{ "data": { "a": { "slug": "cowagent", "name": "CowAgent", "vendor": "zhayujie", "vendorUrl": "https://cowagent.ai", "kind": "harness", "category": "personal-assistants", "summary": "CowAgent is an open-source AI assistant that its owner runs on a computer or server. It plans tasks, runs tools and skills, keeps long-term memory in local files and answers on a web console and messaging apps.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/cowagent", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/cowagent.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/cowagent.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/cowagent.json", "repo": "https://github.com/zhayujie/CowAgent", "license": "MIT", "transports": [ "http" ], "packages": [ { "registry": "oci", "name": "zhayujie/chatgpt-on-wechat" } ], "auth": "mixed", "authNotes": "No account. The web console listens on 127.0.0.1 with no password by default, and `web_password` adds a login whose session lasts 30 days. `external_api_token` is one Bearer token for the OpenAI-compatible endpoint, which stays off while the token is empty (https://docs.cowagent.ai/channels/web). Messaging channels use each platform's bot token or app secret in `config.json`. Model keys go in `config.json` or environment variables.", "pricing": "free", "pricingNotes": "Free under the MIT licence, with nothing to buy to run it. The owner pays the configured model provider, or nothing with a local model behind an OpenAI-compatible endpoint. The README names LinkAI as a seller of managed hosting, and link-ai.tech did not answer on 12 October 2026, so its prices were not read.", "priceSummary": "Free · OSS", "where": "local", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the docs or the source (checked 2026-10-12).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": 47400, "npmWeekly": null, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-10-12" }, "docsUrl": "https://docs.cowagent.ai/intro/index", "llmsTxt": "https://docs.cowagent.ai/llms.txt", "capabilities": [ "assistant.proactive", "assistant.messaging", "assistant.memory", "assistant.self-hosted", "agent.mcp-client", "assistant.accounts" ], "tags": [ "open-source", "self-hosted", "local", "free", "no-card", "llms-txt", "docker", "python", "openai-compatible" ], "lastRelease": "2026-09-30", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 58.5, "grade": "C", "agentReady": false, "rank": 591, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 986, "categoryRank": 9, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 59, "maintenance": 83, "payments": 60, "reliability": 84, "schema": 67, "security": 43, "transparency": 45 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-12" }, "negative": -5, "negativeNotes": [ "2026-07-31. Issue #2998 reports that a member of a Feishu group asked the bot for local files and it sent the owner's documents into the group. This is the reporter's account and we did not reproduce it. We confirmed in the master source on 12 October 2026 that group channels accept every group, that full-access is the default and that the proposed sender gating is absent. Open and unfixed, -3. https://github.com/zhayujie/CowAgent/issues/2998", "2026-07-29. Version 2.1.5 fixed a chain in which injected content led the agent to rewrite the MCP config, run arbitrary commands and take keys, and fixed the `edit` tool reaching `~/.cow/.env`. Both are described in the release notes with no advisory. Fixed and documented, -2. https://docs.cowagent.ai/releases/v2.1.5" ], "verdict": "MIT software with seven releases in 90 days, memory kept as plain files in the owner's workspace and three per-session permission modes. Source and Docker installs default to full-access, no action asks for approval, and an open report of 31 July 2026 says group members could reach the owner's files through the bot.", "bestFor": "One technical owner who wants an assistant on WeChat, Feishu, DingTalk, Telegram, Slack or Discord with memory in local files and a choice of Chinese and Western model providers.", "strengths": [ "Memory is plain Markdown under `~/cow` (`MEMORY.md`, `memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md`), readable and removable by the owner", "Three permission modes per session (read-only, workspace-write, full-access), with a global default in `agent_permission_mode`", "The web console binds to 127.0.0.1 by default, and the cloud client loads only when `use_linkai` and a deployment id are both set", "Seven tagged releases between 20 July and 30 September 2026, each with dated notes in the docs", "Tests run on Python 3.11 and 3.13 for every push to master, and the 15 newest master runs we saw passed on 12 October 2026" ], "weaknesses": [ "Source and Docker installs default to full-access, and no mode asks the owner before a shell command, a file send or an MCP call", "The permission checks read arguments and are not an OS sandbox, as the source says. The `bash` blocklist covers only root deletion, disk wiping and power commands", "Issue #2998, open since 31 July 2026, reports the bot sending the owner's local documents into a Feishu group. Its fix is not on master", "No setting limits which Telegram, Slack or Discord users may message the bot, and those channels reply in every group", "No SECURITY.md, security.txt, privacy policy or terms. Model keys sit in `config.json` and MCP keys in `mcp.json` as plain text" ], "agentNotes": [ "Set `agent_permission_mode` to `workspace-write` or `read-only` before connecting any channel. Source and Docker installs default to `full-access`", "Keep the bot out of group chats that include other people. Any member who mentions it reaches the same tools as the owner", "Set `web_password` before changing `web_host` to `0.0.0.0`. The password is empty by default", "Set `external_api_token` to enable `POST /v1/chat/completions`, and send `conversation_id` to keep one session. The `model` field does not select a model", "Run it in a container for a hard boundary. The docs and the source both say the permission modes are not isolation" ], "metrics": { "kind": "local", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 0, "avgRating": 0, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "C", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 58.5 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 59, "maintenance": 83, "payments": 60, "reliability": 84, "schema": 67, "security": 43, "transparency": 62 }, "provenanceScore": 27 }, "connect": { "install": "bash \u003c(curl -fsSL https://cdn.link-ai.tech/code/cow/run.sh) # or: curl -O https://cdn.link-ai.tech/code/cow/docker-compose.yml \u0026\u0026 docker compose up -d", "http": "curl http://localhost:9899/v1/chat/completions -H \"Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN\" -H \"Content-Type: application/json\" -d '{\"model\":\"cowagent\",\"conversation_id\":\"example-conversation\",\"messages\":[{\"role\":\"user\",\"content\":\"Hello\"}]}'" }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/assistant.proactive", "tool": "https://letme.dev/cowagent" }, "area": "frameworks", "provenance": { "legalEntity": "", "domain": "cowagent.ai", "domainRegistered": "", "endpointOnVendorDomain": null, "terms": "", "privacy": "", "statusPage": "", "changelog": "https://docs.cowagent.ai/releases/overview", "securityTxt": "none", "checked": "2026-10-12", "notes": [ "No company or legal entity is named for CowAgent. The licence names zhayujie, and the cowagent.ai footer reads Copyright 2026 CowAgent.", "The README lists sales@simple-future.tech and LinkAI (link-ai.tech) for enterprise services and managed hosting. link-ai.tech did not answer our robots.txt request on 12 October 2026, so none of its pages were read.", "cowagent.ai links no terms and no privacy policy. Its sitemap lists the home, download and blog pages only.", "cowagent.ai answers `/.well-known/security.txt` and `/llms.txt` with the home page, so neither file exists. docs.cowagent.ai serves an llms.txt.", "The registration date of cowagent.ai was not looked up." ], "score": 27 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/cowagent.json" }, "answer": "CowAgent scores 58.5 (C) on agent readiness against GAIA's 49.5 (D), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. GAIA leads on security \u0026 auth and transparency \u0026 trust.", "b": { "slug": "gaia", "name": "GAIA", "vendor": "The Experience Company", "vendorUrl": "https://heygaia.io", "kind": "platform", "category": "personal-assistants", "summary": "GAIA is a personal AI assistant from The Experience Company for email, calendar, todos and scheduled workflows. It runs as a hosted service at heygaia.io with messaging bots, and its source is published for noncommercial self-hosting.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/gaia", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/gaia.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/gaia.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/gaia.json", "repo": "https://github.com/theexperiencecompany/gaia", "license": "PolyForm-Noncommercial-1.0.0", "transports": [], "packages": [ { "registry": "npm", "name": "@heygaia/cli" } ], "auth": "oauth", "authNotes": "People sign in to the hosted app in a browser, and the backend uses WorkOS for sign-in. Integrations connect by OAuth on the provider's consent screen, through Composio for built-in ones, and Gmail asks for the `gmail.modify` scope. Custom MCP servers take no auth, a bearer token or OAuth 2.1 with PKCE and dynamic client registration, with tokens Fernet-encrypted in PostgreSQL. Bot users link a chat identity with `/auth`. No API key for outside callers was found (https://github.com/theexperiencecompany/gaia/blob/master/apps/api/app/config/oauth_config.py; https://docs.heygaia.io/guides/adding-mcp-integrations).", "pricing": "paid", "pricingNotes": "Pro is $30 a month on the pricing page, the only plan shown there, and its FAQ says GAIA is a paid product. The README and docs also describe a Free plan with daily caps and an Enterprise plan by contact, so whether a new account can use the hosted service without paying was not established. Payments run through Dodo Payments. Self-hosting is free for noncommercial use, plus model usage and a WorkOS account (https://heygaia.io/pricing; https://docs.heygaia.io/guides/usage-subscription; checked 2026-10-12).", "priceSummary": "$30 / mo", "where": "local", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the docs or the backend source (checked 2026-10-12).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": 308, "npmWeekly": null, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-10-12" }, "docsUrl": "https://docs.heygaia.io", "llmsTxt": "https://docs.heygaia.io/llms.txt", "capabilities": [ "assistant.proactive", "assistant.messaging", "assistant.accounts", "assistant.memory", "assistant.self-hosted", "agent.mcp-client" ], "tags": [ "hosted", "source-available", "noncommercial-licence", "self-hosted", "messaging", "imessage", "whatsapp", "telegram", "slack", "discord", "gmail", "mcp-client", "status-page", "llms-txt", "approval-off-by-default" ], "lastRelease": "2026-09-14", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 49.5, "grade": "D", "agentReady": false, "rank": 813, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 986, "categoryRank": 10, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 54, "maintenance": 78, "payments": 20, "reliability": 67, "schema": 51, "security": 54, "transparency": 60 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-12" }, "negative": -5, "negativeNotes": [ "-3. The release notes of 26 August 2026 say GAIA pauses and asks before a tool that deletes, sends or overwrites, the privacy policy (7 August 2026) says destructive actions require explicit approval, and the pricing page says anything outward-facing waits for the owner's OK. The source at `api-v0.24.0` (14 September 2026) and on master sets the default mode to `always_allow`, commented as nothing gated until flipped after launch. Read from source, not from a live account. https://github.com/theexperiencecompany/gaia/blob/master/apps/api/app/models/hil_models.py", "-2. The pricing page FAQ, read on 12 October 2026, says GAIA never shares data with model providers. Section 3.1 of the privacy policy says content, files and data from connected accounts are shared with third-party AI model providers. https://heygaia.io/pricing and https://heygaia.io/privacy" ], "verdict": "GAIA's source is public, so its approval gate, memory store and token handling can be read. Three approval modes and per-tool overrides exist, but the default mode in the source runs every action unasked, which the privacy policy and release notes do not say. Pro costs $30 a month and self-hosting is limited to noncommercial use.", "bestFor": "It suits one person who wants mail triage, meeting briefs, todos and scheduled workflows from one assistant reachable on WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord or iMessage, and who wants to read the source.", "strengths": [ "The whole product is in a public repository under PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0, including the approval gate, memory engine and five messaging bots.", "Approval settings have three modes and per-tool overrides, and adding an MCP server, pairing a device or disconnecting an account asks in every mode.", "Memory is visible in Settings as facts, a journal, four documents and a graph, and each item can be edited or deleted, with a clear-all control.", "A BetterStack status page covers the API, web app and four bots, and lists no incident in the 90 days to 12 October 2026.", "Three sets of tagged releases in the 90 days to 12 October 2026, the latest on 14 September, with 91 commits on master in the last 30 days." ], "weaknesses": [ "The default approval mode in the source is `always_allow`, commented as nothing gated, while the privacy policy and the 26 August release notes say destructive actions wait for approval.", "The pricing page FAQ says data is never shared with model providers. The privacy policy says content, including data from connected accounts, is shared with them.", "The README lists a Free plan at $0 forever, while the pricing page shows only Pro and says GAIA is a paid product.", "Gmail connects with the `gmail.modify` scope, and built-in integrations run through Composio, so a third party holds those OAuth connections.", "No security.txt, bug bounty, certification, subprocessor list or DPA was found, and self-hosting needs a WorkOS account and five data services.", "The Terms of Service forbid automated systems accessing the Service. Recorded as a fact, and it matters before any probe is run." ], "agentNotes": [ "Set Settings \u003e Approvals to Always ask or Auto before connecting mail. The default in the source runs every action, including send and delete, without asking.", "Expect no public API on the hosted service. The backend turns off its OpenAPI document in production, so reach GAIA through its apps, bots or CLI.", "Check the plan before relying on the hosted service. The README and docs describe a Free plan, and the pricing page says GAIA is a paid product.", "For self-hosting, prepare Docker, Node.js 20, a WorkOS account and a model key first, and confirm the use is noncommercial under the licence.", "Add outside tools as MCP servers by URL on the Integrations page. GAIA asks before adding a server in every approval mode." ], "metrics": { "kind": "remote", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 0, "avgRating": 0, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "D", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 49.5 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 54, "maintenance": 78, "payments": 20, "reliability": 67, "schema": 51, "security": 54, "transparency": 50 }, "provenanceScore": 70 }, "connect": { "install": "npm install -g @heygaia/cli \u0026\u0026 gaia init # choose Self-Host (Docker), then open http://localhost:3000" }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/assistant.proactive", "tool": "https://letme.dev/gaia" }, "area": "frameworks", "unitPrices": [ { "item": "Pro", "unit": "month", "usd": 30, "note": "billed monthly, with usage limits the pricing page does not state" } ], "provenance": { "legalEntity": "The Experience Company, Inc.", "domain": "heygaia.io", "domainRegistered": "", "endpointOnVendorDomain": true, "terms": "https://heygaia.io/terms", "privacy": "https://heygaia.io/privacy", "statusPage": "https://status.heygaia.io", "changelog": "https://docs.heygaia.io/release-notes", "securityTxt": "none", "checked": "2026-10-12", "notes": [ "The Terms of Service (effective 14 August 2026) name The Experience Company, Inc., a Delaware corporation. Neither the terms nor the privacy policy gives a postal address.", "The privacy policy (effective 7 August 2026) gives support@heygaia.so as its contact, a different domain from heygaia.io, where the README's security and contact addresses sit.", "heygaia.io/.well-known/security.txt returned 404 on 12 October 2026. The repository's SECURITY.md gives an email address for reports.", "The status page lists api.heygaia.io as the backend. We sent nothing to that host.", "heygaia.io's robots.txt allows every path and names ClaudeBot, Claude-Web and anthropic-ai with Allow. docs.heygaia.io carries Content-Signal ai-input=yes. status.heygaia.io returned an empty robots.txt.", "The domain's registration date was not looked up." ], "score": 70 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/gaia.json", "live": { "slug": "gaia", "vendorStatus": { "page": "https://status.heygaia.io", "indicator": "unknown", "summary": "no machine-readable status found", "checkedAt": "2026-10-12T17:28:08.466725732Z" }, "updatedAt": "2026-10-12T17:28:08.466725732Z" } }, "facts": [ { "a": "Agent harness", "b": "Platform", "name": "Kind" }, { "a": "zhayujie", "b": "The Experience Company", "name": "Vendor" }, { "a": "no (local only)", "b": "no (local only)", "name": "Hosted endpoint" }, { "a": "HTTP", "b": "", "name": "Transports" }, { "a": "OAuth or key", "b": "OAuth", "name": "Auth" }, { "a": "Free", "b": "Paid", "name": "Pricing" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "x402" }, { "a": "MIT", "b": "PolyForm-Noncommercial-1.0.0", "name": "Licence" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "no", "name": "Read-only variant documented" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "yes", "name": "llms.txt" }, { "a": "2026-09-30", "b": "2026-09-14", "name": "Last release" }, { "a": "no document linked", "b": "2026-08-14", "name": "Terms last updated" }, { "a": "no document linked", "b": "2026-08-07", "name": "Privacy policy last updated" }, { "a": "", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Customer content may train models" }, { "a": "", "b": "yes", "name": "Terms restrict automated access" }, { "a": "", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Terms restrict benchmarking" }, { "a": "", "b": "yes", "name": "Terms or service can change without notice" }, { "a": "", "b": "yes", "name": "Arbitration or class-action waiver" }, { "a": "47k stars", "b": "308 stars", "name": "Popularity" } ], "faq": [ { "answer": "CowAgent scores 58.5 (C) on agent readiness against GAIA's 49.5 (D), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. GAIA leads on security \u0026 auth and transparency \u0026 trust.", "question": "Which is better for AI agents, CowAgent or GAIA?" }, { "answer": "CowAgent is open source (MIT). No open-source release is listed for GAIA.", "question": "Are CowAgent and GAIA open source?" } ], "goodFor": [ { "aheadOn": [ "Reliability, 84 against 67", "Schema \u0026 documentation, 67 against 51", "Agent ergonomics, 59 against 54", "Payments \u0026 pricing, 60 against 20", "Maintenance \u0026 community, 83 against 78" ], "also": [ "Free to start without a card", "Open source" ], "goodFor": "One technical owner who wants an assistant on WeChat, Feishu, DingTalk, Telegram, Slack or Discord with memory in local files and a choice of Chinese and Western model providers.", "slug": "cowagent", "watchFor": "Source and Docker installs default to full-access, and no mode asks the owner before a shell command, a file send or an MCP call" }, { "aheadOn": [ "Security \u0026 auth, 54 against 43", "Transparency \u0026 trust, 60 against 45" ], "also": null, "goodFor": "It suits one person who wants mail triage, meeting briefs, todos and scheduled workflows from one assistant reachable on WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord or iMessage, and who wants to read the source.", "slug": "gaia", "watchFor": "The default approval mode in the source is `always_allow`, commented as nothing gated, while the privacy policy and the 26 August release notes say destructive actions wait for approval." } ], "job": { "capability": "assistant.proactive", "name": "Assistant proactive" }, "others": [ { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/astrbot-vs-cowagent.json", "title": "AstrBot vs CowAgent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/astrbot-vs-cowagent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/astrbot-vs-gaia.json", "title": "AstrBot vs GAIA", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/astrbot-vs-gaia" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-gemini-spark.json", "title": "CowAgent vs Gemini Spark", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-gemini-spark" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-grok-bot.json", "title": "CowAgent vs Grok Bot", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-grok-bot" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-haven.json", "title": "CowAgent vs Haven", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-haven" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-hermes-agent.json", "title": "CowAgent vs Hermes Agent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-hermes-agent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-instinct.json", "title": "CowAgent vs Instinct", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-instinct" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-ironclaw.json", "title": "CowAgent vs IronClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-ironclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-leon.json", "title": "CowAgent vs Leon", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-leon" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-lindy.json", "title": "CowAgent vs Lindy", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-lindy" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-nanobot.json", "title": "CowAgent vs nanobot", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-nanobot" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-nanoclaw.json", "title": "CowAgent vs NanoClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-nanoclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-openai-dots.json", "title": "CowAgent vs Dots", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-openai-dots" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-openclaw.json", "title": "CowAgent vs OpenClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-openclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-picoclaw.json", "title": "CowAgent vs PicoClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-picoclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-poke.json", "title": "CowAgent vs Poke", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-poke" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-qwenpaw.json", "title": "CowAgent vs QwenPaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-qwenpaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-zeroclaw.json", "title": "CowAgent vs ZeroClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-zeroclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-zo-computer.json", "title": "CowAgent vs Zo Computer", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-zo-computer" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-gemini-spark.json", "title": "GAIA vs Gemini Spark", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-gemini-spark" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-grok-bot.json", "title": "GAIA vs Grok Bot", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-grok-bot" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-haven.json", "title": "GAIA vs Haven", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-haven" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-hermes-agent.json", "title": "GAIA vs Hermes Agent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-hermes-agent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-instinct.json", "title": "GAIA vs Instinct", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-instinct" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-ironclaw.json", "title": "GAIA vs IronClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-ironclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-leon.json", "title": "GAIA vs Leon", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-leon" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-lindy.json", "title": "GAIA vs Lindy", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-lindy" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-nanobot.json", "title": "GAIA vs nanobot", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-nanobot" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-nanoclaw.json", "title": "GAIA vs NanoClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-nanoclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-openai-dots.json", "title": "GAIA vs Dots", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-openai-dots" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-openclaw.json", "title": "GAIA vs OpenClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-openclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-picoclaw.json", "title": "GAIA vs PicoClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-picoclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-poke.json", "title": "GAIA vs Poke", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-poke" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-qwenpaw.json", "title": "GAIA vs QwenPaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-qwenpaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-zeroclaw.json", "title": "GAIA vs ZeroClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-zeroclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-zo-computer.json", "title": "GAIA vs Zo Computer", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-zo-computer" } ], "scores": [ { "by": 17, "cowagent": 84, "edge": "cowagent", "gaia": 67, "key": "reliability", "name": "Reliability", "weight": 16 }, { "key": "performance", "name": "Performance", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 16, "cowagent": 67, "edge": "cowagent", "gaia": 51, "key": "schema", "name": "Schema \u0026 documentation", "weight": 13 }, { "by": 5, "cowagent": 59, "edge": "cowagent", "gaia": 54, "key": "ergonomics", "name": "Agent ergonomics", "weight": 13 }, { "by": 11, "cowagent": 43, "edge": "gaia", "gaia": 54, "key": "security", "name": "Security \u0026 auth", "weight": 14 }, { "by": 40, "cowagent": 60, "edge": "cowagent", "gaia": 20, "key": "payments", "name": "Payments \u0026 pricing", "weight": 10 }, { "key": "tasks", "name": "Task success", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 5, "cowagent": 83, "edge": "cowagent", "gaia": 78, "key": "maintenance", "name": "Maintenance \u0026 community", "weight": 7 }, { "by": 15, "cowagent": 45, "edge": "gaia", "gaia": 60, "key": "transparency", "name": "Transparency \u0026 trust", "weight": 7 } ], "summary": "CowAgent scores 58.5 (C) on agent readiness against GAIA's 49.5 (D), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. GAIA leads on security \u0026 auth and transparency \u0026 trust. Both do assistant proactive.", "verdicts": { "cowagent": "MIT software with seven releases in 90 days, memory kept as plain files in the owner's workspace and three per-session permission modes. Source and Docker installs default to full-access, no action asks for approval, and an open report of 31 July 2026 says group members could reach the owner's files through the bot.", "gaia": "GAIA's source is public, so its approval gate, memory store and token handling can be read. Three approval modes and per-tool overrides exist, but the default mode in the source runs every action unasked, which the privacy policy and release notes do not say. Pro costs $30 a month and self-hosting is limited to noncommercial use." } }, "kind": "anchor.page", "links": { "api": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json", "html": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-gaia", "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-gaia.json", "llms": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt", "markdown": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-gaia.md", "slim": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-gaia.min.md" }, "markdown": "CowAgent scores 58.5 (C) on agent readiness against GAIA's 49.5 (D), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. GAIA leads on security \u0026 auth and transparency \u0026 trust. Both do assistant proactive.\n\n- CowAgent: grade C, 58.5/100, rank #591 of 986. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/cowagent.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/cowagent.json\n- GAIA: grade D, 49.5/100, rank #813 of 986. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/gaia.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/gaia.json\n- Best AI personal assistants that act for one person: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/personal-assistants/index.md\n- All 190 assistants comparisons: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/personal-assistants/index.md\n\n## Which one, for what\n\n### CowAgent (C)\n\nGood for: One technical owner who wants an assistant on WeChat, Feishu, DingTalk, Telegram, Slack or Discord with memory in local files and a choice of Chinese and Western model providers.\n\nAhead on:\n- Reliability, 84 against 67\n- Schema \u0026 documentation, 67 against 51\n- Agent ergonomics, 59 against 54\n- Payments \u0026 pricing, 60 against 20\n- Maintenance \u0026 community, 83 against 78\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- Free to start without a card\n- Open source\n\nWatch for: Source and Docker installs default to full-access, and no mode asks the owner before a shell command, a file send or an MCP call\n\n### GAIA (D)\n\nGood for: It suits one person who wants mail triage, meeting briefs, todos and scheduled workflows from one assistant reachable on WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord or iMessage, and who wants to read the source.\n\nAhead on:\n- Security \u0026 auth, 54 against 43\n- Transparency \u0026 trust, 60 against 45\n\nWatch for: The default approval mode in the source is `always_allow`, commented as nothing gated, while the privacy policy and the 26 August release notes say destructive actions wait for approval.\n\n\n## Score by category\n\n| Category | Weight | CowAgent | GAIA | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 84 | 67 | CowAgent +17 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 67 | 51 | CowAgent +16 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 59 | 54 | CowAgent +5 |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 43 | 54 | GAIA +11 |\n| Payments \u0026 pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 60 | 20 | CowAgent +40 |\n| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Maintenance \u0026 community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 83 | 78 | CowAgent +5 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 45 | 60 | GAIA +15 |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | -5 | -5 | |\n| **Total** | | **58.5 · C** | **49.5 · D** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | CowAgent | GAIA |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | Agent harness | Platform |\n| Vendor | zhayujie | The Experience Company |\n| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | no (local only) |\n| Transports | HTTP | |\n| Auth | OAuth or key | OAuth |\n| Pricing | Free | Paid |\n| x402 | no | no |\n| Licence | MIT | PolyForm-Noncommercial-1.0.0 |\n| Read-only variant documented | yes | no |\n| llms.txt | yes | yes |\n| Last release | 2026-09-30 | 2026-09-14 |\n| Terms last updated | no document linked | 2026-08-14 |\n| Privacy policy last updated | no document linked | 2026-08-07 |\n| Customer content may train models | | not found in the text |\n| Terms restrict automated access | | yes |\n| Terms restrict benchmarking | | not found in the text |\n| Terms or service can change without notice | | yes |\n| Arbitration or class-action waiver | | yes |\n| Popularity | 47k stars | 308 stars |\n\n## Verdicts\n\n**CowAgent.** MIT software with seven releases in 90 days, memory kept as plain files in the owner's workspace and three per-session permission modes. Source and Docker installs default to full-access, no action asks for approval, and an open report of 31 July 2026 says group members could reach the owner's files through the bot.\n\n**GAIA.** GAIA's source is public, so its approval gate, memory store and token handling can be read. Three approval modes and per-tool overrides exist, but the default mode in the source runs every action unasked, which the privacy policy and release notes do not say. Pro costs $30 a month and self-hosting is limited to noncommercial use.\n\n## Before you call either\n\n### CowAgent\n\n1. Set `agent_permission_mode` to `workspace-write` or `read-only` before connecting any channel. Source and Docker installs default to `full-access`\n2. Keep the bot out of group chats that include other people. Any member who mentions it reaches the same tools as the owner\n3. Set `web_password` before changing `web_host` to `0.0.0.0`. The password is empty by default\n4. Set `external_api_token` to enable `POST /v1/chat/completions`, and send `conversation_id` to keep one session. The `model` field does not select a model\n5. Run it in a container for a hard boundary. The docs and the source both say the permission modes are not isolation\n\n### GAIA\n\n1. Set Settings \u003e Approvals to Always ask or Auto before connecting mail. The default in the source runs every action, including send and delete, without asking.\n2. Expect no public API on the hosted service. The backend turns off its OpenAPI document in production, so reach GAIA through its apps, bots or CLI.\n3. Check the plan before relying on the hosted service. The README and docs describe a Free plan, and the pricing page says GAIA is a paid product.\n4. For self-hosting, prepare Docker, Node.js 20, a WorkOS account and a model key first, and confirm the use is noncommercial under the licence.\n5. Add outside tools as MCP servers by URL on the Integrations page. GAIA asks before adding a server in every approval mode.\n\n## Questions\n\n### Which is better for AI agents, CowAgent or GAIA?\n\nCowAgent scores 58.5 (C) on agent readiness against GAIA's 49.5 (D), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. GAIA leads on security \u0026 auth and transparency \u0026 trust.\n\n### Are CowAgent and GAIA open source?\n\nCowAgent is open source (MIT). No open-source release is listed for GAIA.\n\n\n## For agents\n\n- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-gaia.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-gaia.min.md\n- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {\"a\": \"cowagent\", \"b\": \"gaia\"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare cowagent gaia`\n- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/cowagent.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/gaia.json\n\n## Other comparisons with CowAgent or GAIA\n\n- [AstrBot vs CowAgent](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/astrbot-vs-cowagent.md)\n- [AstrBot vs GAIA](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/astrbot-vs-gaia.md)\n- [CowAgent vs Gemini Spark](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-gemini-spark.md)\n- [CowAgent vs Grok Bot](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-grok-bot.md)\n- [CowAgent vs Haven](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-haven.md)\n- [CowAgent vs Hermes Agent](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-hermes-agent.md)\n- [CowAgent vs Instinct](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-instinct.md)\n- [CowAgent vs IronClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-ironclaw.md)\n- [CowAgent vs Leon](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-leon.md)\n- [CowAgent vs Lindy](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-lindy.md)\n- [CowAgent vs nanobot](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-nanobot.md)\n- [CowAgent vs NanoClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-nanoclaw.md)\n- [CowAgent vs Dots](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-openai-dots.md)\n- [CowAgent vs OpenClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-openclaw.md)\n- [CowAgent vs PicoClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-picoclaw.md)\n- [CowAgent vs Poke](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-poke.md)\n- [CowAgent vs QwenPaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-qwenpaw.md)\n- [CowAgent vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-zeroclaw.md)\n- [CowAgent vs Zo Computer](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-zo-computer.md)\n- [GAIA vs Gemini Spark](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-gemini-spark.md)\n- [GAIA vs Grok Bot](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-grok-bot.md)\n- [GAIA vs Haven](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-haven.md)\n- [GAIA vs Hermes Agent](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-hermes-agent.md)\n- [GAIA vs Instinct](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-instinct.md)\n- [GAIA vs IronClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-ironclaw.md)\n- [GAIA vs Leon](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-leon.md)\n- [GAIA vs Lindy](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-lindy.md)\n- [GAIA vs nanobot](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-nanobot.md)\n- [GAIA vs NanoClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-nanoclaw.md)\n- [GAIA vs Dots](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-openai-dots.md)\n- [GAIA vs OpenClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-openclaw.md)\n- [GAIA vs PicoClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-picoclaw.md)\n- [GAIA vs Poke](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-poke.md)\n- [GAIA vs QwenPaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-qwenpaw.md)\n- [GAIA vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-zeroclaw.md)\n- [GAIA vs Zo Computer](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-zo-computer.md)\n", "meta": { "attribution": "Anchor Terminal (https://www.anchorterminal.com)", "docs": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/docs/", "generatedAt": "2026-10-12", "license": "CC-BY-4.0", "method": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/", "methodology": "0.4", "openapi": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/openapi.json", "preview": false, "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run" }, "page": { "breadcrumbs": [ { "name": "Home", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/" }, { "name": "Compare", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/" }, { "name": "CowAgent vs GAIA", "url": "" } ], "description": "CowAgent scores 58.5 (C) to GAIA's 49.5 (D) for assistant proactive. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.", "facts": [ "CowAgent C 58.5", "GAIA D 49.5", "scores" ], "h1": "CowAgent vs GAIA", "image": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/assets/og/compare-cowagent-vs-gaia.png", "path": "/compare/cowagent-vs-gaia", "published": "2026-10-01", "section": "tools", "title": "CowAgent vs GAIA for AI agents in 2026: scores and prices", "toc": null, "updated": "2026-10-12", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-gaia" }, "tokens": { "markdown": 2600, "slim": 680 }, "version": 1 }