{ "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 Leon's 41 (E), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Leon leads on transparency \u0026 trust.", "b": { "slug": "leon", "name": "Leon", "vendor": "Louis Grenard (Leon AI)", "vendorUrl": "https://getleon.ai", "kind": "harness", "category": "personal-assistants", "summary": "Open-source personal assistant by Louis Grenard that the owner runs on their own machine or server. The 2.0 Developer Preview adds an agent loop with tools, layered memory, computer use and a proactive pulse, reached through a web app.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/leon", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/leon.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/leon.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/leon.json", "repo": "https://github.com/leon-ai/leon", "license": "MIT", "transports": [], "packages": [ { "registry": "npm", "name": "@leon-ai/cli" } ], "auth": "none", "authNotes": "No account. The web app and the Socket.IO and HTTP interfaces accept any client unless `client_interface.auth.enabled` is set, after which a `\u003cprofile\u003e:\u003ctoken\u003e` credential from `LEON_PROFILE_TOKEN` is required. Model provider keys go in the profile `.env`. Connected apps use OAuth or a pasted token.", "pricing": "free", "pricingNotes": "Free and MIT, with nothing to buy. The project takes sponsorship. Model usage is billed by the provider the owner picks, or costs nothing with a local llama.cpp model.", "priceSummary": "Free · OSS", "where": "local", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the README, the context documents or the source (checked 2026-10-12).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": 17568, "npmWeekly": null, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-10-12" }, "docsUrl": "https://github.com/leon-ai/leon/blob/develop/README.md", "capabilities": [ "assistant.proactive", "assistant.self-hosted", "assistant.memory", "assistant.accounts" ], "tags": [ "open-source", "self-hosted", "local", "free", "no-card", "typescript", "beta", "telemetry-default-on" ], "lastRelease": "2023-05-01", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 41, "grade": "E", "agentReady": false, "rank": 934, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 986, "categoryRank": 14, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 57, "maintenance": 15, "payments": 60, "reliability": 32, "schema": 33, "security": 34, "transparency": 60 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-12" }, "negative": 0, "verdict": "Connected-app credentials are encrypted per profile and the Gmail connection is read-only. The 2.0 Developer Preview has no tagged release, runs tools and a 30-minute proactive pulse with no approval step, listens on every network interface with client authentication off, and sends telemetry by default.", "bestFor": "A developer who wants a self-hosted assistant with memory, computer use and a local model, and who will read the source.", "strengths": [ "MIT licence, with the whole server, web app, tools and skills in one public repository", "Connected-app credentials are stored per profile with AES-256-GCM, and the Gmail connection asks only for the `gmail.readonly` scope", "Runs with a local llama.cpp model or any of 11 hosted providers, so the owner chooses which company sees the content", "Tool allow and disable lists, a configurable iteration limit (256 by default) and per-profile tool-call logs", "At least 200 commits between 25 September and 12 October 2026, with a fresh-install check passing on develop three times a week" ], "weaknesses": [ "No tagged release of the core since 1.0.0-beta.8 on 1 May 2023. The 2.0 Developer Preview is installed by cloning the develop branch", "No approval step before a tool call. Shell commands pass a blocklist of patterns, and the proactive pulse is on by default and runs one task every 30 minutes", "The server listens on 0.0.0.0 and client authentication is off in the sample config", "Telemetry is on in the sample config and posts an instance ID, versions and hardware details to telemetry.getleon.ai. The README and the docs pages read do not describe it", "No `SECURITY.md`, security.txt, privacy policy or 2.0 documentation, and no messaging-app channel or MCP client on the develop branch" ], "agentNotes": [ "Clone the develop branch for 2.0. `npm install --global @leon-ai/cli` and docs.getleon.ai install and describe the legacy 1.0 betas", "Set `client_interface.auth.enabled: true` and a `LEON_PROFILE_TOKEN` before the machine joins a shared network. The server binds 0.0.0.0", "Set `telemetry_enabled: false` and `runtime.pulse_enabled: false` in the profile `config.yml` for an unattended or private run", "Use `availability.tools.allowed` to limit tools. Shell, file writes, computer use and browser control are otherwise available to the agent with no approval prompt", "Back up `LEON_CONNECTIONS_ENCRYPTION_KEY` from the profile `.env`. Without it the stored connections cannot be read" ], "metrics": { "kind": "local", "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": 41 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 57, "maintenance": 15, "payments": 60, "reliability": 32, "schema": 33, "security": 34, "transparency": 52 }, "provenanceScore": 68 }, "connect": { "install": "git clone https://github.com/leon-ai/leon.git \u0026\u0026 cd leon \u0026\u0026 npm install --global pnpm@latest \u0026\u0026 pnpm install \u0026\u0026 pnpm start" }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/assistant.proactive", "tool": "https://letme.dev/leon" }, "area": "frameworks", "provenance": { "legalEntity": "No legal entity found. Copyright Louis Grenard", "domain": "getleon.ai", "domainRegistered": "2018-02-16", "endpointOnVendorDomain": null, "terms": "", "privacy": "", "statusPage": "", "changelog": "https://github.com/leon-ai/leon/blob/develop/CHANGELOG.md", "securityTxt": "none", "checked": "2026-10-12", "notes": [ "`LICENSE.md` and the footer of getleon.ai read Copyright 2019 to present Louis Grenard. No company or foundation is named on the pages read.", "No terms of service or privacy policy was found on getleon.ai, docs.getleon.ai or in the repository, so no link is given and the MIT licence stands in.", "getleon.ai/.well-known/security.txt returns 404, and the repository has no `SECURITY.md`. The GitHub API lists no published security advisory.", "RDAP for getleon.ai gives a registration date of 2018-02-16.", "The assistant answers on the owner's own host. The only vendor endpoint the source names is telemetry.getleon.ai, which receives telemetry.", "`CHANGELOG.md` ends at 1.0.0-beta.8 of 1 May 2023. Changes to the 2.0 Developer Preview are recorded only as commits." ], "score": 68 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/leon.json" }, "facts": [ { "a": "Agent harness", "b": "Agent harness", "name": "Kind" }, { "a": "zhayujie", "b": "Louis Grenard (Leon AI)", "name": "Vendor" }, { "a": "no (local only)", "b": "no (local only)", "name": "Hosted endpoint" }, { "a": "HTTP", "b": "", "name": "Transports" }, { "a": "OAuth or key", "b": "None", "name": "Auth" }, { "a": "Free", "b": "Free", "name": "Pricing" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "x402" }, { "a": "MIT", "b": "MIT", "name": "Licence" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "no", "name": "Read-only variant documented" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "no", "name": "llms.txt" }, { "a": "2026-09-30", "b": "2023-05-01", "name": "Last release" }, { "a": "no document linked", "b": "no document linked", "name": "Terms last updated" }, { "a": "no document linked", "b": "no document linked", "name": "Privacy policy last updated" }, { "a": "", "b": "", "name": "Customer content may train models" }, { "a": "", "b": "", "name": "Terms restrict automated access" }, { "a": "", "b": "", "name": "Terms restrict benchmarking" }, { "a": "", "b": "", "name": "Terms or service can change without notice" }, { "a": "", "b": "", "name": "Arbitration or class-action waiver" }, { "a": "47k stars", "b": "18k stars", "name": "Popularity" } ], "faq": [ { "answer": "CowAgent scores 58.5 (C) on agent readiness against Leon's 41 (E), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Leon leads on transparency \u0026 trust.", "question": "Which is better for AI agents, CowAgent or Leon?" }, { "answer": "Yes. CowAgent is open source (MIT). Leon is open source (MIT).", "question": "Are CowAgent and Leon open source?" } ], "goodFor": [ { "aheadOn": [ "Reliability, 84 against 32", "Schema \u0026 documentation, 67 against 33", "Security \u0026 auth, 43 against 34", "Maintenance \u0026 community, 83 against 15" ], "also": null, "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": [ "Transparency \u0026 trust, 60 against 45" ], "also": [ "No key needed to call it", "No incidents deducted, where CowAgent loses 5 points for them" ], "goodFor": "A developer who wants a self-hosted assistant with memory, computer use and a local model, and who will read the source.", "slug": "leon", "watchFor": "No tagged release of the core since 1.0.0-beta.8 on 1 May 2023. The 2.0 Developer Preview is installed by cloning the develop branch" } ], "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-leon.json", "title": "AstrBot vs Leon", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/astrbot-vs-leon" }, { "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-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-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-leon.json", "title": "GAIA vs Leon", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-leon" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-spark-vs-leon.json", "title": "Gemini Spark vs Leon", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-spark-vs-leon" }, { "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/haven-vs-leon.json", "title": "Haven vs Leon", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/haven-vs-leon" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-leon.json", "title": "Hermes Agent vs Leon", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-leon" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-leon.json", "title": "Instinct vs Leon", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-leon" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ironclaw-vs-leon.json", "title": "IronClaw vs Leon", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ironclaw-vs-leon" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-lindy.json", "title": "Leon vs Lindy", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-lindy" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-nanobot.json", "title": "Leon vs nanobot", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-nanobot" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-nanoclaw.json", "title": "Leon vs NanoClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-nanoclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-openai-dots.json", "title": "Leon vs Dots", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-openai-dots" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-openclaw.json", "title": "Leon vs OpenClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-openclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-picoclaw.json", "title": "Leon vs PicoClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-picoclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-poke.json", "title": "Leon vs Poke", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-poke" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-qwenpaw.json", "title": "Leon vs QwenPaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-qwenpaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-zeroclaw.json", "title": "Leon vs ZeroClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-zeroclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-zo-computer.json", "title": "Leon vs Zo Computer", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-zo-computer" } ], "scores": [ { "by": 52, "cowagent": 84, "edge": "cowagent", "key": "reliability", "leon": 32, "name": "Reliability", "weight": 16 }, { "key": "performance", "name": "Performance", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 34, "cowagent": 67, "edge": "cowagent", "key": "schema", "leon": 33, "name": "Schema \u0026 documentation", "weight": 13 }, { "by": 2, "cowagent": 59, "edge": "cowagent", "key": "ergonomics", "leon": 57, "name": "Agent ergonomics", "weight": 13 }, { "by": 9, "cowagent": 43, "edge": "cowagent", "key": "security", "leon": 34, "name": "Security \u0026 auth", "weight": 14 }, { "by": 0, "cowagent": 60, "edge": "", "key": "payments", "leon": 60, "name": "Payments \u0026 pricing", "weight": 10 }, { "key": "tasks", "name": "Task success", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 68, "cowagent": 83, "edge": "cowagent", "key": "maintenance", "leon": 15, "name": "Maintenance \u0026 community", "weight": 7 }, { "by": 15, "cowagent": 45, "edge": "leon", "key": "transparency", "leon": 60, "name": "Transparency \u0026 trust", "weight": 7 } ], "summary": "CowAgent scores 58.5 (C) on agent readiness against Leon's 41 (E), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Leon leads on 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.", "leon": "Connected-app credentials are encrypted per profile and the Gmail connection is read-only. The 2.0 Developer Preview has no tagged release, runs tools and a 30-minute proactive pulse with no approval step, listens on every network interface with client authentication off, and sends telemetry by default." } }, "kind": "anchor.page", "links": { "api": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json", "html": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-leon", "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-leon.json", "llms": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt", "markdown": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-leon.md", "slim": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-leon.min.md" }, "markdown": "CowAgent scores 58.5 (C) on agent readiness against Leon's 41 (E), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Leon leads on 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- Leon: grade E, 41/100, rank #934 of 986. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/leon.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/leon.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 32\n- Schema \u0026 documentation, 67 against 33\n- Security \u0026 auth, 43 against 34\n- Maintenance \u0026 community, 83 against 15\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### Leon (E)\n\nGood for: A developer who wants a self-hosted assistant with memory, computer use and a local model, and who will read the source.\n\nAhead on:\n- Transparency \u0026 trust, 60 against 45\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- No key needed to call it\n- No incidents deducted, where CowAgent loses 5 points for them\n\nWatch for: No tagged release of the core since 1.0.0-beta.8 on 1 May 2023. The 2.0 Developer Preview is installed by cloning the develop branch\n\n\n## Score by category\n\n| Category | Weight | CowAgent | Leon | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 84 | 32 | CowAgent +52 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 67 | 33 | CowAgent +34 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 59 | 57 | CowAgent +2 |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 43 | 34 | CowAgent +9 |\n| Payments \u0026 pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 60 | 60 | even |\n| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Maintenance \u0026 community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 83 | 15 | CowAgent +68 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 45 | 60 | Leon +15 |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | -5 | 0 | |\n| **Total** | | **58.5 · C** | **41 · E** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | CowAgent | Leon |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | Agent harness | Agent harness |\n| Vendor | zhayujie | Louis Grenard (Leon AI) |\n| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | no (local only) |\n| Transports | HTTP | |\n| Auth | OAuth or key | None |\n| Pricing | Free | Free |\n| x402 | no | no |\n| Licence | MIT | MIT |\n| Read-only variant documented | yes | no |\n| llms.txt | yes | no |\n| Last release | 2026-09-30 | 2023-05-01 |\n| Terms last updated | no document linked | no document linked |\n| Privacy policy last updated | no document linked | no document linked |\n| Customer content may train models | | |\n| Terms restrict automated access | | |\n| Terms restrict benchmarking | | |\n| Terms or service can change without notice | | |\n| Arbitration or class-action waiver | | |\n| Popularity | 47k stars | 18k 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**Leon.** Connected-app credentials are encrypted per profile and the Gmail connection is read-only. The 2.0 Developer Preview has no tagged release, runs tools and a 30-minute proactive pulse with no approval step, listens on every network interface with client authentication off, and sends telemetry by default.\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### Leon\n\n1. Clone the develop branch for 2.0. `npm install --global @leon-ai/cli` and docs.getleon.ai install and describe the legacy 1.0 betas\n2. Set `client_interface.auth.enabled: true` and a `LEON_PROFILE_TOKEN` before the machine joins a shared network. The server binds 0.0.0.0\n3. Set `telemetry_enabled: false` and `runtime.pulse_enabled: false` in the profile `config.yml` for an unattended or private run\n4. Use `availability.tools.allowed` to limit tools. Shell, file writes, computer use and browser control are otherwise available to the agent with no approval prompt\n5. Back up `LEON_CONNECTIONS_ENCRYPTION_KEY` from the profile `.env`. Without it the stored connections cannot be read\n\n## Questions\n\n### Which is better for AI agents, CowAgent or Leon?\n\nCowAgent scores 58.5 (C) on agent readiness against Leon's 41 (E), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Leon leads on transparency \u0026 trust.\n\n### Are CowAgent and Leon open source?\n\nYes. CowAgent is open source (MIT). Leon is open source (MIT).\n\n\n## For agents\n\n- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-leon.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-leon.min.md\n- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {\"a\": \"cowagent\", \"b\": \"leon\"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare cowagent leon`\n- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/cowagent.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/leon.json\n\n## Other comparisons with CowAgent or Leon\n\n- [AstrBot vs CowAgent](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/astrbot-vs-cowagent.md)\n- [AstrBot vs Leon](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/astrbot-vs-leon.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 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 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 Leon](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-leon.md)\n- [Gemini Spark vs Leon](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-spark-vs-leon.md)\n- [Grok Bot vs Leon](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-leon.md)\n- [Haven vs Leon](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/haven-vs-leon.md)\n- [Hermes Agent vs Leon](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-leon.md)\n- [Instinct vs Leon](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-leon.md)\n- [IronClaw vs Leon](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ironclaw-vs-leon.md)\n- [Leon vs Lindy](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-lindy.md)\n- [Leon vs nanobot](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-nanobot.md)\n- [Leon vs NanoClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-nanoclaw.md)\n- [Leon vs Dots](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-openai-dots.md)\n- [Leon vs OpenClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-openclaw.md)\n- [Leon vs PicoClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-picoclaw.md)\n- [Leon vs Poke](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-poke.md)\n- [Leon vs QwenPaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-qwenpaw.md)\n- [Leon vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-zeroclaw.md)\n- [Leon vs Zo Computer](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-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 Leon", "url": "" } ], "description": "CowAgent scores 58.5 (C) to Leon's 41 (E) for assistant proactive. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.", "facts": [ "CowAgent C 58.5", "Leon E 41", "scores" ], "h1": "CowAgent vs Leon", "image": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/assets/og/compare-cowagent-vs-leon.png", "path": "/compare/cowagent-vs-leon", "published": "2026-10-01", "section": "tools", "title": "CowAgent vs Leon for AI agents in 2026: scores and prices", "toc": null, "updated": "2026-10-12", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-leon" }, "tokens": { "markdown": 2500, "slim": 530 }, "version": 1 }