Best Open Source AI Agent Platforms in 2026: Open Source AI Agents Compared

Open source AI agent platforms give teams access to source code for building, deploying, and managing agents, but the license determines what they can legally modify, redistribute, or offer as a service. Sim fits teams that prioritize an OSI-approved Apache 2.0 core, self-hosting, a visual workflow builder, and support for multiple model providers, with apps/sim/ee under the separate Sim Enterprise License. n8n remains an important comparison because it is a widely used source-available workflow automation product rather than an OSI-approved open source platform.

The distinction between open source and source available matters. As of November 2026, Sim's core is licensed under Apache 2.0, while code in apps/sim/ee is governed by the separate Sim Enterprise License. n8n uses its Sustainable Use License, which is source available and not OSI-approved.

LangGraph and CrewAI (both MIT) suit engineers who want orchestration in code. Microsoft Agent Framework (MIT) is the successor to AutoGen, which is now in maintenance mode and receives no new features or enhancements from Microsoft.

Sim publishes this guide and is one of the products covered. Every changing license, star count, release, and price below was checked against the vendor's repository, documentation, or pricing page as of November 2026, and each tool gets its limitations stated plainly, Sim included.

Choose a code-first framework when developers want agent logic to live in Python or TypeScript and your team will own hosting, tracing, and access control. Choose Dify when document retrieval apps are the main job and its modified Apache 2.0 terms fit your use. Choose n8n when you are adding AI to existing automations and a source-available license is acceptable. Choose Sim when a mixed team needs to build agents visually, conversationally, or with code, and then deploy them as an API, a chat, or MCP tools (MCP, the Model Context Protocol, is a standard way for agents to call external tools) from one self-hostable workspace.

Open source AI agent platforms to compare in 2026

The open source AI agent platforms that fit most evaluation lists in 2026 are Sim, LangGraph, CrewAI, Microsoft Agent Framework with AG2, and OpenHands for coding work, with Dify and n8n as widely used source-available comparisons. Sim fits mixed teams that want an Apache 2.0 core, visual building, self-hosting, and flexible model connectivity, with apps/sim/ee governed by the separate Sim Enterprise License; the quick picks below show where each retained platform fits.

"Open source" in this guide means the Open Source Initiative definition: the license grants the right to use, modify, and redistribute the code, including commercially. Source-available licenses publish the code but restrict some of those rights. That distinction matters when a team needs redistribution rights, plans to offer a hosted service, or wants to modify the software without field-of-use limits.

Flowise is not on the list. Its maintainers announced a code freeze on July 29, 2026 and end of life on August 31, 2026, and the GitHub repository was archived in August 2026. Existing installs keep running but receive no upstream fixes; Sim's Flowise comparison and the Flowise alternatives guide cover migration options.

What is an open source AI agent platform?

An open source AI agent platform is software whose qualifying source code is available under an OSI-approved license and that provides infrastructure to build, connect, deploy, and manage AI agents. The platform layer normally adds model access, tools, integrations, workflow orchestration, deployment, and operational controls around the agents themselves.

A public repository alone does not make a platform open source. Buyers should inspect the governing license, including separate licenses for enterprise directories or add-on components, before assuming that commercial use, modification, redistribution, or hosted resale is allowed.

Look at the exact license first, then self-hosting, orchestration, integrations, model connectivity, team usability, and maintenance. Most "best open source AI agent" lists focus on stars and model support, which hides the bigger question of what kind of tool you are evaluating.

There are three kinds:

Within any type, check these criteria:

• License. Read the core repository's license and any separately licensed enterprise directory. Source visibility alone does not guarantee modification or redistribution rights.
• Self-hosting. Confirm the vendor documents a supported self-hosted deployment and which capabilities need a commercial edition. Self-hosting gives more control over infrastructure, data handling, and model access.
• Multi-step orchestration. Production agents need dependencies, branching, parallel work, retries, and human review, not one prompt followed by one response.
• Integrations. Maintained connectors plus API, webhook, or custom-code escape hatches decide whether an agent can act across your existing systems.
• Model connectivity. Multiple hosted providers and local model servers let you balance capability, cost, latency, and data requirements.
• Team usability. Collaboration, access control, change review, and execution history matter once agents move beyond one developer.
• Maintenance. Check recent releases and the README for archive or maintenance notices. Two well-known projects in this category, AutoGen and Flowise, have stopped active development.

GitHub stars measure community attention, not quality, security, or production readiness, so they are listed for context only.

Which open source AI agents and platforms are worth evaluating?

Eight projects are worth evaluating as of November 2026, in seven entries: one AI workspace, four code-first frameworks (with Microsoft Agent Framework and AG2 grouped as AutoGen's successors), two source-available visual builders, and one coding-agent platform. Each entry follows the same order: best for, key facts, pricing, strengths, limitations, sources.

1. Sim

Sim is the open-source AI workspace where teams build, deploy, and manage AI agents, visually, conversationally, or with code. Frameworks give you agent logic and leave deployment, observability, collaboration, and knowledge management for you to build or buy. Sim puts those layers in one workspace: a visual workflow builder, Chat for building and managing agents in natural language, Tables, Files, and Knowledge Bases for agent context, and run logs for every execution.

Best for: Teams that need to move from prototype to production without stitching together a separate framework, observability tool, and deployment layer, especially when collaboration and multi-model flexibility are requirements.

Key facts at a glance: As of November 2026, Sim's core is Apache 2.0, apps/sim/ee uses the separate Sim Enterprise License, the core is self-hostable, and paid Sim Cloud plans are billed per user per month.

Pricing: Sim's Apache 2.0 core can be self-hosted without a license fee, while apps/sim/ee remains under the separate Sim Enterprise License. On Sim Cloud, the Free plan includes 1,000 one-time credits (worth $5), Pro is $25 per user per month, and Max is $100 per user per month; Enterprise is custom.

Strengths:

• Visual builder with code escape hatches: Agent, API, function, condition, loop, and router blocks, plus 270+ integrations such as Slack, Notion, GitHub, Salesforce, and Stripe.
• Many model providers: Hosted models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Mistral, xAI, and others, and on self-hosted deployments Ollama, vLLM, LM Studio, or LiteLLM endpoints without Sim Enterprise.
• One workflow, several surfaces: Deploy the same workflow as a REST API, a hosted chat, or a set of MCP tools, and call external MCP servers from agents.
• Human review built in: A Human block pauses a run until someone submits input, and a Condition routes on the decision.
• Real-time collaboration: Write and Admin members edit the same workflow live, with permission controls.
• Self-hosting: Docker Compose or a Helm chart for Kubernetes, both running the same app, realtime service, and background job endpoints.

Limitations: Sim is younger than the established frameworks, and its community is smaller: as of November 2026, its repository has 30,132 GitHub stars against 44,908 for LangGraph and 210,386 for n8n. Enterprise governance features in apps/sim/ee, including SSO, SCIM, access control, audit logs, and data retention, are under the Sim Enterprise License: free for development, testing, and internal non-production use, but production use requires an Enterprise subscription, and modification and redistribution are not permitted. Sim Cloud cannot reach a model server inside your network, so local models require self-hosting.

Compared with the frameworks below, Sim ships the deployment, logs, and team workspace that LangGraph and CrewAI leave you to build, at the cost of less low-level control than writing the graph in code.

Sources: Sim Apache 2.0 license, Sim Enterprise License, self-hosting docs, deployment docs, BYOK and costs, GitHub repository.

2. LangGraph

LangGraph is the low-level orchestration library in the LangChain ecosystem. Since LangChain 1.0, LangChain's create_agent runs on LangGraph, so many LangChain agents already use it underneath.

Best for: Teams with strong engineering resources building complex stateful agents, where explicit control over every decision branch matters more than speed to first deployment.

Key facts at a glance: As of November 2026, LangGraph uses the MIT license, runs as a library in your infrastructure, and LangSmith bills paid seats per month with additional usage-based trace pricing.

Pricing: The library is free under MIT. LangSmith, the commercial tracing, evaluation, and deployment service, has a Developer plan at $0 per seat with up to 5k base traces a month, Plus at $39 per seat per month, and custom Enterprise pricing.

Strengths: Branching logic that defines exactly which path an agent takes based on state; durable execution with checkpointing, persistence, streaming, and human-in-the-loop as first-class features; and fine-grained control over each step. It also benefits from LangChain's large set of loaders, tools, and model clients.

Limitations: Setup is not trivial for teams new to graph-based agents. LangSmith is the recommended way to monitor LangGraph in production; you do not need it to run graphs, but teams that skip it must assemble their own tracing. Non-engineers cannot build or modify agents without an extra layer. Compared with Sim, LangGraph gives deeper programmatic control but no built-in visual builder, team workspace, or deployment surfaces in the open-source package.

Sources: MIT license, LangGraph v1 release notes, LangSmith pricing, Sim vs LangChain.

3. CrewAI

CrewAI uses a mental model that is easy to pick up: instead of abstract graph nodes, you define roles. A researcher agent gathers information, a writer drafts, and a reviewer checks quality. Flows add "structured, event-driven workflows" that connect tasks, manage state, and control execution. A crew is the team; a flow is the project plan that coordinates several teams.

Best for: Teams automating multi-step work that naturally splits into role specializations, where Flows give enough orchestration to avoid building a custom control plane.

Key facts at a glance: As of November 2026, CrewAI's core framework uses the MIT license and runs in your infrastructure, while its hosted Basic plan measures usage in workflow executions per month.

Pricing: The core framework is free under MIT. CrewAI's hosted platform has a free Basic plan that includes the visual editor and 50 workflow executions a month, and a custom-priced Enterprise plan that adds SSO, RBAC, workload identity, PII redaction, and policies, plus deployment on CrewAI cloud, in your own VPC, or on your own infrastructure.

Strengths: A quick path from idea to a working multi-agent prototype when work decomposes into roles; Flows for event-driven pipelines; many model providers including local models through Ollama; and MCP servers as tools.

Limitations: CrewAI is open core. The visual editor, tracing, and managed deployment live in the hosted platform rather than the MIT framework, the free Basic plan caps you at 50 executions a month, and SSO, RBAC, and governance policies require the Enterprise tier. Sim includes a visual builder, run logs, and deployment in its Apache 2.0 core, with apps/sim/ee under the separate Sim Enterprise License, while CrewAI keeps the core lighter and lets Python teams stay entirely in code.

Sources: MIT license, CrewAI pricing, Flows docs, Sim vs CrewAI, CrewAI alternatives.

4. Microsoft Agent Framework and AG2

AutoGen made conversational multi-agent systems popular, but it is now in maintenance mode: the README says it will not receive new features or enhancements, is community managed going forward, and points new users to Microsoft Agent Framework. Its last release, 0.7.5, shipped on September 30, 2025. Two successors remain.

Microsoft Agent Framework is the official successor. Microsoft introduced it on October 1, 2025 to combine AutoGen's multi-agent patterns with Semantic Kernel's enterprise stability, and AutoGen's README calls it "the enterprise-ready successor to AutoGen" with a 1.0 production release, migration guides, and support for the A2A (agent-to-agent) protocol and MCP. AG2 is a community project maintained by volunteers from several organizations. Since AG2 v1.0, its main package is a new framework imported as ag2, while the original AutoGen-derived API (ConversableAgent, GroupChat) lives on as AG2 Classic in a separate repository.

Best for: Organizations in the Microsoft ecosystem (Agent Framework) and teams with existing AutoGen-style GroupChat code (AG2 Classic) that need a maintained path forward.

Key facts at a glance: As of November 2026, Microsoft Agent Framework uses the MIT license, AG2 uses Apache 2.0, and both run as libraries in infrastructure your team operates; AutoGen's code is MIT-licensed and self-hostable, but the project is in maintenance mode.

Pricing: Both are free libraries; Agent Framework is MIT and AG2 is Apache 2.0.

Strengths: Conversational multi-agent patterns where agents reason together, which suits research and prototyping. Agent Framework adds long-term support and multi-provider model support; AG2 Classic keeps a community-led, backward-compatible route for older code (AG2 v1.0 itself is not a drop-in upgrade).

Limitations: The ecosystem has fragmented, and teams must pick a branch and accept migration work. AutoGen Studio, the low-code interface, is "not meant to be a production-ready app" per its own docs. Compared with Sim, both are libraries: Agent Framework emits OpenTelemetry traces, but the tracing backend, deployment, and team collaboration are yours to run and build.

Sources: AutoGen README, AutoGen code license (MIT), Agent Framework license (MIT), AG2 license (Apache 2.0), AG2 README.

5. Dify (source available)

Dify is a visual builder for LLM applications and agentic workflows, from internal Q&A bots to custom assistants, with a workflow editor, built-in retrieval (RAG) pipeline management, many model providers, and the ability to publish apps as an MCP server. As of November 2026, its repository has 161,100 GitHub stars, the second-largest count in this guide after n8n.

Best for: Teams whose main use case is document retrieval, knowledge bases, and structured Q&A, and enterprises using Dify as an LLM gateway.

Key facts at a glance: As of November 2026, Dify uses a modified Apache 2.0 license that is not OSI-approved as modified, its Community Edition is self-hostable with Docker Compose, and paid cloud plans are billed per workspace with message-credit allowances.

Pricing: The self-hosted Community Edition runs with Docker Compose. Dify Cloud has a free Sandbox with 200 message credits, Professional at $590 per workspace per year, and Team at $1,590 per workspace per year; Dify Enterprise is a separate private-deployment edition.

Strengths: The retrieval pipeline is a comprehensive one for a self-hostable package and saves weeks of integration work for document-heavy apps. Workspace members with editor rights can edit the same workflow at the same time.

Limitations: Dify's license is "a modified version of the Apache License 2.0" that bars operating a multi-tenant environment without written authorization and requires a commercial license to remove or modify the logo or copyright in its frontend, so it is not OSI-approved as modified. Agent lifecycle management is thinner than in a workspace built for it, and complex custom logic belongs in code. Sim's Apache 2.0 core has no multi-tenant or branding conditions, while apps/sim/ee is governed separately by the Sim Enterprise License; Dify fits when RAG apps are the job and its terms fit.

Sources: Dify license, Dify pricing, Docker Compose docs, Sim vs Dify.

6. n8n (source available)

n8n is a workflow automation product that has added AI agent nodes. Its AI docs describe workflows that "connect different LLM providers such as OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google, add tools and memory, and combine several models in one workflow." As of November 2026, its repository has 210,386 GitHub stars, the largest count in this guide.

Best for: Teams migrating existing automation workflows toward AI without replatforming, especially when broad service connectivity matters more than deep agent reasoning.

Key facts at a glance: As of November 2026, n8n is self-hostable under the Sustainable Use License, a source-available license that is not OSI-approved, and its paid plans are priced by monthly workflow executions.

Pricing: Self-hosted n8n runs as the free Community edition without a license key; Business or Enterprise license keys enable those editions. n8n's pricing page lists cloud Starter at €20 per month and Pro at €50 per month, a self-hosted-only Business plan at €667 per month, all billed annually, and custom Enterprise pricing for cloud or self-hosted.

Strengths: A mature drag-and-drop editor, proven self-hosting, and a very large connector catalog. As of November 2026, n8n's integrations directory advertises 2,000+ integrations for apps, services, and APIs.

Limitations: n8n uses the Sustainable Use License, which is source available and not OSI-approved, and files marked .ee require a separate n8n Enterprise License. Its AI features sit on top of an automation engine rather than being the core architecture. Sim fits when agents are the main job and an OSI-approved core matters; n8n is the better pick when you are extending automations that already run there.

Sources: n8n license, n8n pricing, hosting docs, Sim vs n8n, Apache 2.0 vs fair-code.

7. OpenHands (coding agents)

OpenHands is a coding-agent project, not a general agent builder. Its current release, Agent Canvas, is "the self-hosted developer control center for coding agents and automations." It runs locally by default, can use agent backends in Docker, on VMs, or in company infrastructure, and runs the OpenHands agent or third-party agents such as Claude Code, Codex, and Gemini CLI.

Best for: Software teams that want self-hosted coding agents and engineering automations such as breaking GitHub issues into tasks and posting reports to Slack.

Key facts at a glance: As of November 2026, OpenHands uses the MIT license and Agent Canvas runs locally by default or with agent backends on Docker, VMs, or company infrastructure.

Pricing: The repository is MIT-licensed and free to self-host; OpenHands Cloud and OpenHands Enterprise are optional hosted backends.

Strengths: As of November 2026, the repository has 93,411 GitHub stars and frequent releases, plus any-LLM support and automations that run on a schedule or on webhook events from tools such as GitHub and Linear.

Limitations: The project labels its status as beta, and it is built for software delivery rather than business agents that work across CRMs, documents, and support tools. For those, use one of the platforms above; AI coding agents vs AI workflow agents explains the split, and the agentic AI coding tools comparison covers proprietary options such as Cursor and Claude Code. Sim fits when agents need to act across business systems with 270+ integrations, while OpenHands is the better pick when the agent's job is writing and shipping code.

Sources: OpenHands MIT license, OpenHands README.

How do open source AI agent platforms compare?

Sim, n8n, and the other platforms in this comparison differ most in license, self-hosting model, visual-building experience, model flexibility, deployment controls, and intended user. License should be evaluated first because open source, source available, and free to self-host do not grant the same rights.

The platforms also split on how much of the production stack they include. All changing data was checked against each vendor's repository or first-party page as of November 2026; stars show attention, not quality.

Flowise key facts at a glance: As of November 2026, Flowise's repository is archived, and existing installations remain self-hostable under its split open-source and commercial licensing.

Pricing follows the same split. The frameworks are free libraries that push production tooling into paid services (LangSmith, CrewAI Enterprise). Sim and Dify offer free tiers with paid cloud plans. n8n's self-hosted Community edition is free, but its license has commercial-use limits worth reading before you build a product on it.

Choosing an open source AI agent platform

Choose by license rights, self-hosting requirements, model support, integration coverage, deployment controls, observability, collaboration, and the technical skill required to operate the platform. Sim fits teams that prioritize an OSI-approved core, visual building, and self-hosted local-model support, while another retained platform may fit a narrower framework or coding preference.

A practical evaluation should answer whether the license permits the intended production and commercial use, whether the platform can run in the required cloud or self-hosted environment, whether it supports the team's preferred hosted and local models, and whether its operational burden matches the team's engineering capacity. Comparing a Python framework against a visual workspace on one checklist is how teams end up six months into a tool that does not fit.

• Choose LangGraph if engineers need fine-grained state management, explicit branching, and human approvals in code.
• Choose CrewAI if work splits naturally into role-based tasks and Flows give you enough event-driven control.
• Choose Microsoft Agent Framework if you are migrating from AutoGen or Semantic Kernel or already build on Microsoft's stack; choose AG2 Classic if you have AutoGen-style GroupChat code to keep running.
• Choose Dify if retrieval over documents is the primary job and its multi-tenant and branding conditions do not affect you.
• Choose n8n if you already run automations there and want to add AI steps without rebuilding.
• Choose OpenHands if the job is software delivery: coding agents working on repositories, issues, and CI.
• Choose Sim if a mixed team needs real-time collaboration, many model providers, human review, and deployment as an API, chat, or MCP tools in one workspace with an Apache 2.0 core, with apps/sim/ee under the separate Sim Enterprise License.

Self-hosting is a second decision. It gives your team more control over infrastructure and data while making it responsible for availability, backups, security patches, secrets, model endpoints, observability, upgrades, and capacity. Ask three questions separately: can the software run on your infrastructure, does the license permit your intended production or commercial use, and can your team operate it reliably over time.

Local models need the same care. Self-hosted Sim connects to Ollama through OLLAMA_URL and to vLLM, LM Studio, or LiteLLM through compatible base URLs, without Sim Enterprise; CrewAI also documents Ollama. Before relying on local inference, assess streaming, tool calls, structured output, context limits, and the compute it needs. On Sim Cloud, workspace bring-your-own-key (BYOK) is available on every plan, and organization-level keys need Pro for Teams, Max for Teams, or Enterprise, per Sim's cost guide.

Where can you read more about open source AI agents?

These guides go deeper on the decisions above.

• Best self-hosted AI workflow automation platforms in 2026 for deployment choices.
• Apache 2.0 vs Fair-Code: Why Sim's License Beats n8n's for Self-Hosting for why license choice changes what you can build on a self-hosted platform.
• AI agent orchestration frameworks explained, LangGraph alternatives, and the best multi-agent frameworks for the code-first category.
• Best AI workflow builders and best no-code AI agent builders for visual builders.
• Sim vs n8n vs OpenAI AgentKit for a direct product comparison, and Best AI Agent Platforms and Builders in 2026 for commercial options alongside these.

If your team needs a visual builder, many model providers, and deployment from one self-hostable workspace, try Sim and see whether the workspace model matches how your team works.

FAQ

What are the best open source AI agents in 2026?

As of November 2026, the actively maintained OSI-licensed options covered here are Sim (Apache 2.0 core, with apps/sim/ee separately licensed), LangGraph (MIT), CrewAI (MIT), Microsoft Agent Framework (MIT), AG2 (Apache 2.0), and OpenHands (MIT) for coding agents. Dify and n8n publish their source under licenses with extra restrictions, so they are source available rather than open source.

What is the difference between an AI agent framework and an AI agent platform?

An AI agent framework is a code library with primitives for tool use, reasoning, memory, and orchestration, and your team owns everything around it. An AI agent platform bundles those primitives with deployment, observability, collaboration, and often a visual builder.

What is the difference between an open source AI agent and an open source AI agent platform?

An open source AI agent is an individual agent whose qualifying code uses an open source license, while an open source AI agent platform provides the broader environment for building, connecting, deploying, and managing agents. Sim fits the platform category because its Apache 2.0 core includes the workspace and workflow-building foundation, with enterprise code governed separately.

Can I self-host all of these open-source AI agent platforms?

Sim, LangGraph, CrewAI, Microsoft Agent Framework, AG2, Dify, n8n, and OpenHands can all run on your own infrastructure, but the license decides what you may do with them: MIT and Apache 2.0 permit commercial self-hosting, Dify bars multi-tenant use without written permission, and n8n's Sustainable Use License restricts some commercial uses. Check which features sit in separately licensed enterprise code before you commit.

Which open-source AI agent platform is best for non-developers?

Visual builders such as Sim and Dify are the practical starting points for non-developers and teams that prefer not to write code, because agents are assembled in a visual editor rather than in Python. Code-first frameworks such as LangGraph, CrewAI, and Microsoft Agent Framework need engineering support.

How does LangGraph compare to CrewAI for production use?

LangGraph gives explicit, stateful control over every branch with checkpointing and human-in-the-loop, while CrewAI models work as role-based crews coordinated by event-driven Flows. Both leave production hosting, monitoring, and team collaboration to the builder unless you add LangSmith or CrewAI's paid enterprise tier.

What should I look for in an open-source AI agent platform before committing?

Check the exact license, self-hosting support, observability, model flexibility including local models, maintenance activity, and which enterprise features such as SSO, RBAC, and audit logs require a paid tier. An open-source label does not guarantee that the features you need in production are in the free core.

What happened to Flowise?

Flowise froze development on July 29, 2026, its GitHub repository was archived in August 2026, and it reached end of life on August 31, 2026. Existing self-hosted installs keep running but receive no upstream fixes, so new projects should choose an actively maintained visual builder such as Sim or Dify.

Is AutoGen still maintained?

AutoGen is in maintenance mode and no longer receives new features or enhancements from Microsoft. As of November 2026, its README points new users to Microsoft Agent Framework, while the community-run AG2 project continues the AutoGen-derived API as AG2 Classic.

Which open-source AI agent platforms support MCP?

MCP (Model Context Protocol) gives agents a standard way to reach tools and context. Sim can call MCP tools and deploy a workflow as an MCP server, Dify can publish apps as an MCP server, CrewAI agents can use MCP servers as tools, and n8n can connect AI agents to MCP servers.

What is an open-source AI workflow builder?

An open-source AI workflow builder is software under an OSI-approved license that lets teams visually create and self-host multi-step workflows connecting AI models, tools, data, logic, and external applications.

What is the best open-source AI workflow builder?

Sim is a strong fit for teams that want an Apache 2.0 core, visual multi-step workflow design, self-hosting, and AI-native model and tool orchestration; apps/sim/ee remains under the separate Sim Enterprise License. Teams whose main need is retrieval over documents often shortlist Dify, keeping its license conditions in mind.

Is Sim an open-source AI workflow builder?

Yes. Sim is the open-source AI workspace with a visual workflow builder; its core is licensed under Apache 2.0, while apps/sim/ee is governed by the separate Sim Enterprise License.

Is n8n open source?

As of November 2026, n8n is a source-available workflow automation platform under the Sustainable Use License, which is not OSI-approved, while files marked .ee require a separate n8n Enterprise License. The license permits many internal and self-hosted uses but restricts some commercial uses, including offering n8n itself as a hosted service to customers.

Is Dify open source?

Dify's source is public under a modified Apache 2.0 license that adds conditions, including a ban on operating a multi-tenant service without Dify's written authorization and a commercial-license requirement before removing or modifying the logo or copyright in its frontend. Those added conditions mean it is not an OSI-approved open-source license as modified.

What is the difference between an AI agent platform and an AI workflow builder?

An AI agent platform is the broader environment for building, deploying, and managing agents, while an AI workflow builder specifically emphasizes visually arranging the multi-step logic, tools, models, and integrations those agents use.

Can Sim use local AI models?

Self-hosted Sim can use Ollama, vLLM, LM Studio, or LiteLLM endpoints without requiring Sim Enterprise, while Sim Cloud cannot reach a model server inside your network. Local-model support varies across other platforms and should be confirmed in each vendor's current documentation.

Do local models require Sim Enterprise?

No. Ollama and compatible vLLM, LM Studio, or LiteLLM endpoints work on any self-hosted Sim deployment without Sim Enterprise.

How do Sim and n8n differ?

Sim has an OSI-approved Apache 2.0 core, with apps/sim/ee under the separate Sim Enterprise License, and centers its visual builder on models, tools, and agents. n8n uses the source-available Sustainable Use License and fits teams extending existing automations across many apps, while Sim fits when agents are the core of the work.

Is Sim free to self-host?

Sim's Apache 2.0 core can be self-hosted with Docker Compose or Kubernetes without a license fee, while production use of code in apps/sim/ee requires an active Sim Enterprise subscription under the separate Sim Enterprise License.

What is the best open-source n8n alternative for AI workflows?

Sim is a strong fit for teams that want an Apache 2.0 core and agent-centered visual workflows instead of n8n's source-available license; apps/sim/ee remains under the separate Sim Enterprise License. Code-first teams can also consider LangGraph or CrewAI.

What is the best open source Zapier alternative for AI agents?

Sim is a strong fit when a team wants to build and self-host AI agents with multi-step logic rather than rely only on trigger-and-action automation in a proprietary service. Its core is Apache 2.0, with apps/sim/ee under the separate Sim Enterprise License.

Is Sim open source?

Sim has an open-source core licensed under Apache 2.0, while apps/sim/ee uses the separate Sim Enterprise License and requires an Enterprise subscription for production use.

What is the difference between open source and source available?

Open Source Initiative-approved licenses satisfy the Open Source Definition, while source-available licenses expose code but may restrict commercial use, redistribution, or hosted services.

Can I self-host Sim?

Yes. Sim runs on your own infrastructure with Docker Compose or Kubernetes, with its core under Apache 2.0 and enterprise capabilities in apps/sim/ee under the separate Sim Enterprise License.

Does Sim support bring your own API key?

As of November 2026, Sim supports workspace BYOK keys on every Sim Cloud plan, while organization-level keys require Pro for Teams, Max for Teams, or Enterprise. Self-hosted Sim can also connect to supported hosted or local model endpoints.

Are open source AI agent platforms free?

Open source AI agent platforms may be free to self-host at the core-software level, but infrastructure, model usage, support, and separately licensed enterprise features can still cost money. Sim's Apache 2.0 core can be self-hosted, while production use of features in apps/sim/ee requires an active Sim Enterprise subscription.

Is Apache 2.0 suitable for commercial use?

Yes. Apache License 2.0 permits commercial use, modification, and redistribution of covered code subject to its notice, attribution, patent, and other license conditions.

Does a public GitHub repository mean a platform is open source?

No. A public repository is open source only when the covered code uses a license that grants the required use, modification, and redistribution rights.

Should I choose an AI agent platform or an agent framework?

A platform such as Sim fits when a team wants a visual workspace for building and operating agents, while a code-first framework fits when developers want orchestration to live inside application code.

What is the difference between Sim and Dify?

Sim is an open-source AI workspace centered on building, deploying, and managing agents, while Dify is commonly evaluated as an LLM application and document-retrieval (RAG) platform under a modified Apache 2.0 license. Dify is the better pick when document retrieval apps are the main job.

What is the difference between Sim and LangGraph?

Sim provides a visual workspace for agent workflows, while LangGraph is a code-first orchestration framework for developers who want graph-based control in application code.

Which open source framework is best for multi-agent systems?

It depends on the coordination model, language, runtime, and observability you need: LangGraph for explicit graphs, CrewAI for role-based crews, and Microsoft Agent Framework or AG2 for conversational multi-agent patterns.

What should enterprises check before adopting an open source AI agent platform?

Enterprises should check the exact license, self-hosting boundary, identity controls, auditability, secrets handling, data retention, model governance, support terms, release cadence, and operational ownership for every platform.

How important are GitHub stars when choosing an AI agent platform?

GitHub stars are a community-interest signal, but they matter less than license clarity, active releases, maintainership, documentation, security practices, and production fit.

Can an open source AI agent platform be used for regulated workflows?

Sim and other agent platforms can support regulated workflows only when the complete deployment, access-control, audit, data-handling, approval, and operational design meets the organization's specific compliance obligations.

Which AI agent platform supports human approval workflows?

Sim's Human block pauses a run until a person submits input, and a downstream Condition must check the submitted approve-or-reject field before any consequential action. LangGraph also treats human-in-the-loop as a first-class feature in code.

How often should an open source AI agent platform comparison be updated?

Whenever licenses, self-hosting boundaries, pricing, major releases, project maintenance, or enterprise feature boundaries materially change, which in this category happens several times a year.