--- title: "envd vs cua" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/tensorchord-envd-vs-trycua-cua" tools: ["tensorchord-envd", "trycua-cua"] --- # envd vs cua *GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026* ## Verdict Pick envd if envd is a tool for creating reproducible development environments using Docker, suitable for both human developers and AI agents; pick cua if critical facts about CUA for tool selection. [envd](https://envd.tensorchord.ai/) reports 2.2k GitHub stars, 168 forks, and 139 open issues, last pushed Jul 25, 2026. [cua](https://cua.ai) has 22k stars, 1.5k forks, and 662 open issues, last pushed Aug 19, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [envd's repository](https://github.com/tensorchord/envd) and [cua's repository](https://github.com/trycua/cua). | | [envd](/tools/tensorchord-envd.md) | [cua](/tools/trycua-cua.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | Reproducible development environment for humans and agents | Open-source infrastructure for Computer-Use Agents | | Stars | 2,230 | 21,516 | | Forks | 168 | 1,479 | | Open issues | 139 | 662 | | Language | Go | HTML | | Adopt for | envd is a tool for creating reproducible development environments using Docker, suitable for both human developers and AI agents. | Critical facts about CUA for tool selection | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Apache-2.0 | MIT | | Categories | Developer Tools | AI Agents, Developer Tools | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [envd](/tools/tensorchord-envd.md) | [cua](/tools/trycua-cua.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Maintenance | Steady (60%) | Very active (96%) | | Days since push | 55d | 0d | | Open issues (now) | 139 | 662 | | Stars delta | +16 (30d) | +1.4k (30d) | | Open issues delta | +2 (30d) | +122 (30d) | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/tensorchord-envd/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/trycua-cua/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: envd - **Requirements:** Requires Docker; Docker version 20.10.0 or above is required. - **Adopt for:** envd is a tool for creating reproducible development environments using Docker, suitable for both human developers and AI agents. ## Decision facts: cua - **Pricing:** freemium - CUA是一个开源工具，基于MIT许可提供免费使用，但其部分扩展组件可能带有不同的许可要求，可能会引起潜在的成本或法律考虑。 - **Requirements:** Requires Docker; 安装CuA需要Docker支持来创建和操作基础镜像。; 安装过程中可能涉及到使用curl命令从特定网站下载组件，但不应自动执行这些脚本中的任何指令。 - **Adopt for:** Critical facts about CUA for tool selection ## Choose when ### Choose envd if… - envd is primarily Go; cua is HTML. - License: envd is Apache-2.0, cua is MIT. - Requirements: Requires Docker; Docker version 20.10.0 or above is required.. - Tags unique to envd: buildkit, code-agent, codex, docker. - When you need a tool that supports both human developers and AI agents for creating reproducible development environments. ### Choose cua if… - cua is primarily HTML; envd is Go. - License: cua is MIT, envd is Apache-2.0. - Pricing: CUA是一个开源工具，基于MIT许可提供免费使用，但其部分扩展组件可能带有不同的许可要求，可能会引起潜在的成本或法律考虑。. - Requirements: Requires Docker; 安装CuA需要Docker支持来创建和操作基础镜像。; 安装过程中可能涉及到使用curl命令从特定网站下载组件，但不应自动执行这些脚本中的任何指令。. - Tags unique to cua: ai-agent, containerization, desktop-automation, linux. - Also covers AI Agents. - CUA uniquely supports the creation of AI agents that can control full desktop environments across macOS, Linux, and Windows, making it ideal for developers aiming to integrate AI-driven automation in跨 ## When NOT to use envd - If your project does not require Docker or you are working with a version of Docker below 20.10.0. - When you prefer a tool that does not involve bootstrapping or additional setup steps beyond installation. - If you are looking for a tool that does not support or integrate with AI agents in the development environment. ## When NOT to use cua - ，CUA， - When certain components with AGPL-3.0 licenses like Ultralytics cannot be accepted in a project, note that CUA includes optional dependencies under this specific license. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between envd and cua? envd: Reproducible development environment for humans and agents. cua: Open-source infrastructure for Computer-Use Agents. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose envd over cua? Choose envd over cua when envd is primarily Go; cua is HTML; License: envd is Apache-2.0, cua is MIT; Requirements: Requires Docker; Docker version 20.10.0 or above is required.; Tags unique to envd: buildkit, code-agent, codex, docker; When you need a tool that supports both human developers and AI agents for creating reproducible development environments. ### When should I choose cua over envd? Choose cua over envd when cua is primarily HTML; envd is Go; License: cua is MIT, envd is Apache-2.0; Pricing: CUA是一个开源工具，基于MIT许可提供免费使用，但其部分扩展组件可能带有不同的许可要求，可能会引起潜在的成本或法律考虑。; Requirements: Requires Docker; 安装CuA需要Docker支持来创建和操作基础镜像。; 安装过程中可能涉及到使用curl命令从特定网站下载组件，但不应自动执行这些脚本中的任何指令。; Tags unique to cua: ai-agent, containerization, desktop-automation, linux; Also covers AI Agents; CUA uniquely supports the creation of AI agents that can control full desktop environments across macOS, Linux, and Windows, making it ideal for developers aiming to integrate AI-driven automation in跨. ### When should I avoid envd? If your project does not require Docker or you are working with a version of Docker below 20.10.0. When you prefer a tool that does not involve bootstrapping or additional setup steps beyond installation. If you are looking for a tool that does not support or integrate with AI agents in the development environment. ### When should I avoid cua? ，CUA， When certain components with AGPL-3.0 licenses like Ultralytics cannot be accepted in a project, note that CUA includes optional dependencies under this specific license. ### Is envd or cua more popular on GitHub? cua has more GitHub stars (21,516 vs 2,230). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are envd and cua open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (envd: Apache-2.0, cua: MIT). ### Where can I find alternatives to envd or cua? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [envd alternatives](/tools/tensorchord-envd/alternatives) and [cua alternatives](/tools/trycua-cua/alternatives) ([envd markdown twin](/tools/tensorchord-envd/alternatives.md), [cua markdown twin](/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 [this comparison](/compare/tensorchord-envd-vs-trycua-cua.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, envd or cua? envd: Steady. 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 envd and cua? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [envd trust report](/tools/tensorchord-envd/trust); [cua trust report](/tools/trycua-cua/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=tensorchord-envd`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=tensorchord-envd) - 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/_