Alternatives / Factory
Looking for an open source Factory alternative? We compared 9 open source AI coding agents by license, models, and maintenance. OpenCode, OpenHands, and Cline are the leading choices, while Roomote is source available and Grok Build is tied to Grok models.
Written by Maxime DERAME
Last updated:
| Alternative | Best for | License |
|---|---|---|
| OpenCode | Terminal, desktop, and IDE agent | MIT |
| OpenHands | Autonomous agents that open PRs | MIT core / Enterprise components |
| Cline | VS Code agent with Plan and Act | Apache-2.0 |
| Aider | Terminal pair programmer | Apache-2.0 |
| Grok Build | Terminal agent for Grok models | Apache-2.0 |
| Kilo | Agent for many IDEs and the cloud | MIT |
| SWE-agent | Research agent for GitHub issues | MIT |
| Pullfrog | GitHub Actions bot | MIT |
| Roomote | Self-hosted cloud agent (FCL) | Fair Core License (source available) |
We looked for open-source coding agents that work on repositories like Factory. We verified each project's license, recent activity, stars, and self-hosting in its repository. See our methodology for the full criteria.
OpenHands runs autonomous agents that plan, write, test, and open pull requests, self-hosted in Docker or Kubernetes. OpenCode is a terminal, desktop, and IDE agent with 75+ providers and built-in LSP, and Kilo covers VS Code, JetBrains, the CLI, and cloud with 500+ models.
Cline works in VS Code and the CLI with Plan and Act modes and MCP. Aider is a terminal pair programmer with Git-aware commits, and SWE-agent is a research agent that resolves GitHub issues. Grok Build is a terminal agent powered by Grok models.
Pullfrog runs as a GitHub Actions bot for reviews and CI fixes, and Roomote is a self-hosted cloud agent assigned from Slack or GitHub.
Roomote uses the Fair Core License, which is source available. Pullfrog costs $0.07 per run plus model costs. Aider's last commit was in May 2026, and OpenCode's desktop app is beta.
OpenCode, OpenHands core, Kilo, SWE-agent, and Pullfrog are MIT. Cline, Aider, and Grok Build are Apache-2.0. Roomote is FCL.
Most had commits within days or weeks of this update.
Factory is a proprietary platform that runs coding agents as a service. Open-source agents let you choose models and run them on your own infrastructure, but you manage API costs.
MIT AI coding agent for terminals, desktop apps, and development environments. Supports many cloud and local model providers, codebase understanding, LSP, tools, permissions, sessions, custom commands, MCP, and agent workflows.
Pricing: Open-source client; model API or provider subscription costs may apply.
MIT-core software engineering agent platform for tasks that require repository inspection, file changes, command execution, testing, debugging, and integration with issue trackers and source-control platforms. Provides Docker and Kubernetes environments, web UI, CLI, SDK, GitHub and GitLab integration, and multi-agent capabilities; Enterprise components are separately licensed.
Pricing: Open-source core with separately licensed Enterprise functionality and hosted options.
Apache-2.0 coding agent for VS Code and command line. It can read and edit files, execute terminal commands, use browsers, run tests, and perform multi-step tasks with a choice of model providers or local models. Includes Plan/Act workflows, MCP, custom rules, and CI/CD usage.
Pricing: Open-source client; model API usage is separate.
Apache-2.0 terminal pair-programming tool that works in existing Git repositories. Coordinates multi-file edits, integrates changes with Git, and can run lint and test commands. Supports many model providers, repository maps, editor-independent workflows, and voice input.
Pricing: Open-source client; model API usage is separate.
MIT agentic coding platform for VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, and the command line. Supports more than 500 model options, bring-your-own API keys, local models, coding, debugging, planning, and codebase Q&A modes, an MCP marketplace, autonomous CI/CD, and mid-task model switching.
Pricing: Open-source tooling; model API usage and optional cloud features are separate.
Apache-2.0 terminal agent that can plan changes, edit code, run tests, commit to Git, and use parallel subagents. Also supports worktrees, skills, plugins, MCP, hooks, sandboxed execution, headless CI/CD, web search, and project memory.
Pricing: Open-source agent; model access may require provider credentials.
MIT autonomous software engineering agent developed around research on solving real GitHub issues. Lets models inspect repositories, use development tools, edit files, run commands, and attempt issue fixes, with YAML configuration and integration into the SWE-bench ecosystem.
Pricing: Open-source research project; configure a model provider.
Pullfrog is an MIT-licensed, model-agnostic GitHub bot that runs in GitHub Actions and uses AI agents for pull request review, issue triage, CI autofix, and merge conflict resolution, with bring-your-own-key model support. Hosted pricing is $0.07 per run plus model costs, with 30 free runs a month, and open source projects can apply for free access. It is tied to GitHub.
Pricing: 30 free runs a month, then $0.07 per run plus model costs.
Roomote is a self-hosted cloud agent you assign tasks from Slack, trackers, or GitHub, with live previews and parallel tasks. It is released under the Fair Core License (FCL-1.0 with an Apache 2.0 future license), which is source available and restricts competing commercial products.
Pricing: Free to self-host under the Fair Core License.
| Alternative | Type | License | Self-hosted | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenCode | Coding agent | MIT | Local | Provider flexibility |
| OpenHands | Coding agent | MIT (core) | Yes | Closest replacement |
| Cline | Coding agent | Apache-2.0 | Local | IDE users |
| Aider | Coding agent | Apache-2.0 | Local CLI | Git-based editing |
| Grok Build | Coding agent | Apache-2.0 | Local CLI | Grok users |
| Kilo | Coding agent | MIT | Local | Many models |
| SWE-agent | Coding agent | MIT | Local | Research and benchmarks |
| Pullfrog | GitHub bot | MIT | GitHub Actions | PR automation |
| Roomote | Cloud agent | Fair Core License (source available) | Yes | Slack-driven tasks |
Want autonomous agents on your infrastructure
OpenHands plans, codes, tests, and opens pull requests.
Want a flexible terminal and IDE agent
OpenCode supports 75+ providers and built-in LSP.
Want an IDE agent with approvals
Cline has Plan and Act modes and asks approval for each step by default.