omp vs OpenHands
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A terminal coding agent with language-server and debugger tools built in.
Open source · MIT
A self-hosted control panel that runs AI coding agents on your machine, in Docker, or in the cloud.
The short answer
Choose omp if you need…
- Developers who want an AI agent working inside a terminal on their own codebase
- People who use multiple model providers and want one tool across them
- Developers debugging native, Go, or Python programs who want the agent to drive a debugger
- Users who want the agent to split larger jobs across parallel subagents
Choose OpenHands if you need…
- Developers who want coding agents running on a server while their laptop is off
- Teams that want a shared agent server for tasks like code review or dependency updates
- People who want to connect agents to Slack, GitHub, or Linear through automations
- Users who want to choose their own LLM provider
Side-by-side
| omp | OpenHands | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | CLI | App |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 37.5k | 92.5k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 4 days ago |
What each one is
omp
omp is an open-source coding agent you run from the command line to have an AI model read, search, and edit code in your project. The README says it adds IDE-style features such as language server (LSP) support, a debugger integration, and subagents to a fork of the Pi coding agent. It supports many model providers, and the README claims 60+ providers and 31 built-in tools.
OpenHands
Agent Canvas is a self-hosted control center for AI coding agents. You start conversations with agents and set up automations, such as generating reports that publish to Slack or breaking GitHub issues into tasks. It runs on your own machine by default and can also connect to agents running in Docker, on virtual machines, or on OpenHands Cloud or Enterprise infrastructure. It can run the open source OpenHands agent or third-party agents such as Claude Code, Codex, and Gemini CLI.
Best for
omp
- Developers who want an AI agent working inside a terminal on their own codebase
- People who use multiple model providers and want one tool across them
- Developers debugging native, Go, or Python programs who want the agent to drive a debugger
- Users who want the agent to split larger jobs across parallel subagents
OpenHands
- Developers who want coding agents running on a server while their laptop is off
- Teams that want a shared agent server for tasks like code review or dependency updates
- People who want to connect agents to Slack, GitHub, or Linear through automations
- Users who want to choose their own LLM provider
Strengths
omp
- Broad feature set documented in the README, including LSP, DAP debugging, and subagents
- Works with many model providers rather than a single vendor
- MIT licensed and open source with a public changelog and CI badge
OpenHands
- Self-hosted, so you control where agents run and where your work is stored
- Supports several agents and backends from one frontend
- Released under the MIT license with a large public community (about 92,000 stars)
Not ideal for
omp
- Non-programmers, since it is a developer tool that works in a terminal and on code
- People who need a graphical editor; the README describes a terminal agent, not an IDE replacement
- Teams needing a stable, long-term-supported release, since the README shows a v18.x release and says pull request policy is on trial
OpenHands
- People who need strong isolation by default: the quickstart without a sandbox gives the agent full access to your filesystem
- Non-technical users who are not comfortable with Node.js, npm, Docker, or the command line
- Anyone who needs a fully hosted service with no setup, since the README centers on self-hosting
Trade-offs
omp
- The README's benchmark claims come from the project's own blog and are not independently verified here
- Several features (lsp, dap, subagents, stream rules) add complexity that a newcomer must learn
- Install paths vary by platform, and Alpine/musl users need extra system libraries
OpenHands
- Running without a sandbox gives the agent full access to your filesystem, so the Docker options need careful setup
- Multiple features depend on configuring backends, LLM keys, and integrations, which takes effort
- The README is truncated and does not fully document security hardening or every integration; see the linked docs
Getting started
omp
Install with Bun (recommended)
bun install -g @oh-my-pi/pi-coding-agentInstall with Homebrew
brew install can1357/tap/ompOpenHands
Install globally with npm (no sandbox)
npm install -g @openhands/agent-canvasStart the full local stack
agent-canvasFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between omp and OpenHands?
omp: A terminal coding agent with language-server and debugger tools built in. OpenHands: A self-hosted control panel that runs AI coding agents on your machine, in Docker, or in the cloud. omp suits developers who want an ai agent working inside a terminal on their own codebase, while OpenHands suits developers who want coding agents running on a server while their laptop is off.
Are omp and OpenHands free?
omp: Free and open source. OpenHands: Free and open source.
Is omp or OpenHands more popular?
OpenHands has more GitHub stars (92.5k) than omp (37.5k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to omp and OpenHands?
Other options people compare them with include jcode, Repomix, claude-code-templates, Agent Reach, Codewhale.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.