Practical overview
When it fits
Use Agent Canvas when you need a shared control surface for coding agents across different backends, or want to connect agents to scheduled or webhook-triggered development workflows.
Who it is for
- Developers who want one frontend for coding agents running in different environments.
- Teams coordinating shared agents for code review or dependency updates alongside personal local agents.
- Developers automating issue decomposition, reporting and other workflows connected to services such as GitHub or Slack.
Documented uses
- Start and manage coding-agent conversations.
- Choose among local, remote and cloud agent backends from the same frontend.
- Build scheduled or webhook-triggered workflows that connect agents to services such as Slack, GitHub and Linear.
- Keep agents running on a server when a laptop is shut.
Requirements & limits
The repository lists an MIT license. The README labels Agent Canvas beta. The documented local quickstart requires Node.js 24 or later and uv; the Docker option requires Docker and a host projects directory.
- Backend deployment choice matters: documented options include local machines, Docker, virtual machines, company infrastructure and cloud backends.
- Agent selection can include OpenHands, Claude Code, Codex, Gemini, Pi, OpenCode and ACP-compatible agents.
- The unsandboxed local quickstart gives the agent full access to the installing machine's filesystem, according to the README warning.
- The README describes automations triggered on a schedule or by webhook events and integrations with third-party services.
Check current requirements in the official documentation. Source-based guidance does not mean OpenViST has run or independently tested this project.
Start Agent Canvas locally
Install and launch the local stack using the documented unsandboxed quickstart.
Before you start
- Node.js 24 or later
- uv
Steps
Install the package globally with the command below.
npm install -g @openhands/agent-canvasRun
agent-canvasto start the full local stack.
Expected outcome
The command starts the local Agent Canvas stack.
Guide limitations
- The agent server runs directly on the machine, giving the agent full access to its filesystem; the README warns about this access.
- This quickstart documents setup and launch, not configuration of a specific agent or automation.
Launch Agent Canvas in a Docker sandbox
Start the documented Docker container with a host projects directory mounted for agent access.
Before you start
- Docker Desktop on macOS or Windows, or Docker Engine or Docker Desktop on Linux
- A host directory containing project folders, created before starting the container
Steps
Set
PROJECTS_PATHto the host directory containing the project folders.Create the projects directory and
$HOME/.openhandsif they do not already exist.Run the documented the command below command, mounting the projects directory and OpenHands data directory and exposing port 8000 on
127.0.0.1.docker run
Expected outcome
The Docker command launches the Agent Canvas container with the specified project directory mounted.
Guide limitations
- The documented command shown is for macOS and Linux; the README directs Windows users to a separate Windows guide.
- The steps describe launching the container, not configuring an agent backend or workflow.
Compare options for AI coding assistance
These projects document a common task and share a project role. This is a source-based comparison, not an execution benchmark or a guarantee of interchangeability.
| Project | Documented purpose | Platform | Access and requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Openhands — OpenHands | Start and manage coding-agent conversations. | CLI, Cloud, Self-hosted, Web | The repository lists an MIT license. The README labels Agent Canvas beta. The documented local quickstart requires Node.js 24 or later and uv; the Docker option requires Docker and a host projects directory. |
| Spectra | Clarify requirements and compare approaches before proposing a change. | CLI, Desktop | The README lists a macOS and Windows desktop app, and a Homebrew installation for macOS. The CLI is published through npm and requires Node.js 22.14 or newer. |
| Skills — michaelshimeles | Install reusable task-specific skills into a coding-agent setup. | CLI | The repository README provides an npx installation command for most coding agents and describes automatic or explicit skill invocation in Claude Code. |
Sources & review
Source record details
- Source availability
- Active
- Sources checked
- 12 October 2026
- Original website title
- OpenHands/OpenHands · Official homepage title · retained in its source language

