OpenHands

What it does

Open-source, model-agnostic platform for autonomous cloud coding agents that automate real engineering work with full transparency and control.

Straight answers

What is OpenHands?

OpenHands is an AI agent platform for software development that can execute real engineering work, not just suggest code. It runs autonomous agents that plan, write, and apply changes across your codebase, helping teams complete complex tasks end-to-end. Built on an open-source foundation, it is designed for enterprise software development at scale.

How is OpenHands different from AI coding tools like GitHub Copilot or ChatGPT?

Instead of helping you write code faster, OpenHands helps you ship changes end-to-end. Tools such as GitHub Copilot or ChatGPT generate code suggestions. OpenHands runs agents that complete entire engineering tasks, taking actions across entire codebases, running tasks in parallel, and executing changes in real environments.

Can OpenHands work with large or legacy codebases?

Yes. OpenHands is specifically designed to handle large, complex, and legacy codebases. With its Large Codebase SDK, it maps dependencies across the system and orchestrates changes in the correct order, allowing multiple agents to safely work in parallel without conflicts.

Is OpenHands secure for enterprise use?

OpenHands runs in your environment, whether on-prem or private cloud, so your code never leaves your control. Since agents operate inside secure, isolated execution environments with full auditability, it is built for organizations with strict data security, compliance, and governance requirements.

What types of teams use OpenHands?

OpenHands is used by platform teams automating engineering workflows at scale, teams building internal developer platforms or AI-powered tooling, and enterprises managing large or legacy codebases and mission-critical software systems.