AgentIndex icon
AgentIndex
cua logo
cua
★ 31.1k
vs
conduit logo
conduit
★ 233

cua vs conduit

cua: Cua is an open-source platform designed for building, benchmarking, and deploying AI agents capable of interacting with any computer. It provides isolated, self-hostable sandboxes using technologies like Docker, QEMU, and Apple Vz for agentic UI automation and secure code execution.; conduit: Conduit acts as a local Model Context Protocol (MCP) gateway, designed to drastically reduce token overhead when AI agents utilize multiple tools by consolidating server tools into a few meta-tools. It simplifies the setup and authentication of various services, allowing them to be configured once and used across all connected AI clients.

01

TL;DR

cua logo
cuaLLM Infra · ★ 31.1k
When to choose:
  • You are building Computer-Use agents and need robust, self-hostable isolated desktop/VM sandboxes (Docker, QEMU, Apple Vz).
  • You need native app operating drivers, standardized benchmarking harnesses, and secure isolation for autonomous agent task execution.
When to skip:
  • You only need simple UI macros on your personal physical machine (Windows-MCP or local desktop helpers are easier).
  • Your agents interact solely via text APIs, shell commands, or databases and have no need for a virtual graphical desktop.
Read cua full review →
conduit logo
conduitLLM Infra · ★ 233

Reducing token costs and improving context window efficiency for AI agents using many tools.

Read conduit full review →
02

Side-by-Side Comparison

Field
cua logocua
conduit logoconduit
Category
LLM Infra
LLM Infra
Stars
★ 31.1k
★ 233
License
MIT
MIT
Install Command
curl -fsSL https://cua.ai/install.sh | sh
git clone https://github.com/tsouth89/conduit.git && cd conduit && npm install && npm run build:gateway && npm run tauri dev
Updated
1d ago
3d ago
Open Source
Yes
Yes
Website
↗ Visit
↗ Visit
GitHub
↗ GitHub
↗ GitHub
Tags
AI Agents, Virtualization, UI Automation
AI Agent, Tool Management, Token Optimization
03

Features

cua logocua
01Build AI agents for desktop UI automation and interaction.
02Provide isolated code execution environments (sandboxes).
03Benchmark computer-use models with standardized tasks.
04Train agents using reinforcement learning environments.
05Manage high-performance macOS/Linux VMs on Apple Silicon.
conduit logoconduit
01~90% fewer tokens by using lazy-discovery mode for tools.
02Single setup and authentication for all AI clients.
03Per-agent scoping to control tool access for different clients.
04Built-in governance to toggle tools on/off and audit calls.
05A built-in playground to test tools before integration.
04

Use Cases

cua logocua
↳Developing and deploying AI agents for autonomous desktop interaction and task completion.
↳Creating secure, isolated code execution environments for AI coding assistants and development workflows.
↳Benchmarking and training computer-use agents using standardized tasks and reinforcement learning.
conduit logoconduit
↳Reducing token costs and improving context window efficiency for AI agents using many tools.
↳Managing and authenticating multiple external services (e.g., Stripe, Supabase, GitHub) for various AI clients from a single gateway.
↳Providing granular control over which tools different AI clients or agents can access, enhancing security and compliance.
↳Testing and validating AI tools (e.g., from an MCP server) using a built-in playground before deploying them to agents.
05

Best For

cua logocua
Most PopularEssentialTrending
conduit logoconduit
Hidden Gem
FAQ

FAQ

What is the difference between cua and conduit?
Both cua and conduit are in the LLM Infra category. cua has 31.1k stars, while conduit has 233 stars.
Which is better, cua or conduit?
The best choice depends on your use case. Choose cua if Developing and deploying AI agents for autonomous desktop interaction and task completion., and conduit if Reducing token costs and improving context window efficiency for AI agents using many tools..
Is cua free or open source?
Yes, cua is open source on GitHub (MIT).
Is conduit free or open source?
Yes, conduit is open source on GitHub (MIT).
Cloud Infrastructure
Ad

Deploy on DigitalOcean

Host your MCP servers, Docker containers, and AI agents with $200 free credit over 60 days.

Claim $200 Free Credit
→

Related

Alternatives to cua →Alternatives to conduit →cua details →conduit details →cua vs mcp-server-browserbase →