OpenShell: private runtime for AI agents
OpenShell runs fleets of autonomous AI agents in sandboxes. Credentials are added only for approved endpoints. Apache 2.0.
Key features
- Runs each agent in an isolated sandbox
- Confines files and system calls with kernel controls inside the sandbox
- Checks every network connection against policy before it leaves the sandbox
- Adds credentials only to requests bound for approved endpoints
- Uses formal verification to flag risky policy changes before they are applied
- Runs on Linux, macOS on Apple Silicon, or Windows with WSL 2 (experimental)
- Needs Docker, Podman, or host virtualization
- Licensed under the Apache License 2.0
- Category
- Agents
- Who it's for
- Teams that run fleets of autonomous agents and want policy on files, network, and credentials.
- Tags
- agentsandboxhostingcontainersfonts-icons
- Website
- github.com
- Listed
- 2026-10-23
Frequently asked questions
Is OpenShell free?
Yes. OpenShell is open source and free to use.
What is OpenShell used for?
Safe, private runtime for fleets of autonomous AI agents. Sandboxes enforce file, syscall, and network policy. Apache 2.0. Typical uses: runs each agent in an isolated sandbox; confines files and system calls with kernel controls inside the sandbox; checks every network connection against policy before it leaves the sandbox.
What are the best OpenShell alternatives?
Alternatives in the same category include Omnara, Agensh, LearnHarness, LangChain, Docker Agentic Platform.
Related in Agents
See all →- Agensh Self-organized multi-agent harness. Agents claim sub-tasks and merge progress without a central orchestrator. MIT.
- Alter Privileged access for AI agents. Vaulted credentials, per-call policy, and an audit log. Free tier is 10,000 API calls a month.
- Chainguard Workspaces Isolates untrusted code in Chainguard-hardened microVMs so agents cannot steal your secrets. In beta.
- Docker Agentic Platform Runs your agents in isolated sandboxes on Docker-managed cloud infrastructure. Experimental.
- E2B Sandboxed cloud environments for AI agents to run code.
- Harness² Framework that refines an agent harness on new tasks while model weights stay fixed. Apache 2.0.