Other agents you can use instead
The main guide uses Agent Zero. Each page here walks through one other open-source agent the same way: what you need, how to install it, which safety switches to turn on first, how to connect a model, and one small first job.
Agent Zero is still the place to start, because it keeps the agent inside a container of its own, so a mistake does not touch your real files. Most of the agents below work on your real computer instead.
Compare them
The score is out of 100, from the scorecard. Six agents were scored, while the other four were researched but not scored, so they have no number.
| Agent | Score | Out of the box | Pick it if |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agent Zero (main guide) | 70.0 | Works inside its own container. Your real files start out of reach. | You want the safest strong start. |
| Atomic Agent | 68.5 | Asks before it writes a file or runs a command. A yes still runs as you. | You want it to ask first, and you have a Windows PC or an Apple Silicon Mac. |
| Hermes Agent | 68.0 | Works on your real computer. Only commands on its danger list get checked, and a second model can say yes for you. | You want phone chat and scheduled jobs from one program. |
| OpenClaw | 65.0 | Works on your real computer. It can run commands, and write files anywhere your account can, without asking until you change two settings. | You do not want Docker, and you want the widest choice of models and chat apps. |
| Goose | 63.5 | Starts in Autonomous mode. It can change and delete files without asking until you change that. | You want the easiest normal desktop app, and you will not text it from your phone. |
| NanoClaw | 56.5 | Its commands run inside Docker from the start. | You want to message it from Telegram, WhatsApp, Slack, or Discord, and you can type commands. |
| QwenPaw | Not scored | Its wall around commands starts switched off. Even when on, commands can still read your whole disk. | You want a free local model, or chat apps like WeChat and DingTalk. |
| Eigent | Not scored | A desktop app that needs an Eigent account. It works in a folder you connect, so give it a new, empty one. | You like the idea of several agents splitting one job. |
| Everfern | Not scored | Clicks around your real screen like a person. Nothing walls it in. | You want an agent that works in ordinary desktop apps, and you will watch it. |
| OpenManus | Not scored | No app and no "are you sure?" prompts. | You already use a terminal and want to see how this kind of agent works inside. |
Warning: Every page here has a safety section right after the install steps. Do that section before the first job, even if the install already worked.
Each agent has a full guide of eight pages: picking it, installing it, files and memory, phone and schedules, a playbook, fixes, advanced features, and persona and rules. Its fourth page weighs what each setting gains against what it risks, built on the three questions in Safety versus capability. Setups that work with any agent are in the Advanced section.
The same models work everywhere
The model choices and prices in Pick your model and budget apply to every agent here. A free Gemini key from Google, a free Groq key, or a local model works with most of them, and each page says which ones it accepts.