--- title: "agent-zero vs cua" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/agent0ai-agent-zero-vs-trycua-cua" tools: ["agent0ai-agent-zero", "trycua-cua"] --- # agent-zero vs cua Neutral, constraint-first comparison with live GitHub stats. | | [agent-zero](/tools/agent0ai-agent-zero.md) | [cua](/tools/trycua-cua.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | A full Linux system for your AI agent. | Open-source infrastructure for Computer-Use Agents | | Stars | 18,362 | 19,451 | | Forks | 3,678 | 1,277 | | Open issues | 249 | 464 | | Language | Python | HTML | | Adopt for | Agent Zero is an AI agent framework that provides a complete Linux system with a desktop environment and plugin hub within a Docker container. It can be installed via the A0 Launcher (GUI) or A0 Install script (CLI). | Cua is an open-source infrastructure designed for training and evaluating AI agents that can interact with full desktop environments across macOS, Linux, and Windows systems. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Other | MIT | | Categories | AI Agents | AI Agents, Computer Vision | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [agent-zero](/tools/agent0ai-agent-zero.md) | [cua](/tools/trycua-cua.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Days since push | 1d | 0d | | Open issues (now) | 249 | 464 | | Security scan | 97 low (97 low) | 2 low (2 low) | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/agent0ai-agent-zero/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/trycua-cua/trust.md) | **Typed relationship:** agent-zero _(alternative)_ cua Both Agent Zero and cua offer frameworks or platforms for developing computer-use agents, but they differ in their approach and the environment (Linux system vs. unspecified infrastructure). ## Decision facts: agent-zero - **Adopt for:** Agent Zero is an AI agent framework that provides a complete Linux system with a desktop environment and plugin hub within a Docker container. It can be installed via the A0 Launcher (GUI) or A0 Install script (CLI). ## Decision facts: cua - **Adopt for:** Cua is an open-source infrastructure designed for training and evaluating AI agents that can interact with full desktop environments across macOS, Linux, and Windows systems. ## Choose when ### Choose agent-zero if… - agent-zero is primarily Python; cua is HTML. - License: agent-zero is Other, cua is MIT. - Both Agent Zero and cua offer frameworks or platforms for developing computer-use agents, but they differ in their approach and the environment (Linux system vs. unspecified infrastructure). - Tags unique to agent-zero: assistant, zero, linux, autonomous. - You require a full-fledged Linux desktop environment for your AI agent to operate in. ### Choose cua if… - cua is primarily HTML; agent-zero is Python. - License: cua is MIT, agent-zero is Other. - Both Agent Zero and cua offer frameworks or platforms for developing computer-use agents, but they differ in their approach and the environment (Linux system vs. unspecified infrastructure). - Tags unique to cua: computer-use, containerization, ai-agent, virtualization. - Also covers Computer Vision. - cua ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment. - When you require native support to train AI agents on both macOS (fully supported) and Windows platforms (with some limitations), while also having preliminary Linux support in pre-release stage. ## When NOT to use agent-zero - If you are seeking lightweight solutions that do not involve a full Linux system within a container. - When you prefer to manage AI agents without a desktop environment or plugin extensibility. - In scenarios where Docker is not an option or when running on systems with significant resource constraints. ## When NOT to use cua - Avoid using Cua if you are developing AI agents primarily for platforms other than macOS, Windows, and Linux. Competitors may offer better support for a wider range of operating systems. - Do not use Cua if immediate full-featured support across all target platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux) is critical as the Linux support is currently in pre-release stage. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between agent-zero and cua? agent-zero: A full Linux system for your AI agent.. cua: Open-source infrastructure for Computer-Use Agents. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose agent-zero over cua? Choose agent-zero over cua when agent-zero is primarily Python; cua is HTML; License: agent-zero is Other, cua is MIT; Both Agent Zero and cua offer frameworks or platforms for developing computer-use agents, but they differ in their approach and the environment (Linux system vs. unspecified infrastructure); Tags unique to agent-zero: assistant, zero, linux, autonomous; You require a full-fledged Linux desktop environment for your AI agent to operate in. ### When should I choose cua over agent-zero? Choose cua over agent-zero when cua is primarily HTML; agent-zero is Python; License: cua is MIT, agent-zero is Other; Both Agent Zero and cua offer frameworks or platforms for developing computer-use agents, but they differ in their approach and the environment (Linux system vs. unspecified infrastructure); Tags unique to cua: computer-use, containerization, ai-agent, virtualization; Also covers Computer Vision; cua ships Docker support for self-hosted deployment; When you require native support to train AI agents on both macOS (fully supported) and Windows platforms (with some limitations), while also having preliminary Linux support in pre-release stage. ### When should I avoid agent-zero? If you are seeking lightweight solutions that do not involve a full Linux system within a container. When you prefer to manage AI agents without a desktop environment or plugin extensibility. In scenarios where Docker is not an option or when running on systems with significant resource constraints. ### When should I avoid cua? Avoid using Cua if you are developing AI agents primarily for platforms other than macOS, Windows, and Linux. Competitors may offer better support for a wider range of operating systems. Do not use Cua if immediate full-featured support across all target platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux) is critical as the Linux support is currently in pre-release stage. ### Is agent-zero or cua more popular on GitHub? cua has more GitHub stars (19,451 vs 18,362). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are agent-zero and cua open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (agent-zero: Other, cua: MIT). ### Where can I find alternatives to agent-zero or cua? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at /tools/agent0ai-agent-zero/alternatives and /tools/trycua-cua/alternatives (/tools/agent0ai-agent-zero/alternatives.md, /tools/trycua-cua/alternatives.md), ranked by typed relationship edges rather than popularity votes. ### Is there a machine-readable version of this comparison? Yes. The markdown twin at /compare/agent0ai-agent-zero-vs-trycua-cua.md mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, agent-zero or cua? agent-zero: Very active. cua: Very active. Compare maintenance labels, days since push, and release cadence in the trust section below - stars alone do not measure maintenance. ### Where are the full trust reports for agent-zero and cua? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: agent-zero: /tools/agent0ai-agent-zero/trust; cua: /tools/trycua-cua/trust. --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=agent0ai-agent-zero`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=agent0ai-agent-zero) - LLM index: [/llms.txt](/llms.txt) - Full corpus: [/llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt) _GraphCanon - The knowledge graph for AI development. https://www.graphcanon.com/_