# OpenComputer vs T3 Code

T3 Code is a free, open-source app that drives the coding agent CLIs already installed on your own machine, while OpenComputer runs Claude Code and Codex on a cloud Linux machine it provides for your Slack workspace and hands you back a pull request. The biggest difference is where the work happens: on a host you run and keep awake, or on a cloud machine someone else keeps running for you.

T3 Code is a control panel. One desktop, web or mobile app shows threads for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenCode and other agents, each on its own branch, running against your projects on your computer or a server you control. OpenComputer is a coding agent you mention in Slack. It works in its own cloud, shows every command in a shared thread and ends with a pull request.

The two are often complementary. Many developers will want T3 Code for hands-on work at their desk and OpenComputer for tasks the team hands off from Slack.

## At a glance

| | T3 Code | OpenComputer |
|---|---|---|
| Where the agent runs | Your machine or a host you run | Your workspace's cloud Linux machine |
| Agent and models | Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenCode, Grok, Antigravity, more | Claude Code and Codex |
| How you hand it work | Desktop, web, iOS and Android apps | Slack mention or API |
| What you get back | Diff in the app; one-click commit, push and PR | A pull request with screenshot and preview for UI changes |
| Between tasks | Threads live on the host while it runs | Machine stays warm; repo and caches kept |
| Pricing model | Free software; you supply subscriptions and host | Per workspace, work minutes |
| Entry price | Free, MIT-licensed | Pro, $20 per month for the workspace |
| Free option | The whole app | 3-day trial, 600 work minutes |

## What is T3 Code?

T3 Code, from T3 Tools, describes itself as an [open-source control plane for coding agents](https://t3.codes). It does not run its own agent. It drives the harnesses you already have installed and logged in: the homepage lists Claude Code, Codex CLI, Antigravity, OpenCode, Cursor and Grok CLI, and the [docs](https://github.com/pingdotgg/t3code/tree/main/docs) add guides for Pi, Muse Code and Vercel fx. It uses each CLI's own login, with "No keys resold. No quota caps."

Agents run on a "host": your own computer, or another machine you control. [Projects, provider credentials and agent work stay on the host](https://github.com/pingdotgg/t3code/blob/main/docs/user/remote-access.md), and you reach it from the [desktop app for macOS, Windows and Linux](https://t3.codes/download), a web app, or iOS and Android apps, through T3 Connect, LAN pairing, Tailscale or SSH. Each thread works on its own branch, optionally in a new git worktree, and you can [review the diff and open, stack or watch a GitHub PR](https://github.com/pingdotgg/t3code/blob/main/docs/user/source-control.md) from the app.

T3 Code is MIT-licensed and moving fast. Its [README](https://github.com/pingdotgg/t3code) says "We are very very early in this project. Expect bugs." The [latest stable release, v0.1.3](https://github.com/pingdotgg/t3code/releases), shipped on October 27, 2026, with nightly builds several times a day.

## What is OpenComputer?

OpenComputer runs Claude Code and Codex in its own cloud, and you hand them work by mentioning @Computer in a Slack thread or calling the API from your code. Each Slack workspace gets its own cloud Linux machine, sized to its plan. Every thread works in its own copy of the repos on its own branch, so parallel requests don't collide. Workspaces resume warm, with the repository, dependencies and build caches already in place.

@Computer reads the code, runs the commands and tests, then opens a pull request that says what changed, why, and how it was checked, with a link back to the thread. UI changes come with a screenshot and a preview link. OpenComputer is not an editor and has no desktop or mobile app: Slack and the API are the interface.

## Key differences

### Your host or a cloud machine you don't run

With T3 Code, agents run where T3 Code's server runs. If that is your laptop, the work stops when the laptop sleeps. You can run it as a [background service](https://github.com/pingdotgg/t3code/blob/main/docs/user/background-service.md) on Linux, where it keeps running after you log out, or on macOS, where it stops at logout, but not on Windows. You can also point the desktop app at a remote Linux or Apple Silicon host over SSH. Either way, you provide and maintain the machine.

OpenComputer provides the machine. Each Slack workspace gets its own cloud Linux machine, every thread works in its own copy of the repos on its own branch, and the workspace resumes warm with the repo and caches in place. You give up direct control over the host, and in return there is nothing to keep awake.

### Choice of agents

T3 Code's main strength is breadth. One UI covers six or more harnesses and lets you switch models mid-thread. Its [usage view](https://github.com/pingdotgg/t3code/blob/main/docs/user/usage.md) estimates token use and pools subscription limits per provider. OpenComputer runs only Claude Code and Codex. If you want Cursor, OpenCode or Grok in the same workflow, T3 Code is the better fit.

### Solo workbench or a shared Slack thread

T3 Code is built for one developer driving many threads, with guest links for sharing a thread. OpenComputer is built around a Slack thread the whole team shares: everyone sees every file @Computer opens and every command it runs, anyone can steer it, and conventions one person explains apply to the next person's requests. The thread records who asked for each change and why.

### Reviewing the work

T3 Code puts you close to the diff. You review changes in the app, commit, push and open a PR in one click, build stacked PRs, and have the agent watch a PR and wake on failed checks or comments. OpenComputer hands back a finished pull request that explains what changed and how it was tested, with a screenshot and preview link for UI changes.

## Pricing compared

As of October 2026, [T3 Code is free](https://github.com/pingdotgg/t3code) with no paid tiers. You pay for your own agent subscriptions or API usage and for whatever machine hosts it. [T3 Connect](https://github.com/pingdotgg/t3code/blob/main/docs/user/remote-access.md) links up to 3 machines free, with higher limits on paid T3 Chat plans. OpenComputer lists Pro at $20 a month with 2,000 work minutes and Max at $200 with 25,000, for the whole Slack workspace, plus $0.01 per extra minute.

Both let you bring your own Claude or ChatGPT subscription, so the model costs nothing extra on either. On your own laptop, T3 Code adds $0 to that subscription. OpenComputer Pro adds $20 a month for the workspace, which covers about 33 hours of active agent time on cloud machines it provides. If you host T3 Code on a cloud server so it keeps working while you are away, the server cost depends on your provider, so the totals are not directly comparable.

## When to choose T3 Code

- You want one app over many agent CLIs, including Cursor, OpenCode and Grok, using subscriptions you already have.
- You want to work hands-on with agents on your own machine and review each diff yourself.
- You want free, MIT-licensed software you can self-host and fork.
- You want desktop, web, iOS and Android clients for the same threads.

## When to choose OpenComputer

- You want agents to keep working without keeping a laptop or server of your own awake.
- Your team works in Slack and wants requests, review and history in one shared thread.
- You want pull requests with the evidence attached: what changed, how it was tested, and a screenshot for UI work.
- You also want to build [your own agents](/agents) on the same cloud and minutes.

## FAQ

### Is OpenComputer a T3 Code alternative?

Partly. Both run Claude Code and Codex with your own subscription and end in a pull request. T3 Code is a local app that drives agents on a machine you control, while OpenComputer runs them on its own cloud machines and takes requests from Slack. Many teams could use both.

### Is T3 Code free?

Yes. T3 Code is free and open source under the MIT license, with no paid tiers. You pay for your own agent subscriptions or API usage, and for any host machine you run it on.

### Can T3 Code keep running when my laptop is off?

Only if it runs on another machine. T3 Code agents run on a host you control, such as a Linux server running it as a background service or a remote host reached over SSH. OpenComputer runs agents on its own cloud machines, so there is no host to keep on.

### Can I use my Claude or ChatGPT subscription with both?

Yes. T3 Code uses each agent CLI's own login and does not resell keys. OpenComputer also runs on your Claude or ChatGPT subscription, and can switch to its own tokens at API prices with no markup when the subscription hits its limit, or stop and wait for the reset.

### How does T3 Code compare with Conductor?

Both run several coding agents in parallel, each task on its own branch. T3 Code is free, open source and runs on macOS, Windows and Linux, while Conductor is a Mac app with paid plans that add cloud workspaces. See [OpenComputer vs Conductor](/compare/opencomputer-vs-conductor) for more.

## Sources

- [T3 Code homepage](https://t3.codes)
- [T3 Code download](https://t3.codes/download)
- [T3 Code on GitHub (README)](https://github.com/pingdotgg/t3code)
- [T3 Code releases](https://github.com/pingdotgg/t3code/releases)
- [T3 Code docs](https://github.com/pingdotgg/t3code/tree/main/docs)
- [Background service](https://github.com/pingdotgg/t3code/blob/main/docs/user/background-service.md)
- [Remote access](https://github.com/pingdotgg/t3code/blob/main/docs/user/remote-access.md)
- [Source control](https://github.com/pingdotgg/t3code/blob/main/docs/user/source-control.md)
- [Usage and limits](https://github.com/pingdotgg/t3code/blob/main/docs/user/usage.md)