The background agent market map · 2026

    Background Agent Maxxing.

    Every serious eng org now ships agents that write code while you sleep. Here is the entire field on one map. They all quietly run on the same thing.

    Off the shelf12
    DevinDevinCognitionCursorCursorBackground AgentReplit AgentReplit AgentReplitOnaOnaformerly GitpodReplicasReplicastryreplicas.comOmnaraOmnaraomnara.comAmikaAmikaamika.devAraAraara.soRuntimeRuntimeruntm.comSparklesSparklesYC W26NiteshiftNiteshiftniteshift.devTabTabTabTabTabTabtabtabtab.ai
    Open source4
    OpenAgentsOpenAgentsby VercelMistleMistlemistle.devDeputiesDeputiesdeputies.devOOpenInspectColeMurray
    Built in house5
    InspectInspectRampMinionsMinionsStripeHorizonHorizonWorkOSMuxMuxCoinbaseSpectreSpectreHarvey

    The computer underneath every box above

    One isolated machine per agent. That is the whole game, and that is OpenComputer.

    A full Linux VM in one SDK call. Snapshot your repo, fork a fresh box per task in seconds, scale 1 to 16 GB so the agent never OOMs mid build. Ramp, Stripe and WorkOS each built this by hand. You do not have to.

    Spin up your first VMBook the founders

    Building one and not on here? Tell us · opencomputer.dev/background-agents