# Open Dots review

> Open Dots, published as Open Duet, is an open-source, self-hosted workspace for named AI agents with memory, routines, and approval controls.

Devtoolwatch Board, the week of Oct 25–31, 2026. Canonical page: https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/anil-matcha-open-dots/

## TL;DR

Open Duet is an open-source workspace for creating named AI agents, giving each a job and workspace, and chatting with them over time. It is for developers who want agents on their own computer or server, using an engine they already have. It adds lead-and-specialist delegation, scheduled routines, and approval modes. It ships no model.

## Open Dots at a glance

- **Category:** [Coding agents](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/categories/coding-agents/)
- **Maintained by:** Anil Chandra Naidu Matcha (individual, [@Anil-matcha](https://github.com/Anil-matcha) on GitHub)
- **License:** Apache 2.0
- **Language:** Python, TypeScript, JavaScript
- **Repository:** [github.com/Anil-matcha/open-duet](https://github.com/Anil-matcha/open-duet)
- **Website:** [suparagent.ai](suparagent.ai)
- **Latest release:** [v0.7.0](https://github.com/Anil-matcha/open-duet/releases/tag/v0.7.0) on GitHub, Oct 30, 2026
- **First published:** May 25, 2023

## What Open Dots does

- Open Duet lets you create a roster of agents, each with a name, instructions, model, workspace, memory, and approval settings.
- Open Duet lets a lead agent delegate tasks to specialists. Team leads must use Claude or Codex.
- Open Duet agents keep notes, recall earlier conversations, and search their own history. You can review and edit what they remember.
- Open Duet routines run prompts on a schedule, by webhook, or on demand, and never approve actions by themselves.
- Open Duet offers Ask first, Accept edits, and Plan only modes, and shows tool activity and approval decisions in the app.
- Open Duet connects apps such as GitHub, Gmail, and Google Calendar through your own Composio key. Changes wait for your approval.
- Open Duet includes an MCP Marketplace, a catalog of remote MCP servers where you grant agents exact tools.

### How it works

Open Duet runs as a desktop app from a source checkout or on a Linux server you control. It sends prompts to an engine you connect: Claude Code, Codex CLI, Gemini CLI, Antigravity, Cursor, an ACP agent, OpenRouter, or an OpenAI-compatible API such as Ollama or LM Studio. Conversations, notes, and settings stay in the local data folder or server database.

### Requirements

- Node.js 22 or newer and uv for the desktop app.
- At least one engine: a signed-in CLI agent or an API key for an API-based engine.
- Self-hosting needs a Linux server, a domain with HTTPS, Docker or Node.js and uv, and an engine on the server.
- Docker is needed only for the optional isolated agent computers.

### First steps

1. Open Settings → Engines and confirm that an engine is ready.
2. Create an agent with a name, a clear job, and the workspace it should use.
3. Start a chat. Choose Ask first if you want the agent to pause for approval before actions.
4. Add teammates or a routine when you want to split up work or repeat it later.

## Who Open Dots is for

- Developers who want self-hosted AI agents using engines and accounts they already have.
- Teams of agents splitting work, such as a lead with researcher and editor specialists.
- Recurring agent work, such as a weekly project briefing run as a routine.
- Users who want to review and approve agent actions before they happen.

### Limitations

- Open Duet desktop installers are unsigned, pre-release, and have limited platform verification.
- Open Duet does not provide model access. You handle the provider account, terms, and usage costs.
- Open Duet's connected apps were tested against a fake Composio, and the phone app is source-only and early.

## Usage data (the week of Oct 25–31, 2026)

- Board rank: #38 overall, #22 in Coding agents, momentum score 79
- New GitHub stars per week (last 12 weeks): Aug 9: 55; Aug 16: 59; Aug 23: 64; Aug 30: 42; Sep 6: 46; Sep 13: 37; Sep 20: 24; Sep 27: 1k; Oct 4: 341; Oct 11: 178; Oct 18: 300; Oct 25: 300

## Open Dots alternatives

| Rank | Tool | Stars | Downloads/wk |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | [Cindy](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/makecindy-cindy/) | 8.8k | – |
| #2 | [OpenMausBot](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/milind-soni-openmausbot/) | 9.6k | – |
| #3 | [Orca](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/stablyai-orca/) | 111.7k | – |
| #4 | [OpenBot](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/copilotkit-openbot/) | 9.1k | – |
| #5 | [Agent Reach](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/panniantong-agent-reach/) | 107.2k | – |
| #6 | [Skill Recorder](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/microsoft-skill-recorder/) | 5.6k | – |

## Open Dots FAQ

### Is Open Dots free and open source?

Yes. Open Dots's source code is on GitHub (Anil-matcha/open-duet) under the Apache 2.0 license, so you can use it for free.

### Is Open Dots still maintained?

Yes. The Anil-matcha/open-duet repository was last updated on Oct 31, 2026, and the latest release, v0.7.0 on GitHub, came out on Oct 30, 2026.

### How popular is Open Dots?

Open Dots has 6.4k GitHub stars as of Nov 1, 2026. It gained 300 new stars in the week of Oct 25–31, 2026, against a 12-week average of 205 a week. That made it #22 among AI coding agents on the Devtoolwatch Board.

### What are the best alternatives to Open Dots?

Other AI coding agents on the Devtoolwatch Board in the week of Oct 25–31, 2026, by momentum: Cindy (#1), OpenMausBot (#2), Orca (#3), OpenBot (#4), Agent Reach (#5). The alternatives table above has their numbers.

### Does Open Duet include an AI model?

No. Open Duet does not include a model or a model subscription. You connect an engine such as Claude Code, Codex CLI, Gemini CLI, OpenRouter, or an OpenAI-compatible API like Ollama, and model usage may cost money.

### Where does Open Duet store my data?

Open Duet stores conversations, notes, routines, and settings in the local data folder or server database of your instance. Saved API keys are encrypted. The selected engine receives the prompt and the context needed for each turn.

### Do Open Duet routines need my computer running?

Yes, routines run in the backend, so the backend must stay running. A self-hosted server keeps agents and routines available while your computer is off.

### Can Open Duet agents control a computer or browser?

Yes, optionally. Agents can get an isolated Docker computer, a Boat cloud computer in the desktop app, or a local browser. These features are experimental and off until you enable them.

### Is there an Open Duet phone app?

Yes, an early Android app pairs with your own server as a chat-only device. It can stop answers and allow or deny tool calls. It is source-only, with no store release and no push notifications.

## Sources

1. [Anil-matcha/open-duet on GitHub](https://github.com/Anil-matcha/open-duet)
2. [Open Dots README](https://github.com/Anil-matcha/open-duet/blob/main/README.md)
3. [Release v0.7.0 (Oct 30, 2026)](https://github.com/Anil-matcha/open-duet/releases/tag/v0.7.0)
4. [Release v0.6.0 (Oct 29, 2026)](https://github.com/Anil-matcha/open-duet/releases/tag/v0.6.0)
5. [Release mobile-v0.1.0 (Oct 28, 2026)](https://github.com/Anil-matcha/open-duet/releases/tag/mobile-v0.1.0)
6. [Devtoolwatch Board, the week of Oct 25–31, 2026](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/)