{ "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 Grok Bot's 45.2 (E), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Grok Bot leads on security \u0026 auth and transparency \u0026 trust.", "b": { "slug": "grok-bot", "name": "Grok Bot", "vendor": "SpaceXAI and Cursor (Anysphere, Inc.)", "vendorUrl": "https://x.ai/bot", "kind": "platform", "category": "personal-assistants", "summary": "Hosted assistant from SpaceXAI and Cursor. Named Bots work on a persistent cloud computer with a browser, files and terminal, reached from desktop and mobile apps, Slack and X, with routines that run on a schedule.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/grok-bot", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/grok-bot.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/grok-bot.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/grok-bot.json", "license": "Proprietary", "transports": [], "packages": [], "auth": "mixed", "authNotes": "A person signs in with a Cursor account in the browser, or with Sign in with Grok for a Grok Business seat. SAML 2.0 single sign-on applies to teams, and SCIM is Enterprise only. Connectors are added from Connect apps and authenticated in the browser by OAuth, or configured with a key or token. OAuth tokens stay on Cursor's backend. For passwords, passkeys, two-factor codes, CAPTCHAs and payment confirmations the Bot hands the computer to the owner, and a secure secret request masks a value and keeps it out of the transcript and away from the model. Browser sessions then persist on the cloud computer shared by all of the user's Bots (https://docs.x.ai/grok-bot/security; https://docs.x.ai/grok-bot/approvals-security-and-privacy; https://docs.x.ai/grok-bot/team-bots). No API key or public API for the assistant was found. An Admin API for team settings is linked from the docs and was not read.", "pricing": "paid", "pricingNotes": "No separate subscription. Grok Bot is included with every paid individual Cursor plan (Pro, Pro+, Ultra) and with Cursor Teams, or through a linked individual SuperGrok, SuperGrok Plus, SuperGrok Heavy or X Premium+ subscription, or a seat on a self-serve Grok Business plan. Cursor's pricing page shows Individual at $20 a month and Teams at $40 a user a month. The Pro+ and Ultra prices sit behind tabs our reader did not see. Each tier includes weekly usage with no amount published, metered by agent steps and tokens. After that, on-demand usage is billed through Cursor up to a monthly limit the owner sets, which is not a hard stop in the middle of a run. A free trial is a usage credit with a 7-day window and never becomes a paid plan. SuperGrok Lite is not included, and a SuperGrok link cannot be undone or moved (https://cursor.com/help/grok-bot/plans; https://cursor.com/pricing; checked 2026-10-12).", "priceSummary": "$20 / mo", "where": "local", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the Grok Bot docs, the plans page or the Grok Bot Terms (checked 2026-10-12).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": null, "npmWeekly": null, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-10-12" }, "docsUrl": "https://docs.x.ai/grok-bot/overview", "llmsTxt": "https://docs.x.ai/llms.txt", "capabilities": [ "assistant.proactive", "assistant.accounts", "assistant.memory", "assistant.messaging", "agent.mcp-client" ], "tags": [ "hosted", "closed-source", "desktop-app", "mobile-app", "computer-use", "scheduled-routines", "slack", "status-page", "iso27001", "soc2", "llms-txt", "paid" ], "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 45.2, "grade": "E", "agentReady": false, "rank": 893, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 986, "categoryRank": 12, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 50, "maintenance": 20, "payments": 25, "reliability": 40, "schema": 40, "security": 68, "transparency": 66 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-12" }, "negative": 0, "verdict": "Connector tokens stay on Cursor's backend and each user gets a separate microVM, with approvals, drafts and a review model before risky actions. All of a user's Bots share one computer and its sign-ins, the review model skips memory writes, and the status page shows seven major Grok Bot incidents since 3 September 2026.", "bestFor": "A person or team already paying for Cursor or SuperGrok who wants named assistants that keep working on a cloud computer, with routines and Slack or X entry points, and who will write approval rules.", "strengths": [ "Connector OAuth tokens stay on Cursor's backend. Bots call tools without receiving them, and tokens are never stored on the cloud computer", "Each user's work runs in a dedicated Firecracker microVM. A Bot has no identity of its own and holds no more access than the signed-in member", "Approvals from routines, triggers or other Bots expire after about 10 minutes and the action does not run", "Email and Slack messages can appear as editable drafts with Send and Discard buttons, and passwords, two-factor codes and payment confirmations are handed to the owner", "Markdown copies of every docs page and an llms.txt, with a security page that states what the controls do not cover" ], "weaknesses": [ "All of one user's Bots share one cloud computer, with its files, browser sessions and command-line credentials. The docs say separate Bots are not a security boundary", "The review model does not check memory writes or most settings changes, and the Grok Bot Terms call approval controls aids only", "Deleting a Bot leaves shared files and browser sessions on the computer. No way to view or delete single memories was found in the docs read", "Seven incidents marked major named Grok Bot on status.cursor.com between 3 September and 6 October 2026, the longest about six and a half hours", "Audit logs, Action Recording, network allowlists and enforced review rules are Enterprise only. Other teams default to allow-all network access", "Cursor chooses the model with no picker and no fixed set of model vendors, and no Grok Bot changelog was found" ], "agentNotes": [ "State in each request what the Bot may change and where it must stop. Which actions pause for approval depends on the tool, the risk and the owner's Auto-review rules", "Add narrow Ask first rules for sending, publishing, purchasing and deleting. Ask first wins over Allow automatically when both match", "Treat any sign-in or file on the cloud computer as available to every Bot on the account. Give a workload its own Cursor user when it needs separate credentials", "Run Test run with safe inputs. A test run performs real work and can call connected tools", "To remove access, pause routines, sign out of sites on the computer, uninstall connectors and revoke them at the source service. Deleting the Bot is not enough" ], "metrics": { "kind": "remote", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 0, "avgRating": 0, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "E", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 45.2 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 50, "maintenance": 20, "payments": 25, "reliability": 40, "schema": 40, "security": 68, "transparency": 48 }, "provenanceScore": 84 }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/assistant.proactive", "tool": "https://letme.dev/grok-bot" }, "sameCompany": [ "cursor-cli" ], "area": "frameworks", "unitPrices": [ { "item": "Cursor Individual plan, as shown on the pricing page", "unit": "month", "usd": 20, "note": "Includes Grok Bot with weekly usage. On-demand usage extra" }, { "item": "Cursor Teams plan", "unit": "seat-month", "usd": 40, "note": "Includes Grok Bot for every member. On-demand usage on by default" } ], "provenance": { "legalEntity": "Anysphere, Inc.", "domain": "cursor.com", "domainRegistered": "1995-12-20", "endpointOnVendorDomain": null, "terms": "https://cursor.com/en-US/terms/grok-bot", "privacy": "https://cursor.com/privacy", "statusPage": "https://status.cursor.com", "changelog": "", "securityTxt": "valid", "checked": "2026-10-12", "notes": [ "The Grok Bot Terms (last updated 3 September 2026) supplement the agreement that governs the customer's use of the Services and define the Provider as the entity under that agreement. For a Cursor account that agreement is Cursor's Terms of Service (last updated 3 September 2026), which name Anysphere, Inc., 2261 Market Street STE 86466, San Francisco, CA 94114 (https://cursor.com/terms-of-service).", "The product docs are on docs.x.ai, titled SpaceXSI Docs, and name SpaceXAI. The Grok Bot Terms say they create no contractual relationship between the customer and any affiliate of the Provider. No page read states how the two companies are related.", "The privacy policy (last updated 11 October 2026) is Anysphere's and says it does not apply where Anysphere processes data for commercial customers as a processor.", "cursor.com/.well-known/security.txt gives a GitHub security page and security-reports@cursor.com as contacts and has no Expires field.", "The docs name api2.cursor.sh and *.cursorvm.com as the hosts the app and the cloud computer use. There is no endpoint an outside agent calls.", "RDAP for cursor.com gives a registration date of 1995-12-20.", "No changelog for Grok Bot was found. Cursor's changelog entries from 29 July to 6 October 2026 do not mention it.", "docs.x.ai's robots.txt allows every path with Content-Signal ai-input=yes. x.ai's robots.txt does the same, but x.ai/bot and status.x.ai answered HTTP 403." ], "score": 84 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/grok-bot.json", "live": { "slug": "grok-bot", "vendorStatus": { "page": "https://status.cursor.com", "indicator": "none", "summary": "All Systems Operational", "checkedAt": "2026-10-12T18:56:36.692375788Z" }, "updatedAt": "2026-10-12T18:56:36.692375788Z" } }, "facts": [ { "a": "Agent harness", "b": "Platform", "name": "Kind" }, { "a": "zhayujie", "b": "SpaceXAI and Cursor (Anysphere, Inc.)", "name": "Vendor" }, { "a": "no (local only)", "b": "no (local only)", "name": "Hosted endpoint" }, { "a": "HTTP", "b": "", "name": "Transports" }, { "a": "OAuth or key", "b": "OAuth or key", "name": "Auth" }, { "a": "Free", "b": "Paid", "name": "Pricing" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "x402" }, { "a": "MIT", "b": "Proprietary", "name": "Licence" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "no", "name": "Read-only variant documented" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "yes", "name": "llms.txt" }, { "a": "2026-09-30", "b": "none", "name": "Last release" }, { "a": "no document linked", "b": "2026-09-03", "name": "Terms last updated" }, { "a": "no document linked", "b": "2026-09-29", "name": "Privacy policy last updated" }, { "a": "", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Customer content may train models" }, { "a": "", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Terms restrict automated access" }, { "a": "", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Terms restrict benchmarking" }, { "a": "", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Terms or service can change without notice" }, { "a": "", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Arbitration or class-action waiver" }, { "a": "47k stars", "b": "none", "name": "Popularity" } ], "faq": [ { "answer": "CowAgent scores 58.5 (C) on agent readiness against Grok Bot's 45.2 (E), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Grok Bot leads on security \u0026 auth and transparency \u0026 trust.", "question": "Which is better for AI agents, CowAgent or Grok Bot?" }, { "answer": "CowAgent is open source (MIT). No open-source release is listed for Grok Bot.", "question": "Are CowAgent and Grok Bot open source?" } ], "goodFor": [ { "aheadOn": [ "Reliability, 84 against 40", "Schema \u0026 documentation, 67 against 40", "Agent ergonomics, 59 against 50", "Payments \u0026 pricing, 60 against 25", "Maintenance \u0026 community, 83 against 20" ], "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, 68 against 43", "Transparency \u0026 trust, 66 against 45" ], "also": [ "No incidents deducted, where CowAgent loses 5 points for them" ], "goodFor": "A person or team already paying for Cursor or SuperGrok who wants named assistants that keep working on a cloud computer, with routines and Slack or X entry points, and who will write approval rules.", "slug": "grok-bot", "watchFor": "All of one user's Bots share one cloud computer, with its files, browser sessions and command-line credentials. The docs say separate Bots are not a security boundary" } ], "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-grok-bot.json", "title": "AstrBot vs Grok Bot", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/astrbot-vs-grok-bot" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-gaia.json", "title": "CowAgent vs GAIA", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-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-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-grok-bot.json", "title": "GAIA vs Grok Bot", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-grok-bot" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-spark-vs-grok-bot.json", "title": "Gemini Spark vs Grok Bot", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-spark-vs-grok-bot" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-haven.json", "title": "Grok Bot vs Haven", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-haven" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-hermes-agent.json", "title": "Grok Bot vs Hermes Agent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-hermes-agent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-instinct.json", "title": "Grok Bot vs Instinct", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-instinct" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-ironclaw.json", "title": "Grok Bot vs IronClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-ironclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-leon.json", "title": "Grok Bot vs Leon", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-leon" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-lindy.json", "title": "Grok Bot vs Lindy", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-lindy" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-nanobot.json", "title": "Grok Bot vs nanobot", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-nanobot" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-nanoclaw.json", "title": "Grok Bot vs NanoClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-nanoclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-openai-dots.json", "title": "Grok Bot vs Dots", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-openai-dots" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-openclaw.json", "title": "Grok Bot vs OpenClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-openclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-picoclaw.json", "title": "Grok Bot vs PicoClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-picoclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-poke.json", "title": "Grok Bot vs Poke", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-poke" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-qwenpaw.json", "title": "Grok Bot vs QwenPaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-qwenpaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-zeroclaw.json", "title": "Grok Bot vs ZeroClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-zeroclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-zo-computer.json", "title": "Grok Bot vs Zo Computer", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-zo-computer" } ], "scores": [ { "by": 44, "cowagent": 84, "edge": "cowagent", "grok-bot": 40, "key": "reliability", "name": "Reliability", "weight": 16 }, { "key": "performance", "name": "Performance", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 27, "cowagent": 67, "edge": "cowagent", "grok-bot": 40, "key": "schema", "name": "Schema \u0026 documentation", "weight": 13 }, { "by": 9, "cowagent": 59, "edge": "cowagent", "grok-bot": 50, "key": "ergonomics", "name": "Agent ergonomics", "weight": 13 }, { "by": 25, "cowagent": 43, "edge": "grok-bot", "grok-bot": 68, "key": "security", "name": "Security \u0026 auth", "weight": 14 }, { "by": 35, "cowagent": 60, "edge": "cowagent", "grok-bot": 25, "key": "payments", "name": "Payments \u0026 pricing", "weight": 10 }, { "key": "tasks", "name": "Task success", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 63, "cowagent": 83, "edge": "cowagent", "grok-bot": 20, "key": "maintenance", "name": "Maintenance \u0026 community", "weight": 7 }, { "by": 21, "cowagent": 45, "edge": "grok-bot", "grok-bot": 66, "key": "transparency", "name": "Transparency \u0026 trust", "weight": 7 } ], "summary": "CowAgent scores 58.5 (C) on agent readiness against Grok Bot's 45.2 (E), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Grok Bot 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.", "grok-bot": "Connector tokens stay on Cursor's backend and each user gets a separate microVM, with approvals, drafts and a review model before risky actions. All of a user's Bots share one computer and its sign-ins, the review model skips memory writes, and the status page shows seven major Grok Bot incidents since 3 September 2026." } }, "kind": "anchor.page", "links": { "api": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json", "html": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-grok-bot", "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-grok-bot.json", "llms": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt", "markdown": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-grok-bot.md", "slim": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-grok-bot.min.md" }, "markdown": "CowAgent scores 58.5 (C) on agent readiness against Grok Bot's 45.2 (E), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Grok Bot 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- Grok Bot: grade E, 45.2/100, rank #893 of 986. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/grok-bot.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/grok-bot.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 40\n- Schema \u0026 documentation, 67 against 40\n- Agent ergonomics, 59 against 50\n- Payments \u0026 pricing, 60 against 25\n- Maintenance \u0026 community, 83 against 20\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### Grok Bot (E)\n\nGood for: A person or team already paying for Cursor or SuperGrok who wants named assistants that keep working on a cloud computer, with routines and Slack or X entry points, and who will write approval rules.\n\nAhead on:\n- Security \u0026 auth, 68 against 43\n- Transparency \u0026 trust, 66 against 45\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- No incidents deducted, where CowAgent loses 5 points for them\n\nWatch for: All of one user's Bots share one cloud computer, with its files, browser sessions and command-line credentials. The docs say separate Bots are not a security boundary\n\n\n## Score by category\n\n| Category | Weight | CowAgent | Grok Bot | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 84 | 40 | CowAgent +44 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 67 | 40 | CowAgent +27 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 59 | 50 | CowAgent +9 |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 43 | 68 | Grok Bot +25 |\n| Payments \u0026 pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 60 | 25 | CowAgent +35 |\n| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Maintenance \u0026 community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 83 | 20 | CowAgent +63 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 45 | 66 | Grok Bot +21 |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | -5 | 0 | |\n| **Total** | | **58.5 · C** | **45.2 · E** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | CowAgent | Grok Bot |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | Agent harness | Platform |\n| Vendor | zhayujie | SpaceXAI and Cursor (Anysphere, Inc.) |\n| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | no (local only) |\n| Transports | HTTP | |\n| Auth | OAuth or key | OAuth or key |\n| Pricing | Free | Paid |\n| x402 | no | no |\n| Licence | MIT | Proprietary |\n| Read-only variant documented | yes | no |\n| llms.txt | yes | yes |\n| Last release | 2026-09-30 | none |\n| Terms last updated | no document linked | 2026-09-03 |\n| Privacy policy last updated | no document linked | 2026-09-29 |\n| Customer content may train models | | not found in the text |\n| Terms restrict automated access | | not found in the text |\n| Terms restrict benchmarking | | not found in the text |\n| Terms or service can change without notice | | not found in the text |\n| Arbitration or class-action waiver | | not found in the text |\n| Popularity | 47k stars | none |\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**Grok Bot.** Connector tokens stay on Cursor's backend and each user gets a separate microVM, with approvals, drafts and a review model before risky actions. All of a user's Bots share one computer and its sign-ins, the review model skips memory writes, and the status page shows seven major Grok Bot incidents since 3 September 2026.\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### Grok Bot\n\n1. State in each request what the Bot may change and where it must stop. Which actions pause for approval depends on the tool, the risk and the owner's Auto-review rules\n2. Add narrow Ask first rules for sending, publishing, purchasing and deleting. Ask first wins over Allow automatically when both match\n3. Treat any sign-in or file on the cloud computer as available to every Bot on the account. Give a workload its own Cursor user when it needs separate credentials\n4. Run Test run with safe inputs. A test run performs real work and can call connected tools\n5. To remove access, pause routines, sign out of sites on the computer, uninstall connectors and revoke them at the source service. Deleting the Bot is not enough\n\n## Questions\n\n### Which is better for AI agents, CowAgent or Grok Bot?\n\nCowAgent scores 58.5 (C) on agent readiness against Grok Bot's 45.2 (E), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Grok Bot leads on security \u0026 auth and transparency \u0026 trust.\n\n### Are CowAgent and Grok Bot open source?\n\nCowAgent is open source (MIT). No open-source release is listed for Grok Bot.\n\n\n## For agents\n\n- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-grok-bot.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-grok-bot.min.md\n- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {\"a\": \"cowagent\", \"b\": \"grok-bot\"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare cowagent grok-bot`\n- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/cowagent.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/grok-bot.json\n\n## Other comparisons with CowAgent or Grok Bot\n\n- [AstrBot vs CowAgent](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/astrbot-vs-cowagent.md)\n- [AstrBot vs Grok Bot](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/astrbot-vs-grok-bot.md)\n- [CowAgent vs GAIA](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-gaia.md)\n- [CowAgent vs Gemini Spark](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-gemini-spark.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 Grok Bot](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-grok-bot.md)\n- [Gemini Spark vs Grok Bot](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-spark-vs-grok-bot.md)\n- [Grok Bot vs Haven](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-haven.md)\n- [Grok Bot vs Hermes Agent](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-hermes-agent.md)\n- [Grok Bot vs Instinct](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-instinct.md)\n- [Grok Bot vs IronClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-ironclaw.md)\n- [Grok Bot vs Leon](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-leon.md)\n- [Grok Bot vs Lindy](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-lindy.md)\n- [Grok Bot vs nanobot](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-nanobot.md)\n- [Grok Bot vs NanoClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-nanoclaw.md)\n- [Grok Bot vs Dots](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-openai-dots.md)\n- [Grok Bot vs OpenClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-openclaw.md)\n- [Grok Bot vs PicoClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-picoclaw.md)\n- [Grok Bot vs Poke](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-poke.md)\n- [Grok Bot vs QwenPaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-qwenpaw.md)\n- [Grok Bot vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-zeroclaw.md)\n- [Grok Bot vs Zo Computer](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-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 Grok Bot", "url": "" } ], "description": "CowAgent scores 58.5 (C) to Grok Bot's 45.2 (E) for assistant proactive. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.", "facts": [ "CowAgent C 58.5", "Grok Bot E 45.2", "scores" ], "h1": "CowAgent vs Grok Bot", "image": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/assets/og/compare-cowagent-vs-grok-bot.png", "path": "/compare/cowagent-vs-grok-bot", "published": "2026-10-01", "section": "tools", "title": "CowAgent vs Grok Bot for AI agents in 2026: scores and prices", "toc": null, "updated": "2026-10-12", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-grok-bot" }, "tokens": { "markdown": 2650, "slim": 730 }, "version": 1 }