AgentIndex icon
AgentIndex
harnessrouter logo
harnessrouter
★ 3.2k
vs
conduit logo
conduit
★ 235

harnessrouter vs conduit

harnessrouter: HarnessRouter provides a unified infrastructure layer that transforms various agent harnesses (like Codex and Claude Code) into plug-and-play backends, enabling products to run tasks, retrieve results, and switch between harnesses via a single API. It implements the Unified Harness Protocol (UHP) and offers an OpenAI Responses-compatible API for managing persistent sessions, streaming progress, files, and task lifecycle without complex harness engineering.; 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

harnessrouter logo
harnessrouterLLM Infra · ★ 3.2k

Integrating diverse agent backends into a single product API

Read harnessrouter full review →
conduit logo
conduitLLM Infra · ★ 235

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

Read conduit full review →
02

Side-by-Side Comparison

Field
harnessrouter logoharnessrouter
conduit logoconduit
Category
LLM Infra
LLM Infra
Stars
★ 3.2k
★ 235
License
Apache-2.0
MIT
Install Command
docker run -d --name harnessrouter -p 127.0.0.1:3000:3000 -v harnessrouter:/data harnessrouter/harnessrouter
git clone https://github.com/tsouth89/conduit.git && cd conduit && npm install && npm run build:gateway && npm run tauri dev
Updated
1d ago
1d ago
Open Source
Yes
Yes
Website
↗ Visit
↗ Visit
GitHub
↗ GitHub
↗ GitHub
Tags
Agent Orchestration, LLM Infrastructure, API Gateway
AI Agent, Tool Management, Token Optimization
03

Features

harnessrouter logoharnessrouter
01Unified API for multiple agent harnesses (Codex, Claude Code, etc.)
02OpenAI Responses-compatible API for seamless integration
03Handles persistent sessions, streaming progress, files, and cancellation
04Self-hostable Community Edition with Docker for local control
05Supports custom harness configuration with tools and skills
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

harnessrouter logoharnessrouter
↳Integrating diverse agent backends into a single product API
↳Building agentic features for knowledge work, such as content creation and data analysis
↳Optimizing cost and latency by switching between different harnesses/models
↳Developing agent-powered starter kits for slides, sheets, dashboards, or videos
↳Self-hosting agent infrastructure to maintain control over data and credentials
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

harnessrouter logoharnessrouter
EssentialTrending
conduit logoconduit
Hidden Gem
FAQ

FAQ

What is the difference between harnessrouter and conduit?
Both harnessrouter and conduit are in the LLM Infra category. harnessrouter has 3.2k stars, while conduit has 235 stars.
Which is better, harnessrouter or conduit?
The best choice depends on your use case. Choose harnessrouter if Integrating diverse agent backends into a single product API, and conduit if Reducing token costs and improving context window efficiency for AI agents using many tools..
Is harnessrouter free or open source?
Yes, harnessrouter is open source on GitHub (Apache-2.0).
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 harnessrouter →Alternatives to conduit →harnessrouter details →conduit details →