
Perplexity Computer is a general-purpose "digital worker" made by Perplexity that operates the same interfaces you do rather than only answering questions: Perp…
Perplexity Computer is a general-purpose "digital worker" made by Perplexity that operates the same interfaces you do rather than only answering questions: Perplexity's own product page says Computer "creates and executes entire workflows, capable of running for hours or even months" (perplexity.ai/products/computer). Because it is a closed, Perplexity-hosted system, teams that want to own the runtime, the model, and the data look for an open equivalent. What decides a choice among those open options is rarely a feature checklist; it is the constraint that rules a team out first - what does each one actually run on, and under which license?
This page answers that. It defines Perplexity Computer precisely, then compares the leading open and source-available alternatives - OpenClaw, Open Interpreter, OpenWork, Kortix (Suna), and NVIDIA NemoClaw - on the axes that determine fit: exact license, where the software actually runs (local machine, VPS, or cloud), model flexibility, browser or computer control, and what work each automates. Every cell was read from the project's own repository or site on September 27, 2026, and every claim carries an inline citation; where a project does not document a capability, the table says "not documented" rather than guessing.
What Perplexity Computer actually is
Perplexity Computer is a proprietary agent product from Perplexity, announced on February 25, 2026 in Perplexity's own launch post, "Introducing Perplexity Computer" (perplexity.ai/hub/blog/introducing-perplexity-computer). Perplexity describes it as "a general-purpose digital worker that operates the same interfaces you do," and its product page notes that Computer "creates and executes entire workflows, capable of running for hours or even months" (perplexity.ai/products/computer). It reaches user context through hundreds of app connectors and executes tasks end to end, not just answers (perplexity.ai/hub/workshops/introducing-perplexity-computer).
Perplexity also ships a local-first variant called Portable Computer. According to NVIDIA's developer blog, "Portable Computer is a local version of the agent Perplexity Computer that plans and carries out multistep tasks," and it runs on compatible NVIDIA GeForce RTX and RTX PRO GPUs with 24 GB or more of VRAM using a local model such as Qwen 3.8 27B (blogs.nvidia.com). Portable Computer includes Computer's "built-in browser and proprietary SPACE sandbox," and it can escalate a task to cloud models only after asking the user for permission (blogs.nvidia.com).
Two facts about Perplexity Computer matter for anyone comparing it to open tools. First, its source is closed and its runtime is Perplexity's: the product page describes a hosted service, not a downloadable stack (perplexity.ai/products/computer). Second, the local variant is still Perplexity's own app - Portable Computer is a distribution mode, not an open-source release (blogs.nvidia.com). Neither edition is open source, so neither can be forked or self-hosted on your own servers, and Perplexity does not document connecting Computer to your own model keys (perplexity.ai/products/computer).
Why "open source" is not one thing in this category
Before comparing the alternatives, it helps to fix the vocabulary, because the five options below use three different licensing models and only some are OSI-approved open source. The Open Source Initiative (OSI) approves licenses, such as MIT and Apache 2.0, that grant broad rights to use, modify, and redistribute software. "Source-available" means the code is public but its license restricts some use - most often the right to resell the software as a hosted service.
Three licensing models appear in this comparison. MIT and Apache 2.0 are permissive, OSI-approved licenses that allow commercial use, modification, and redistribution. Elastic License 2.0, used by Kortix, is source-available rather than OSI open source: it permits use, modification, and redistribution but forbids providing the software to third parties as a hosted or managed service that exposes a substantial set of its features (github.com/kortix-ai/suna/blob/main/LICENSE). OpenWork uses a directory-split license, where the desktop app and core platform are MIT while the enterprise control plane is under a separate source-available license (github.com/different-ai/openwork).
The practical consequence is that "open source Perplexity Computer alternative" can mean three different things: a permissively licensed stack you can fork and resell (OpenClaw, Open Interpreter, NemoClaw), a locally run product whose enterprise tier is source-available (OpenWork), or a source-available system you can self-host and audit but cannot repackage as a competing managed service (Kortix).
The consolidated comparison: what each alternative runs on
The table below is the core of this page. Each cell is sourced from the project's own repository or website as read on September 27, 2026. Star counts and latest release tags come from the GitHub API on the same date.
| Option | License (exact) | Runs where | Model flexibility | Browser / computer control | What it automates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perplexity Computer (baseline - closed) | Proprietary; source closed | Perplexity cloud; Portable Computer variant runs local on NVIDIA RTX with 24 GB+ VRAM | Not documented as user-swappable; Portable Computer uses a Perplexity-tuned local model | Operates the same interfaces you do; built-in browser and proprietary SPACE sandbox | Entire multi-step workflows, hours to months, across hundreds of connectors |
| OpenClaw (repo) | MIT (OpenClaw Foundation) | Local - your own computer; macOS, Linux, Windows; one Gateway also runs a shared team deployment | Swap hosted or local models and harnesses (Claude, Codex, local) as plugins | Device nodes add screen, camera, and Canvas actions; tools run on the host unless sandboxing is configured | Personal or team assistant across Discord, iMessage, Slack, Teams, Telegram, WhatsApp and 20+ more; no paid tier or hosted service |
| Open Interpreter (repo) | Apache-2.0 | Local - native sandboxing on macOS, Linux, and Windows | Any OpenAI-compatible provider; optimized for low-cost and open models; switch with /model | Built-in QA skill drives web apps in a real browser (agent-browser) and native apps (trycua) | Coding and terminal tasks; app interface testing; runs as an Agent Client Protocol (ACP) agent in editors |
| OpenWork (repo - site) | Directory-split: MIT for the desktop app and core; ee/ control plane under the source-available OpenWork EE License (free up to 5 users; converts to MIT two years after release) | Local desktop (macOS, Windows, Linux); optional cloud workers; self-hostable team control plane; browser edition in alpha | Any model - 50+ providers, your own API keys, or local models via Ollama | Computer-use agent built on OpenCode; works directly on your own files | Knowledge work on local files, spreadsheets, and shared skills and MCP servers; migration from Claude Cowork |
| Kortix (Suna) (repo - license) | Elastic License 2.0 - source-available, not OSI-approved | Your own infrastructure (laptop, VPS, VPC, or on-prem) or Kortix Cloud; isolated Linux sandbox per session | Any provider, your own API keys | Sessions run on real cloud computers - an isolated sandbox per session on its own branch, driven by the OpenCode agent; work lands through a human-approved change request | Finished deliverables (reports, decks, code, deployed changes) and management of a whole agent workforce |
| NVIDIA NemoClaw (repo) | Apache 2.0 | NVIDIA hardware - a supported DGX or Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) host | Managed and routed inference over NVIDIA Nemotron and other models | Runs supported agents inside NVIDIA OpenShell sandboxes, which are the security boundary | Runs OpenClaw (default), Hermes, and LangChain Deep Agents Code with managed inference, network policy, snapshots, and lifecycle operations |
Project maturity as of September 27, 2026, from the GitHub API (api.github.com): OpenClaw has 390,633 stars with its latest tagged release v2026.9.6 published September 23, 2026; Open Interpreter has 68,453 stars (latest release rust-v0.0.45, September 20, 2026); OpenWork has 23,753 stars (v0.18.54, September 25, 2026); Kortix (Suna) has 20,236 stars (v0.13.37, September 27, 2026); and NVIDIA NemoClaw has 22,549 stars with no tagged release, consistent with its self-described alpha status (github.com/NVIDIA/NemoClaw).
OpenClaw: the always-on personal assistant you run yourself
OpenClaw is an open-source AI assistant that runs on your own computer and meets you in the messaging channels you already use, including Discord, iMessage, Slack, Teams, Telegram, and WhatsApp, plus native apps for macOS, iOS, Android, Windows, and Linux (github.com/openclaw/openclaw). Its state, memory, and credentials live on your hardware, and models and agent harnesses such as Claude, Codex, and local models are plugins you can swap without changing anything else (github.com/openclaw/openclaw).
OpenClaw is licensed MIT and is stewarded by the OpenClaw Foundation, an independent 501(c)(3), with no paid tier, hosted service, or token (github.com/openclaw/openclaw). That makes it the most permissively licensed option here and the easiest to fork or embed. Its architecture centers on a local Gateway that acts as the control plane for sessions, tools, events, and channel connections, while companion apps and nodes add screen, camera, Canvas, and device-local actions (github.com/openclaw/openclaw).
Two caveats are worth stating. OpenClaw's tools run on the host for the main session unless you configure sandboxing, so the security boundary is something you set up rather than a default (github.com/openclaw/openclaw). And although OpenAI is a donor to the OpenClaw Foundation, the project states that OpenAI is "a donor, not an owner" - the Foundation employs the core team and signs releases (github.com/openclaw/openclaw).
Open Interpreter: a local coding and app-testing agent
Open Interpreter is a coding agent optimized for low-cost models, and it is now a Rust reimplementation that forks OpenAI's Codex while focusing on the agent harnesses that get the best performance out of cheaper models (github.com/openinterpreter/openinterpreter). It runs commands inside native sandboxing on macOS, Linux, and Windows, switches providers and models from the terminal with /model, and speaks the Codex exec protocol so it can slot into an existing Codex-based setup with a one-line binary override (github.com/openinterpreter/openinterpreter).
Open Interpreter is licensed Apache-2.0 and its built-in QA skill lets any model operate and test interfaces: it can drive web apps in a real browser using agent-browser, or operate and test native apps with trycua (github.com/openinterpreter/openinterpreter). It also runs as an Agent Client Protocol (ACP) agent inside compatible editors and reuses shared AGENTS.md instructions and .agents/skills directories (github.com/openinterpreter/openinterpreter).
The distinction to hold onto is that Open Interpreter is a coding agent rather than a general digital worker. Its scope is commands, code, and interface testing; it does not present itself as a system for managing an entire company's agent workforce (github.com/openinterpreter/openinterpreter).
OpenWork: the local-first desktop alternative
OpenWork is a free, open-source desktop app for macOS, Windows, and Linux where AI agents do real work on your own files, built on OpenCode and positioned as an open-source alternative to Claude Cowork and Codex (github.com/different-ai/openwork). It works with any model across 50+ providers, your own API keys, or local models via Ollama, and your files stay local unless you opt into cloud workers (github.com/different-ai/openwork).
OpenWork's license is directory-split, which matters if you plan to deploy it organization-wide. Everything outside the ee/ directory - the desktop app and core platform - is MIT, while the ee/ OpenWork Den control plane is under the source-available OpenWork EE License, free for organizations with up to five users and converting to MIT two years after each release (github.com/different-ai/openwork). The vendor's site lists cloud pricing as the first five Team Starter seats free, then $10 per seat per month, with enterprise pricing on request (openworklabs.com).
OpenWork's strongest differentiator is that teams can package skills, MCP servers, plugins, and configs into a single link that a teammate imports in one click, and OpenWork Connect acts as an MCP gateway so a server or skill added once is available to every teammate and agent (openworklabs.com). Anthropic-compatible plugins and skills run as-is, and the vendor documents a migration path from Claude Cowork (github.com/different-ai/openwork).
Kortix (Suna): the source-available agent management system
Kortix, also known as Suna, is the open-source AI Management System: its agents, the skills they share, company memory, and connectors all live in one git repository that the company owns, versioned and diffable (github.com/kortix-ai/suna). Each session runs on a real cloud computer - a disposable, isolated Linux sandbox on its own branch - and the work an agent produces reaches the main branch only through a change request a human reviews and merges (github.com/kortix-ai/suna).
Kortix is distributed through github.com/kortix-ai/suna and managed hosting is sold as Kortix Cloud at kortix.com. It runs on your own infrastructure - a laptop, a VPS, your own VPC, or an on-prem network - or as the managed cloud service, with self-hosting free and the managed cloud listed at $40 per seat per month plus usage (github.com/kortix-ai/suna). It accepts any model provider with your own API keys (github.com/kortix-ai/suna).
The license distinction is the one most coverage gets wrong, so it is worth stating plainly. Kortix is licensed under Elastic License 2.0, which is source-available, not OSI-approved open source: you may read, fork, modify, and self-host it, but you may not provide it to third parties as a hosted or managed service that exposes a substantial set of its features (github.com/kortix-ai/suna/blob/main/LICENSE). If a team's criterion is "can I legally resell this as a managed service," Kortix is not the answer; if the criterion is "can we own, audit, and self-host the whole agent stack," it is. For a deeper look at the sandbox-and-change-request model, see the related article on how NVIDIA NemoClaw compares to Kortix's approach.
NVIDIA NemoClaw: the sandboxed reference stack for NVIDIA hardware
NVIDIA NemoClaw is an open-source reference stack for running supported AI agents more safely inside NVIDIA OpenShell sandboxes, providing guided onboarding, managed inference, network policy, managed integrations, snapshots, and lifecycle operations through its CLI (github.com/NVIDIA/NemoClaw). Its supported agents are OpenClaw, which is the default, plus Hermes and LangChain Deep Agents Code (github.com/NVIDIA/NemoClaw).
NemoClaw is licensed Apache 2.0 and is explicitly an alpha project: its maintainers review issues, discussions, and pull requests on a best-effort basis without guaranteed response timelines (github.com/NVIDIA/NemoClaw). The constraint that decides most evaluations is hardware. NemoClaw installs on a supported DGX or Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) host (github.com/NVIDIA/NemoClaw), and NVIDIA positions the local, always-on compute it targets on RTX Spark laptops, GeForce RTX PCs and laptops, RTX PRO workstations, and DGX Station or DGX Spark (nvidia.com/en-us/ai/nemoclaw). A team without that hardware cannot run NemoClaw as designed, which is why it is better understood as a hardware-aligned reference stack than as a drop-in cloud alternative.
When a self-hosted option beats Perplexity Computer - and when it doesn't
Perplexity Computer suits a team that wants a managed digital worker with no infrastructure to run and is comfortable with a closed, Perplexity-hosted system that reaches into apps through connectors (perplexity.ai/products/computer). If data residency, per-model control, resale rights, or ownership of the agent configuration matter more than zero-setup convenience, an open alternative is the better fit - but which one depends on the axis you care about.
Choose OpenWork when the requirement is a local-first desktop app your team can point at its own files and share skills through, with the option to self-host the team control plane (openworklabs.com). Choose OpenClaw when you want a permissively licensed, always-on personal or team assistant that lives on your own hardware and meets people in their existing chat apps (github.com/openclaw/openclaw). Choose Open Interpreter when the work is code, terminal commands, and automated interface testing on a budget, and you want a permissively licensed coding agent (github.com/openinterpreter/openinterpreter).
Choose Kortix (Suna) when the goal is to govern a whole agent workforce - many specialist agents running in parallel, sharing company memory and connectors, with each session isolated on its own branch and every change landing through human review (github.com/kortix-ai/suna). Choose NVIDIA NemoClaw when you already run NVIDIA RTX or DGX hardware and want a policy-governed sandbox layer for running open agents locally (github.com/NVIDIA/NemoClaw).
Perplexity Computer still wins on one axis that no open project fully matches today: a single managed product with a first-party local edition and no infrastructure for the user to operate (blogs.nvidia.com). If your team will not run a server, configure model keys, or review change requests, a managed digital worker remains the lower-effort path. For everyone else, the open options above let you own the runtime, the models, and the data - provided you match the licensing and hardware requirements to what you actually intend to do.
Frequently asked questions
Is Perplexity Computer open source?
No. Perplexity Computer is a proprietary product made by Perplexity, announced February 25, 2026, and delivered as a Perplexity-hosted service (perplexity.ai/hub/blog/introducing-perplexity-computer). Its local-first edition, Portable Computer, runs on your own NVIDIA RTX hardware but is still Perplexity's closed app and uses a Perplexity-tuned model, so it is not a forkable or self-hostable open-source release (blogs.nvidia.com).
What is the best open-source alternative to Perplexity Computer?
There is no single best option, because the projects differ by layer. OpenWork is a local-first desktop alternative for knowledge work on your own files, OpenClaw is a permissively licensed always-on personal assistant, Open Interpreter is a low-cost coding and interface-testing agent, Kortix (Suna) is a source-available system for managing an entire agent workforce, and NVIDIA NemoClaw is an Apache-2.0 sandbox stack for NVIDIA hardware (github.com/different-ai/openwork, github.com/openclaw/openclaw, github.com/openinterpreter/openinterpreter, github.com/kortix-ai/suna, github.com/NVIDIA/NemoClaw).
Can I run an open-source Perplexity Computer alternative fully locally?
Yes. OpenWork runs as a local-first desktop app on macOS, Windows, and Linux with your files staying on your machine (github.com/different-ai/openwork). Open Interpreter runs commands inside native sandboxing locally and can use open models (github.com/openinterpreter/openinterpreter). OpenClaw runs on your own computer with state, memory, and credentials on your hardware (github.com/openclaw/openclaw). Kortix can also be self-hosted on a laptop, VPS, or on-prem network, though its own default framing is cloud computers (github.com/kortix-ai/suna).
Is Kortix (Suna) really open source?
Kortix is source-available under Elastic License 2.0, not OSI-approved open source. The license permits use, modification, and self-hosting, but forbids offering the software to third parties as a hosted or managed service that exposes a substantial set of its features (github.com/kortix-ai/suna/blob/main/LICENSE). In practice you can fork and run it yourself, but you cannot resell it as a competing managed service. By contrast, OpenClaw, Open Interpreter, and NemoClaw are permissively licensed (MIT or Apache 2.0).
Which alternatives can control a browser or a whole computer?
Open Interpreter's QA skill drives web apps in a real browser via agent-browser and native apps via trycua (github.com/openinterpreter/openinterpreter). OpenClaw's companion apps and nodes add screen, camera, and Canvas actions on supported platforms (github.com/openclaw/openclaw). Kortix runs each session on a real isolated cloud-computer sandbox (github.com/kortix-ai/suna), and NVIDIA NemoClaw runs agents inside NVIDIA OpenShell sandboxes (github.com/NVIDIA/NemoClaw). OpenWork is a computer-use agent built on OpenCode that works on your own files (github.com/different-ai/openwork).
How much do these open-source alternatives cost?
OpenClaw has no paid tier, hosted service, or token, and its source is MIT (github.com/openclaw/openclaw). Open Interpreter and NVIDIA NemoClaw are free to use under Apache 2.0, though NemoClaw requires NVIDIA RTX or DGX hardware (github.com/openinterpreter/openinterpreter, github.com/NVIDIA/NemoClaw). OpenWork's desktop app is free, with Team Starter including the first five seats free and $10 per seat per month after that (openworklabs.com). Kortix is free to self-host, with managed cloud at $40 per seat per month plus usage (github.com/kortix-ai/suna).