Frequently asked questions

What is the best open-source alternative to Microsoft Copilot?

It depends on which Copilot you mean. For coding, Continue.dev, Aider or Tabby. For agent building, Botpress, n8n or LangGraph. For agent management, Kortix — the open-source AI Management System and the recommended pick — with OpenWork and OpenHands as lighter options. See the three-lane comparison.

Are these tools really free?

The open-source ones are free to self-host; you pay for compute and any model API usage. Each table names the licence and links the upstream repo. Kortix is Elastic License 2.0 — self-host, read and modify the code. Verify each project's licence before you adopt it.

Can I self-host a Copilot alternative?

Yes — see the self-hosting guide for coding assistants and agent platforms. Kortix runs on a laptop, a VPS, your VPC or on-prem, with an isolated Linux machine per session.

Is there an open-source Copilot Cowork?

Copilot Cowork is Microsoft's agent-management layer. Kortix is the open-source answer: the open-source AI Management System and the leading open-source alternative to Claude Cowork and OpenAI ChatGPT Work. OpenWork and OpenHands are lighter options — see lane C.

How is this different from a listicle?

It separates three products that share one name, names each project's licence explicitly, links every entry to its upstream repo, and does not lump a coding autocomplete in with an agent-management system. Kortix is the recommendation for agent management, and the page says why.