{ "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": "QwenPaw scores 62.2 (B) on agent readiness against CowAgent's 58.5 (C), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. CowAgent leads on reliability and maintenance \u0026 community.", "b": { "slug": "qwenpaw", "name": "QwenPaw", "vendor": "AgentScope", "vendorUrl": "https://qwenpaw.agentscope.io", "kind": "harness", "category": "personal-assistants", "summary": "Open-source personal assistant from the AgentScope team that the owner runs on their own machine or server. It answers on chat apps, runs scheduled and proactive tasks, manages a mailbox over IMAP and SMTP, and keeps memory as Markdown files.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/qwenpaw", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/qwenpaw.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/qwenpaw.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/qwenpaw.json", "repo": "https://github.com/agentscope-ai/QwenPaw", "license": "Apache-2.0", "transports": [ "http", "stdio" ], "packages": [ { "registry": "pypi", "name": "qwenpaw" }, { "registry": "oci", "name": "agentscope/qwenpaw" } ], "auth": "none", "authNotes": "No account. The Console and API bind to 127.0.0.1:8088 with login off by default. `QWENPAW_AUTH_ENABLED=true` adds one admin account with a salted SHA-256 password hash and a signed token valid for seven days, and requests from localhost skip it. Each channel takes its own bot credentials, and the mailbox takes an IMAP and SMTP authorisation code or app password.", "pricing": "free", "pricingNotes": "Free under Apache-2.0 with nothing to buy. Model usage is billed by whichever provider the owner configures, and local models through llama.cpp, Ollama or LM Studio need no key. The README describes a hosted deployment on AgentScope Platform as free. That platform's pages are script-drawn and its terms and limits were not read (checked 2026-10-12).", "priceSummary": "Free · OSS", "where": "local", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the README, the docs source or the dependency list (checked 2026-10-12).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": 35621, "npmWeekly": null, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-10-12" }, "docsUrl": "https://qwenpaw.agentscope.io/docs", "capabilities": [ "assistant.proactive", "assistant.messaging", "assistant.accounts", "assistant.memory", "assistant.self-hosted", "agent.mcp-client" ], "tags": [ "open-source", "self-hosted", "local", "free", "python", "docker", "desktop-app", "mcp", "telemetry-default-on" ], "lastRelease": "2026-09-11", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 62.2, "grade": "B", "agentReady": false, "rank": 454, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 986, "categoryRank": 7, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 67, "maintenance": 73, "payments": 60, "reliability": 70, "schema": 68, "security": 60, "transparency": 56 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-12" }, "negative": -3, "negativeNotes": [ "2026-09-11. Version 2.2.1 began enforcing each MCP server's tool allowlist on the agent runtime path (commit f2a292d of 4 September, #7504). Before it, a tool the owner had disabled on an MCP client could still be invoked by the agent. Fixed and listed in the release notes, with no security advisory, -2. https://github.com/agentscope-ai/QwenPaw/pull/7504", "2026-09-03. Version 2.2.0 blocked shell line-continuation variants that bypassed sensitive-path protections (#7472). Fixed and listed in the release notes, with no security advisory, -1. https://github.com/agentscope-ai/QwenPaw/blob/main/website/public/release-notes/v2.2.0.md" ], "verdict": "Mail tools ask for approval by default, automatic mail handling may not delete permanently, and the security docs list what each sandbox backend fails to enforce. Usage data is sent by default, the default approval level passes every tool call no rule flags, and no privacy policy or security advisory is published.", "bestFor": "One person who wants an assistant on Chinese and Western chat apps with scheduled digests, a consumer mailbox and file-based memory, on their own machine and with a model of their choice.", "strengths": [ "New mail driver cards default to the `ask` policy, and automatic mail handling may not call `delete_message` or write to unknown recipients", "Kernel sandbox on macOS, Linux and Windows, with a documented list of constraints each backend does not enforce", "Model keys, mail credentials and environment secrets are encrypted with a master key held in the OS keychain or a 0600 file", "Memory is plain Markdown in the agent workspace that the owner can read, edit and remove", "Four stable releases in the 90 days to 12 October 2026, each with dated release notes" ], "weaknesses": [ "Usage data is on by default, `qwenpaw init --defaults` accepts it without a prompt, and the opt-out variable is absent from the README and docs", "The default approval level AUTO asks only for tool calls a guard rule flags, and `/proactive` skips approval prompts entirely", "Channel direct-message and group policies default to `open`, and Console login is off by default", "No privacy policy, terms of service or security.txt on qwenpaw.agentscope.io, and no published GitHub security advisory", "Inside containers the sandbox falls back to `mode=none`, which the docs say enforces no isolation", "671 open issues and 381 open pull requests on 12 October 2026, and the Tests workflow on main had not completed a run since 30 September" ], "agentNotes": [ "Set `QWENPAW_TELEMETRY_DISABLED=true` before `qwenpaw init --defaults` or `qwenpaw app`. Both send usage data without asking", "Set `approval_level` to `STRICT` or `SMART` in `agent.json`. The default `AUTO` runs every tool call no guard rule flags", "Set `dm_policy` and `group_policy` to `allowlist` with `allow_from` on each channel. Both default to `open`", "Set `QWENPAW_AUTH_ENABLED=true` before binding beyond 127.0.0.1. Requests from localhost skip login even then", "Keep mail tools on `ask` for `send_message`, `delete_message` and `delete_thread`, and turn on Mail Access Control with automatic handling" ], "metrics": { "kind": "local", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 0, "avgRating": 0, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "B", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 62.2 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 67, "maintenance": 73, "payments": 60, "reliability": 70, "schema": 68, "security": 60, "transparency": 58 }, "provenanceScore": 53 }, "connect": { "install": "pip install qwenpaw \u0026\u0026 qwenpaw init --defaults \u0026\u0026 qwenpaw app # Python 3.11 to 3.13; or: docker pull agentscope/qwenpaw:latest", "http": "curl -X POST http://localhost:8088/api/console/chat -H \"Content-Type: application/json\" -H \"X-Agent-Id: default\" -d '{\"input\": [...]}'" }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/assistant.proactive", "tool": "https://letme.dev/qwenpaw" }, "area": "frameworks", "provenance": { "legalEntity": "Qwenpaw PRIVATE LIMITED", "domain": "agentscope.io", "domainRegistered": "", "endpointOnVendorDomain": null, "terms": "", "privacy": "", "statusPage": "", "changelog": "https://qwenpaw.agentscope.io/release-notes", "securityTxt": "none", "checked": "2026-10-12", "notes": [ "The site footer in the repository's website source reads © 2026 Qwenpaw PRIVATE LIMITED. The LICENSE file names The QwenPaw Authors, and the README credits the AgentScope team.", "SECURITY.md sends vulnerability reports to the Alibaba Security Response Centre. We found no other first-hand statement of ownership by Alibaba.", "The site links a Usage Policy dated 26 August 2026 and no terms of service or privacy policy, so both links are left out and the Apache-2.0 licence stands in.", "qwenpaw.agentscope.io answered 404 for robots.txt, llms.txt and /.well-known/security.txt on 12 October 2026.", "No hosted endpoint is graded. A self-hosted instance answers on its owner's own host. We did not look up the domain's registration date." ], "score": 53 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/qwenpaw.json" }, "facts": [ { "a": "Agent harness", "b": "Agent harness", "name": "Kind" }, { "a": "zhayujie", "b": "AgentScope", "name": "Vendor" }, { "a": "no (local only)", "b": "no (local only)", "name": "Hosted endpoint" }, { "a": "HTTP", "b": "HTTP, stdio", "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": "Apache-2.0", "name": "Licence" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "no", "name": "Read-only variant documented" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "no", "name": "llms.txt" }, { "a": "2026-09-30", "b": "2026-09-11", "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": "36k stars", "name": "Popularity" } ], "faq": [ { "answer": "QwenPaw scores 62.2 (B) on agent readiness against CowAgent's 58.5 (C), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. CowAgent leads on reliability and maintenance \u0026 community.", "question": "Which is better for AI agents, CowAgent or QwenPaw?" }, { "answer": "Yes. CowAgent is open source (MIT). QwenPaw is open source (Apache-2.0).", "question": "Are CowAgent and QwenPaw open source?" } ], "goodFor": [ { "aheadOn": [ "Reliability, 84 against 70", "Maintenance \u0026 community, 83 against 73" ], "also": [ "Free to start without a card" ], "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": [ "Agent ergonomics, 67 against 59", "Security \u0026 auth, 60 against 43", "Transparency \u0026 trust, 56 against 45" ], "also": [ "No key needed to call it", "Runs on your own machine" ], "goodFor": "One person who wants an assistant on Chinese and Western chat apps with scheduled digests, a consumer mailbox and file-based memory, on their own machine and with a model of their choice.", "slug": "qwenpaw", "watchFor": "Usage data is on by default, `qwenpaw init --defaults` accepts it without a prompt, and the opt-out variable is absent from the README and docs" } ], "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-qwenpaw.json", "title": "AstrBot vs QwenPaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/astrbot-vs-qwenpaw" }, { "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-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-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-qwenpaw.json", "title": "GAIA vs QwenPaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-qwenpaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-spark-vs-qwenpaw.json", "title": "Gemini Spark vs QwenPaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-spark-vs-qwenpaw" }, { "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/haven-vs-qwenpaw.json", "title": "Haven vs QwenPaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/haven-vs-qwenpaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-qwenpaw.json", "title": "Hermes Agent vs QwenPaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-qwenpaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-qwenpaw.json", "title": "Instinct vs QwenPaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-qwenpaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ironclaw-vs-qwenpaw.json", "title": "IronClaw vs QwenPaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ironclaw-vs-qwenpaw" }, { "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/lindy-vs-qwenpaw.json", "title": "Lindy vs QwenPaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/lindy-vs-qwenpaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanobot-vs-qwenpaw.json", "title": "nanobot vs QwenPaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanobot-vs-qwenpaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanoclaw-vs-qwenpaw.json", "title": "NanoClaw vs QwenPaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanoclaw-vs-qwenpaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-dots-vs-qwenpaw.json", "title": "Dots vs QwenPaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-dots-vs-qwenpaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openclaw-vs-qwenpaw.json", "title": "OpenClaw vs QwenPaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openclaw-vs-qwenpaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/picoclaw-vs-qwenpaw.json", "title": "PicoClaw vs QwenPaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/picoclaw-vs-qwenpaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/poke-vs-qwenpaw.json", "title": "Poke vs QwenPaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/poke-vs-qwenpaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/qwenpaw-vs-zeroclaw.json", "title": "QwenPaw vs ZeroClaw", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/qwenpaw-vs-zeroclaw" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/qwenpaw-vs-zo-computer.json", "title": "QwenPaw vs Zo Computer", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/qwenpaw-vs-zo-computer" } ], "scores": [ { "by": 14, "cowagent": 84, "edge": "cowagent", "key": "reliability", "name": "Reliability", "qwenpaw": 70, "weight": 16 }, { "key": "performance", "name": "Performance", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 1, "cowagent": 67, "edge": "qwenpaw", "key": "schema", "name": "Schema \u0026 documentation", "qwenpaw": 68, "weight": 13 }, { "by": 8, "cowagent": 59, "edge": "qwenpaw", "key": "ergonomics", "name": "Agent ergonomics", "qwenpaw": 67, "weight": 13 }, { "by": 17, "cowagent": 43, "edge": "qwenpaw", "key": "security", "name": "Security \u0026 auth", "qwenpaw": 60, "weight": 14 }, { "by": 0, "cowagent": 60, "edge": "", "key": "payments", "name": "Payments \u0026 pricing", "qwenpaw": 60, "weight": 10 }, { "key": "tasks", "name": "Task success", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 10, "cowagent": 83, "edge": "cowagent", "key": "maintenance", "name": "Maintenance \u0026 community", "qwenpaw": 73, "weight": 7 }, { "by": 11, "cowagent": 45, "edge": "qwenpaw", "key": "transparency", "name": "Transparency \u0026 trust", "qwenpaw": 56, "weight": 7 } ], "summary": "QwenPaw scores 62.2 (B) on agent readiness against CowAgent's 58.5 (C), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. CowAgent leads on reliability and maintenance \u0026 community. 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.", "qwenpaw": "Mail tools ask for approval by default, automatic mail handling may not delete permanently, and the security docs list what each sandbox backend fails to enforce. Usage data is sent by default, the default approval level passes every tool call no rule flags, and no privacy policy or security advisory is published." } }, "kind": "anchor.page", "links": { "api": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json", "html": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-qwenpaw", "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-qwenpaw.json", "llms": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt", "markdown": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-qwenpaw.md", "slim": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-qwenpaw.min.md" }, "markdown": "QwenPaw scores 62.2 (B) on agent readiness against CowAgent's 58.5 (C), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. CowAgent leads on reliability and maintenance \u0026 community. 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- QwenPaw: grade B, 62.2/100, rank #454 of 986. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/qwenpaw.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/qwenpaw.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 70\n- Maintenance \u0026 community, 83 against 73\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- Free to start without a card\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### QwenPaw (B)\n\nGood for: One person who wants an assistant on Chinese and Western chat apps with scheduled digests, a consumer mailbox and file-based memory, on their own machine and with a model of their choice.\n\nAhead on:\n- Agent ergonomics, 67 against 59\n- Security \u0026 auth, 60 against 43\n- Transparency \u0026 trust, 56 against 45\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- No key needed to call it\n- Runs on your own machine\n\nWatch for: Usage data is on by default, `qwenpaw init --defaults` accepts it without a prompt, and the opt-out variable is absent from the README and docs\n\n\n## Score by category\n\n| Category | Weight | CowAgent | QwenPaw | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 84 | 70 | CowAgent +14 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 67 | 68 | QwenPaw +1 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 59 | 67 | QwenPaw +8 |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 43 | 60 | QwenPaw +17 |\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 | 73 | CowAgent +10 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 45 | 56 | QwenPaw +11 |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | -5 | -3 | |\n| **Total** | | **58.5 · C** | **62.2 · B** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | CowAgent | QwenPaw |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | Agent harness | Agent harness |\n| Vendor | zhayujie | AgentScope |\n| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | no (local only) |\n| Transports | HTTP | HTTP, stdio |\n| Auth | OAuth or key | None |\n| Pricing | Free | Free |\n| x402 | no | no |\n| Licence | MIT | Apache-2.0 |\n| Read-only variant documented | yes | no |\n| llms.txt | yes | no |\n| Last release | 2026-09-30 | 2026-09-11 |\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 | 36k 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**QwenPaw.** Mail tools ask for approval by default, automatic mail handling may not delete permanently, and the security docs list what each sandbox backend fails to enforce. Usage data is sent by default, the default approval level passes every tool call no rule flags, and no privacy policy or security advisory is published.\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### QwenPaw\n\n1. Set `QWENPAW_TELEMETRY_DISABLED=true` before `qwenpaw init --defaults` or `qwenpaw app`. Both send usage data without asking\n2. Set `approval_level` to `STRICT` or `SMART` in `agent.json`. The default `AUTO` runs every tool call no guard rule flags\n3. Set `dm_policy` and `group_policy` to `allowlist` with `allow_from` on each channel. Both default to `open`\n4. Set `QWENPAW_AUTH_ENABLED=true` before binding beyond 127.0.0.1. Requests from localhost skip login even then\n5. Keep mail tools on `ask` for `send_message`, `delete_message` and `delete_thread`, and turn on Mail Access Control with automatic handling\n\n## Questions\n\n### Which is better for AI agents, CowAgent or QwenPaw?\n\nQwenPaw scores 62.2 (B) on agent readiness against CowAgent's 58.5 (C), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. CowAgent leads on reliability and maintenance \u0026 community.\n\n### Are CowAgent and QwenPaw open source?\n\nYes. CowAgent is open source (MIT). QwenPaw is open source (Apache-2.0).\n\n\n## For agents\n\n- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-qwenpaw.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-qwenpaw.min.md\n- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {\"a\": \"cowagent\", \"b\": \"qwenpaw\"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare cowagent qwenpaw`\n- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/cowagent.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/qwenpaw.json\n\n## Other comparisons with CowAgent or QwenPaw\n\n- [AstrBot vs CowAgent](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/astrbot-vs-cowagent.md)\n- [AstrBot vs QwenPaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/astrbot-vs-qwenpaw.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 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 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 QwenPaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-qwenpaw.md)\n- [Gemini Spark vs QwenPaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-spark-vs-qwenpaw.md)\n- [Grok Bot vs QwenPaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-qwenpaw.md)\n- [Haven vs QwenPaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/haven-vs-qwenpaw.md)\n- [Hermes Agent vs QwenPaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-qwenpaw.md)\n- [Instinct vs QwenPaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-qwenpaw.md)\n- [IronClaw vs QwenPaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/ironclaw-vs-qwenpaw.md)\n- [Leon vs QwenPaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/leon-vs-qwenpaw.md)\n- [Lindy vs QwenPaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/lindy-vs-qwenpaw.md)\n- [nanobot vs QwenPaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanobot-vs-qwenpaw.md)\n- [NanoClaw vs QwenPaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/nanoclaw-vs-qwenpaw.md)\n- [Dots vs QwenPaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-dots-vs-qwenpaw.md)\n- [OpenClaw vs QwenPaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openclaw-vs-qwenpaw.md)\n- [PicoClaw vs QwenPaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/picoclaw-vs-qwenpaw.md)\n- [Poke vs QwenPaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/poke-vs-qwenpaw.md)\n- [QwenPaw vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/qwenpaw-vs-zeroclaw.md)\n- [QwenPaw vs Zo Computer](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/qwenpaw-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 QwenPaw", "url": "" } ], "description": "QwenPaw scores 62.2 (B) to CowAgent's 58.5 (C) for assistant proactive. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.", "facts": [ "CowAgent C 58.5", "QwenPaw B 62.2", "scores" ], "h1": "CowAgent vs QwenPaw", "image": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/assets/og/compare-cowagent-vs-qwenpaw.png", "path": "/compare/cowagent-vs-qwenpaw", "published": "2026-10-01", "section": "tools", "title": "CowAgent vs QwenPaw for AI agents in 2026: scores and prices", "toc": null, "updated": "2026-10-12", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-qwenpaw" }, "tokens": { "markdown": 2550, "slim": 580 }, "version": 1 }