An open-source Gumloop alternative you can self-host
Gumloop is a hosted, no-code builder for AI agents, so you cannot read its code or run it on your own network. Kortix is the open-source AI Operating System, which means you can read every agent, fork the code, and self-host for free.
Kortix and the options you can self-host
Kortix is the open-source AI Operating System and the recommendation. Each rival cell states what that vendor's own site or repository documents.
Open source
- Kortix
- Yes. Open source. Read it, fork it, audit it.
- n8n
- No, fair-code (source on GitHub)
- Dify
- Yes
- Activepieces
- Yes, an open source replacement for Zapier
Self-hosting
- Kortix
- Kortix Cloud, your VPC, or on-prem; self-host is free
- n8n
- Deploy with Docker on your own infrastructure
- Dify
- Docker Compose self-host, or Dify Cloud
- Activepieces
- Self-host the Community edition
Model choice
- Kortix
- Any model provider with your own keys
- n8n
- Any model; swap cloud or offline
- Dify
- Hundreds of models from many providers
- Activepieces
- Bring your own keys and models
Configuration ownership
- Kortix
- Files in a git repo you own
- n8n
- Workflows in the n8n instance you run
- Dify
- Apps and workflows in your Dify workspace
- Activepieces
- Flows in your Activepieces project
Real commands from the Kortix CLI
Install, scaffold and ship, then run the whole stack on a server you control.
- 01
Install and ship
Build the company like a codebase
The install script puts the CLI in place, then you scaffold a project and push it live.
- 02
Self-host
Run the full stack yourself
One command starts the whole platform as a Docker Compose stack on a server you own.
- 03
kortix.yaml
Agents and connectors, declared in a file
The manifest at the repo root declares the agents and what each one may reach.
curl -fsSL https://kortix.com/install | bashkortix initkortix shipkortix self-host init --domain kortix.example.comkortix self-host startkortix_version: 2default_agent: kortixagents: kortix: file: agents/kortix.md connectors: allWhat open source actually buys a team
An open-source system is one you can read, run and change. For a team, that shows up in three places. You can audit the code that touches your data instead of trusting a description. You can run the whole platform on your own network, so the configuration never leaves your infrastructure. And you are not tied to one vendor's per-seat price, because the code runs without that vendor. Kortix is the open-source AI Operating System: your agents, skills, company memory and connectors are files in one git repo you own.
Why a hosted builder is a different thing
Gumloop is a hosted, no-code builder for AI agents. You describe a task and its agents do the work, but the product, the data handling and the price all sit with Gumloop (gumloop.com/pricing, checked October 2026). That is a reasonable trade when you want zero setup and the vendor's cloud is acceptable. It fits less well when a security review needs the system on your own network, or when you want to keep the configuration in a repository you control.
The other options that publish their source
n8n draws workflows on a visual canvas and runs self-hosted or in its cloud, and its source code is visible under its own fair-code terms (n8n.io). Dify builds AI workflows and agents on a visual editor, self-hosted or in Dify Cloud (dify.ai). Activepieces is an open source automation tool you can self-host (activepieces.com). Each keeps its configuration in its own format; Kortix keeps agents, skills, memory and connectors in one git repo.
What you get with the Kortix route
Self-host is free, and Kortix runs on Kortix Cloud, in your VPC, or on your own on-prem network. A session gets one isolated sandbox and its own branch, and the work reaches main through a change request a person reviews. Any model provider works with your own keys. The Gumloop pricing page puts the two price shapes side by side, and the Gumloop alternatives page covers the wider field.
Questions about an open-source route
- 01
What does open source change for a team?
You can read the code, run the platform on your own network, and avoid a per-seat vendor price. Kortix is open source, so all three apply.
- 02
Is Gumloop open source?
No. Gumloop is a hosted, no-code builder for AI agents, and its own site documents no self-hosted edition.
- 03
Can I self-host this alternative for free?
Yes. Self-host is free, and Kortix runs on Kortix Cloud, in your VPC, or on your own on-prem network.
- 04
Which models can I run?
Any model provider with your own keys, or the ChatGPT plan you already pay for.
- 05
How do I start?
Install the CLI, scaffold a project, and ship it. The commands are in the code panels on this page.
Run the whole system on your own terms.
Self-host for free, or start on Kortix Cloud.